The Poly-Universe in Preschool and Lower Primary School Education (EARLY-POLY) project’s international partners convened in May 2026 for the last in-person working session. This time the meeting was organised in Jyväskylä, Finland by Experience Workshop. This gathering brought together the full consortium, including the coordinator Eszterhazy Karoly Katolikus Egyetem (Hungary), Poly-Universe Ltd. (Hungary), Universitatea Crestina Partium (Romania), and Espace de l’Art Concret (France).
The consortium dedicated significant time to reviewing and planning the project’s core outputs. Miklós Hoffmann presented the results of the interim application review, giving partners a clear update on the project’s administrative and financial status.
The team then discussed the experiences gathered from the pilot period. Each partner shared practical observations from using the Poly-Universe toolkit in preschool and lower primary classrooms. Following this discussion, the group moved to the preparation of the EARLY-POLY pilot report. Partners divided responsibilities for writing and data analysis. An agreement was made on timelines for reviews and editing for the final version of the Methodological Study book.
The final working day focused on brainstorming of the Work Package 4. The consortium discussed how to make the Poly-Universe toolkit more inclusive. Partners discussed how to adapt activities for children with different learning needs. All partners will also explore new, creative pathways for using Poly-Universe in education. And developing new technical approaches to the toolkit, including ideas for digital extensions and modified physical formats.
In the afternoon, Experience Workshop hosted an international networking event focused on STEAM and innovation: Poly-Universe in Preschool and Lower Primary School Education (EARLY-POLY). CEO Nora Somlyody from Experience Workshop opened the event with a welcome. Ambassador of Hungary to Finland Klára Breuer then addressed the attendees. Jukka Sinnemäki, speaking as Honorary Consul of Hungary, followed with his welcome. The core presentation on Poly-Universe in education was presented jointly by Kristóf Fenyvesi from the University of Jyväskylä, inventor János Saxon-Szász, and Miklós Hoffmann from the consortium leader university. They explained the toolkit’s role in early mathematics and visual thinking. Several short presentations followed: Orsolya Tuba, CEO of Finn Minta, spoke about her education development initiative. Gábor István Kovács from the Hungarian University of Public Service (NKE) also gave a talk. The atmosphere was informal and discussion-oriented. Participants had time for networking and refreshments.
The working sessions included several visits to local educational settings. The group visited Voionmaa Preschool, where they observed how teachers use the Poly-Universe toolkit in practice. After the observation, they held a discussion with preschool teacher Susan Helldén-Paavola about their experiences. The consortium also visited Kristillinen School to see the Finnish education system in action. Teacher Jukka Sinnemäki presented his work and led a discussion on embodied learning methods. Additionally, the partners visited the Mäki-Matti Family Park, which provided an informal setting for reflection between work sessions.
The meeting also included cultural activities that supported team building. The project partners enjoyed a joint dinner at the local harbor. They visited the Harju observation tower for a view over Jyväskylä. In the evening, the partners took part in a Finnish sauna experience at sauna Lampila.
Erasmus+ KA220-SCH-EA37DE32
Coordinator: ESZTERHAZY KAROLY KATOLIKUS EGYETEM, Hungary, www.uni-eszterhazy.hu
Partner organizations:
POLY-UNIVERSE Ltd., Hungary, www.poly-universe.com
EXPERIENCE WORKSHOP OY, Finland, www.experienceworkshop.org
Universitatea Crestina Partium, Romania, www.partium.ro
ESPACE DE L’ART CONCRET, France, www.espacedelartconcret.fr
The project (KA220-SCH-EA37DE32) is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union. Maximum grant amount: 400 000 EUR. Project period: 1 October 2024 – 31 December 2026.
This project relies on the results of the Poly-Universe in Teacher Education (PUNTE) Erasmus+ (2020-2023) and Poly-Universe in School Education (PUSE) Erasmus+ project (2017-2019).
