"InnoSTEAM – A Seasonal Journey with Willow"

  "InnoSTEAM – A Seasonal Journey with Willow" is an innovative eTwinning project designed for early childhood education, where children explore the four seasons through integrated STEAM activities, digital tools, and playful experiences with AI. Using storytelling, art, music,and simple coding, young learners develop creativity, critical thinking, and digital literacy. The project fosters collaboration among European kindergartens and promotes 21st-century learning through innovation.

🌱 What Makes InnoSTEAM Special?

🔸 A Season-Based Curriculum:

Children will experience autumn, winter, spring, and summer through integrated STEAM activities, storytelling, and creativity.

🔸 A Main Character – Willow:

Willow will be present in all materials and activities, acting as a constant guide and motivator, sparking curiosity and wonder in every season.

🔸 Structured and Flexible:

• Each month will include a set of proposed/required activities designed by the project team.

• In addition, partners are encouraged to contribute with their own creative ideas and extensions related to the seasonal theme.

🔸 Parent Collaboration Moments:

We will include three key activities involving families, taking place in:

• October (Autumn – Respect & Emotions)

• December (Winter Holidays Around the World)

• March (Celebrating Women Who Inspire Us)

🔸 International Collaboration:

Children will create digital books, posters, and joint products, contributing to a European tapestry of voices, experiences, and creativity.

🧠 Why STEAM + Storytelling?

Our project builds upon recent European research that emphasizes:

• The importance of STEAM integration (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) from early childhood to foster critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving (EU STEM Coalition, 2020).

• The need to strengthen early mathematics education by embedding it in real-life, playful contexts.

• The power of storytelling as a cognitive and emotional bridge for children to internalize abstract concepts—linking literacy with science, empathy, and identity.

• The value of digital literacy from a young age—not just as technical skill, but as a form of expression and collaboration, aligned with the European Commission’s DigComp framework.

 "InnoSTEAM – A Seasonal Journey with Willow" combines all these strands into an accessible, meaningful experience for both children and teachers, contributing to a Europe-wide vision of future-ready, creative learners.