Introduction
The main goal of Tihase kindergarten is to provide high-quality preschool education. It is important for the organisation to make the children feel welcome, safe and positive throughout the day and happy to take part in learning activities. The priority for the kindergarten is an outdoor education.
In addition to the daily learning activities taking place in the kindergarten, the children can participate in different activities like dancing, sports, music, playing zither and English lessons. The kindergarten follows many traditions like Christmas fairs, kindergarten’s birthday and Estonian Independence Day. In addition to celebrating traditional activities in kindergarten, national and international health days are very important, e.g. Heart Week, Bread and Milk Week etc.
The kindergarten has 4 groups of children between the ages of 2 and 7. The maximum number of children per group is 24 and each group has 2 teachers and an assistant. The staff is made up of 18 people. All the teachers have a pedagogical education. The kindergarten also has a music teacher and a physical education teacher.
The teachers have annual conversations with the parents to provide feedback on the child’s development. The teachers are open-minded and want to extend their knowledge by getting to know people of different cultures and nations. Also, the culture and customs of our own nation are of great importance to our organisation.
The kindergarten cooperates with other organisations, such as nearby kindergartens, different theatre groups and their district government. Since June 2016 Tihase Kindergarten belongs to a network of kindergartens aiming to educate children on health.
Location
The kindergarten is in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia on the coast of Baltic Sea. Tallinn has about 400 000 inhabitants. The native language is Estonian, but English, Russian and Finnish are also widely understood. Tallinn was founded about 1000 years ago. Now it is a beautiful modern city with ancient buildings and fantastical sights. The city is very popular touristic place. Tihase Kindergarten is in Kristiine District, not far from city centre. This district is valued for nearby parks and the Old Town is only 2-3 stops away by bus. The kindergarten has a good public transport connection with the city centre.
The main tasks:
- Help teachers with lessons and games for children
- Prepare lessons and materials for activities
- Help to prepare festivals, holidays and exhibitions
- Prepare a presentation about own country
- Organise different events for teachers, such as culture clubs
- Take part in different activities, such as parties, excursions, study trips etc
- Assist kids (getting dressed for the outdoor activities, having meals)
- Gather up toys or books after play time
The volunteer can participate in the activities and is expected to offer own ideas and be creative. The volunteer will be residing with one age group but has an opportunity to work with other age groups as well. The volunteer will have an experienced tutor, who will always be ready to help and give good advice about everyday life in the city and the country.
Benefits for the volunteer
- Getting working experience with children aged 2-7 years
- Having an opportunity to share his/her experiences
- Having an opportunity to learn Estonian language and practice using it
- Learning about Estonian history and culture
Requirements for the volunteer
- Ready to work with children and has patience
- Friendly and open-minded
- Willing to be involved in youth work and youth activities
- Speaks English at least at a basic level
- Optimistic and cheerful
