Since 2018, Fundación PANIAMOR, through its “Citizen Childhood” Programme, has collaborated with public and private partners to develop a cultural change strategy in early childhood education. With support from Procter & Gamble, Grupo CS, Business Alliance for Development, and Aflatoun International, this strategy focuses on building cooperative relationships rooted in shared responsibility, community involvement, and social engagement. By working across various sectors and levels of government, the foundation aims to create a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for children.
The strategy comprises two main components: Line I, named “We are Family,” and Line II, titled “Recreando Valor.”
Together, these lines of action aim to strengthen the educational system in Costa Rica by providing valuable resources for families and teachers in preschool and primary education. These resources, including toolboxes and didactic materials, focus on important topics such as Human Rights, Neuroscience, Gender Equality, Sustainable Development, and Respectful Parenting.
Line I, “We are Family,” emphasizes the promotion of democratic citizenship skills from early childhood. It aims to foster responsible, critical, and creative citizenship, while also supporting the development of democratic educational centres. Additionally, it addresses the need to eliminate physical punishment and humiliating treatment.
Line II, known as “Recreating Value,” focuses on nurturing socioeconomic skills in children from early childhood within educational settings. This initiative arises from the imperative to acknowledge and support the rights of boys and girls to receive socioeconomic education from the very start of their lives.
Achievement:
The success of Line I includes the creation of 13 pedagogical guides, 3 pedagogical series, 6 training campaigns on social networks, a two-story series comprising 10 books, a children’s television series with 14 videos, two self-training courses, and a platform focusing on respectful parenting. These accomplishments demonstrate the programme’s commitment to promoting positive parenting practices and enhancing educational resources for children and families.
Through the “Recreando Valor-MEP” Line II programme, efforts are directed towards empowering adults to enhance their socioeconomic skills and guide children in developing theirs. Additionally, there is a concerted effort to reform the management of children’s centres, viewing them as holistic ecosystems where every component plays a crucial role in ensuring fair, responsible, and sustainable resource management.
Another achievement encompasses the creation of three pedagogical guides aligned with the Preschool Education Study Programme, as well as the implementation of one effective training campaign on social media and the introduction of two self-training courses.
Furthermore, the “Childhood in the Center” Strategy is actively involved in distributing its educational toolboxes to more than 10,000 preschool-aged children, while also strengthening training programmes for teaching staff.
