As more and more communities are questioning the effectiveness of their educational programs, LiTPEACE, Life Transformation through Peace Education and Children’s Empowerment, is focusing on the early childhood education as the foundation for a lifetime.
Based on holistic fundamental education, including physical, mental, emotional and social development, the LiTPEACE program consists of games for children and education for their adults. Children naturally learn through playing games. Using knowledge from experts in child development, pediatric therapies and education techniques, the games were mindfully developed. The children just have fun playing the games. The adults are given insight to the learning behind the games so that they can guide the children most effectively to bring forth their full potential.
LiTPEACE is part of a larger movement that focuses on the personal success of each child understanding that the investment in an individual youth ultimately brings the greatest benefit to society.
Prior to the official launch, Kirkkonummi Kindergarten was the first school to invite the LiTPEACE program in as a special program. In Finland, the land of renowned educational success, this English speaking preschool is one of many multicultural and multilingual programs. The LiTPEACE program flowed easily into the educational environment of freedom for teachers to use “whatever it takes” to teach each child, the secret to their high ratings from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a triennial international survey which aims to evaluate education systems worldwide by testing a representative of 28 million 15-year-old students.
In Kirkkonummi, Suna played the movement games with 32 children from ages 2- 7 in two separate preschools: the English speaking Kirkkonummi Kindergarten and a Swedish speaking preschool. Two separate classes were taught in English – the two year olds played the little child version, and the 3 – 7 year olds engaged in the moving adventure games. Suna taught the 6 – 7 year olds in a spontaneous Swedish translation of the movement games in the Swedish speaking school. An additional class was performed in the English school to include more students in the afternoon. The kindergarten teachers had a Q&A discussion about the purpose and science behind the games so that they could also perform the learning games with the children. Teachers and parents from the surrounding area attended the presentation on Creating a Culture of Peace by Focusing on our Children at the library that evening. The 17 participants engaged in deeply thoughtful discussion around specific issues faced by the educators and parents.
More and more attention is being given to the importance of early childhood education. The pre-launch LiTPEACE program in Finland gives a peak at the greater possibilities for humanity through caring for our youngest citizens.