PHILOSOPHY TO GROW.P4C

ABOUT PROJECT

The events of recent years in Ukraine have raised the question of the need for education and the development of a meaningful way of life for young people who need not only creative but also critical thinking. “Philosophy for Children” (P4C) methodology prepares children for conscious and responsible participation in a democratic system, which encourages citizens to make decisions on their own.

The purpose of the project is to create a P4C course for Ukrainian teachers and adapted for Ukrainian schools who will be able to implement this methodology in the pilot schools of Ukraine within the framework of the annual course.

P4C adaptation course is innovative for the Ukrainian education system and is based on the international method of Matthew Lipman, founder of P4C, who was particularly interested in the development of reasoning skills by studying logic. The belief in the ability of children to think abstractly from an early age made him convince that the involvement of the logic in the education of children would help them quicker improve their mental skills.

Р4С

P4C approach is a balance of critical (logical) + creative (art) + caring (ecological influence), where logic is key and ethic and art are based on it.

P4C classes are based on the concept of a “community of inquiry”, where the class leads to “questioning, justifying, connecting, discussing, simplifying and developing problem-solving methods” among children.

P4C method is an interdisciplinary approach to learning and teaching on the basis of critical thinking (logic) + creative thinking (art) – it can be applied additionally to all school subjects within creative or logical exercises. For primary school, it is important to study art that forms creative thinking that can be applied to studying in further education.

The Project’s curator is Nadiya Adamenko, a professor at the National Pedagogical University and an expert on international programs “Philosophy for Children” (M. Lipman), “The Practical Philosopher” (O. Brenifer), “Education as a Freedom Practice” (P. Freire) and others, where philosophy, in the first place, is the ability to reflect the world and navigate it.

The project is supported by:
Harald Binder Cultural Enterprises (HBCE) – organization founded by historian and philanthropist Harald Binder. HBCE supports art, education and culture initiatives, and aims to promote the sustainable development of these areas in Ukraine. The competition of the NGSE grant program is aimed at supporting projects of public initiatives in the amount of 500 to 5000 EUR that are implemented in Ukraine. HBCE is also working on creating “Jade Factory Art Center” in Lviv, which will combine in one location different types of contemporary art and educational practices.