The transition from the Early Birds Istanbul Kindergarten to the Outdoorschool Istanbul (OSİ) Kindergarten went smoothly. My support—in the form of team-building seminars, educational planning and implementation, workshops with children and educators, and mentoring of the leadership team both on-site and online—paved the way for a fantastic first year. In the coming year, I will continue to support the OSİ team and parents with my over 30 years of experience in project-based learning in kindergarten.

Another consulting project has come up in Accra, Ghana. There, I am supporting a newly established preschool project in Agbogbloshie, Accra’s poorest neighborhood. Designing the playground and setting educational goals using my “I can…!” system are top priorities. My first workshops have already taken place, and the kindergarten concept has been expanded to include the “Gentle Hands & Kind Words” mission statement. We are also working on numerous sustainable art projects that focus on recycling.

We still have a long way to go—but I’m really looking forward to contributing my experience in this area.