Workshops

The workshops offered at Kaleide spring from participants' motivations, and also from the invitations and "provocations" (as they are known in the Reggio Emilia pedagogical approach) that arise from the pedagogical team. Our facilitators will share their skills and interests with the participants, because we believe that passion for anything is contagious, and even more so when it comes from someone with whom we have a close relationship.

The workshops are held in small groups, with a mix of ages, and are eminently practical. These workshops provide participants with the opportunity to learn new skills in an experiential and interactive way, and to share what they know with the entire learning community. The workshops are held every week and can be proposed by the children (who can also impart them) or by the pedagogical team.

Workshops by facilitators

Every week, facilitators will be taking children's interests as the starting point for workshops such as cooking, puppet-making, aircraft modelling, experiments, or sewing. In order to broaden the scope of learning, facilitators can also design "provocations" (as they are known in the Reggio Emilia approach) or workshops around themes not proposed by the children but which are likely to engage their curiosity and challenge their abilities, such as building musical instruments from reused materials, using cardboard boxes for creative construction, tinkering with robotics, or designing mechanical toys. Our workshops take place in small mixed-age groups, and are mainly hands-on.

Workshops by children

Children spontaneously teach each other skills, and enjoy sharing their knowledge. At Kaleide International school, we routinely encourage children not only to propose workshops that they would enjoy, but also to take a step forward and impart themselves workshops on any subject of their preference, such as origami, weaving, or kite-making. As studies have shown, learning by teaching can contribute positively to understanding and knowledge retention. It is also an excellent way for them to develop their autonomy, their responsibility, their thinking skills, their confidence, their patience and their sense of belonging.

Workshops by visiting experts

Our child-centred approach to education relies greatly on offering the children a wide range of opportunities to engage their interest, as well as positive interactions with adults inside and outside the school. One of the ways in which we seek to promote this within the school is by involving external experts in diverse fields, from music and the arts to computing and engineering.

Workshops by visiting experts may be requested by the children or offered by our facilitators, in response to the children's interest in any specific area of knowledge, or in connection with a particular professional activity, school project, or community event. These experts will bring a high degree of specific professional knowledge and specialist skills which facilitators themselves may not have. Their role is to provide the children with a real-world context for their learning, deepen their understanding of how our society works, create a connection with the wider community, and be an inspiring example of lifelong learning and caring attitudes, such as social engagement and responsibility.

Workshops by parents

We believe that a person’s passion about any subject can be contagious, especially when children are able to develop an emotional bond with her/him. We aim to involve parents in many of the school’s activities, and offer them the chance to share their expertise and knowledge with the whole community as powerful role models and motivators for the children. If there's anything you love doing, please come and share it with us!