2023-2024
The 40^th Preschool of Peristeri, Attiki, Greece (Kindergarten), during the 2023-2024 school year, planned, organized and implemented the ” European Fairy Tale Cultural Route of the Council of Europe ” entitled: “The Grandfather Aesopos travels all over Europe“.

The specific program was implemented with the collaboration and the communication both with the Department of International Relations of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and the European Fairy Tale Route Association and aimed, using the intangible cultural heritage of Aesop’s fables, to connect and spread the principles and values ​​that support the European Union such as justice, peace, democracy, equality, identity, respect for the environment and the “other”.

Priority of the “European Fairy Tale Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” is the growth of reading and the education of the children that have to do with the dissemination of the fairy tale tradition from the beginning of the ancient times until today. This specific Cultural Route aim to contribute to the promotion of the European identity through the knowledge and the information of the common European heritage.

Moving power of this cultural route was the children’s favorites myths of Aesopos. On of the most known myth maker is Aesopos, who is considered the creator of this kind of myth. The way he composed without any difficulty and the variety of his myths expand his fame to the whole, known at time, world which resulted in having the educational myth be associated with his name. His myths are simple, but they express a deep philosophical of the common humans, they are characterized by frugality and nicety, they consist of the precipitation of the human presence and action is always timely and are amenable to adjustments in the reality of each season and community without losing their educational purpose.

Based on those previous characteristics the “European Fairy Tale Route”, that is designed and organized by our school had as a goal and on the occasion of the myths of Aesopos to follow a route of experiences, knowledge, creativity, self-awareness, shaping of the personal and cross-cultural identity of the European citizen. It is based on our common non-material heritage, and it is supported by public stories and verbal traditions of the past. The children experienced a fantastic cultural trip between tradition, narrative, study, creation, inside time and space.

Implementation

The educational program was implemented in three parts. Initially, it started with knowing Aesop and his fables and then approaching other literary heroes of Europe such as Pinocchio and the third part included the creation of an imaginary route in the countries of Europe through innovative activities, such as: aacquaintance  with the non-material cultural heritage of our country that has to do with myths, collection, study and listing of different books that accents the myths, designing and organizing an imaginary cultural route wherever the children will get to know the fairy tale’s heroes from other countries, communication with cultural actors which have a connection with the narrative of the fairy tales in Greece and in Europe, the theatrical and artistic expression and creation of the Aesop’s myths, creation of fairy tales by the students, develop of digital attributes by implementing the cultural route.

Conclusions and proposals

The children acknowledge the Aesop’s myths with a more contemporary way, but also update the myths to contemporary reality, connect them with the values of European Union and the Council of Europe.

They develop the love of reading and came into contact with other literary texts from different countries of Europe, they spent happy moments enjoying traditional ways of storytelling, they were able to render the myths artistically using different forms of expression, such as drawing, narration, theatrical techniques, music, drama, they used digital tools and they made an attempt to render the myths by using new technologies, they come into contact with the cultural heritage of our country,  they acknowledge the European countries with an imaginary experienced and creative way, they create their own personal and collective route, they acknowledge the values and attitudes which are the columns of European culture as the democracy, the freedom, the truth, the corporation, the peace.

  Regarding the “European Fairy Tale Route” itself and based on the criteria mentioned in the report of the “Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe”, we typically state that:

• The theme of the route was able to update Aesop’s fables in a more modern way.
• The children’s interest was undiminished throughout the program and they understood the historical importance of cultural heritage.
• This educational program created many opportunities for children to engage in cultural, educational and innovative activities.
• This educational program promoted the values of the Council of Europe.
• It contributed to a better understanding of the concept of cultural heritage and its importance for sustainable development.  Based on the above considerations, we could submit some proposals related both to the specific cultural route and more generally to the dissemination and activation of other schools to participate and implement corresponding routes.
• Aesop and his fables are known throughout Europe, and for this reason it can be a common value, but also an idea for action for many European countries. • It can create opportunities for research and development of relevant cultural issues.
• The actions carried out highlighted innovative and creative practices that can serve as an example for similar actions and projects.
• It would be useful to create a network with cooperating schools that can spread the “European Fairy Tale Route” and also be able to cooperate with corresponding actions.

Photogallery
Click the images to view full size