STARTING POINTS AND PERSPECTIVES OF ECOLOGICAL AND HUMANISTIC PRESCHOOL PROGRAM ‘’WE ARE EARTHLINGS’’

Abstract

The authors start from the fact that today's children, as much as adults, are invited to learn environmentally, as well as to think, feel and act by understanding a deep connection and delicate conditionality of human and natural systems. Pedagogically designed performance of these processes offered in ecological and humanistic programs aimed at creating empathy, personal attitude, environmental critical thinking, and the ability to jointly consider environmental, social, technological and other problems of humanity, having the controlled actions on the basis of the risk assessment, accordingly. Some of these dimensions have been developed and nurtured in the pre-school childhood through the program "We are Earthlings." The program has been implemented in different environments for more than two decades. It is based on ecological and humanistic philosophical settings of a recent date, as well as on demands of contemporary education rooted in the socio-cultural theory and constructivist learning strategies. It allows children to be emotionally, socially, intellectually and creatively engaged through joint projects with their peers, teachers and parents by building fundamental environmental and humanistic knowledge and beliefs already in the preschool age.