BUILDING CONNECTIONS is a continuous programme developed by the Kūrybinės Jungtys association to work with children and young people attending day-care centres. The aim of this programme is to develop the creativity, teamwork and critical thinking skills in children at social risk and to help them build meaningful relationships with themselves and their environment. It also strengthens the professional competences of day-care centre staff and volunteers and gives them an opportunity to improve their knowledge by working creatively with children.
Through a shared creative process, we can help children experience a closer relationship with other members of the community, grasp and appreciate the uniqueness of every person, and strengthen their cooperation and communication skills. We aim to create a space where children are not afraid to open up, respectfully accept themselves and others, make mistakes, experiment, and think openly and creatively.
We can help employees and volunteers strengthen their teamwork, communication and collaboration skills, and expand their working methods with new tools. We provide an opportunity to see your work in a new and creative way, and unlearn clichés and prejudices.
The project is implemented in a unique way, specific to each day-care centre.
One or two creative practitioners from different fields work with the children and staff in each day-care centre to tailor the programme to their situation, expectations, challenges, ideas and visions of the centre’s children and community. After examining the existing situation, the creative practitioners look for a model of action that would be relevant, meaningful, engaging and inspiring to all of the project’s participants. Special attention is paid to children’s opinions and ideas, allowing them to feel like active participants and co-creators in the process, with the freedom to make decisions.