Diversity Footprint Assessment Tool for ECEC centres: utilise it to improve your approach to diversity inclusion!

The article presents further developments on the Diversity+ project and introduces the target audience to the piloting of the diversity positive and interactive Footprint Assessment Tool, which is scheduled to be officially launched in the first quarter of 2022. The article calls to action all ECEC stakeholders, not only to take part in the piloting of the Diversity+ project’s Footprint Assessment Tool, but also to benefit from it over time.

Whilst issues concerning diversity inclusion continue to become more nuanced and mainstreamed across Europe, ECEC institutions are struggling to keep up-to-date with these developments. Moreover, most ECEC staff are not specialists in this area and need guidance and support to understand how best to address diversity issues. 

Since the minimum requirements for ECEC services to be deemed diversity positive have been defined in the Diversity+ Charter, the Diversity+ project is taking the following steps to further support ECEC settings in preparing to launch the ‘Diversity footprint’ – the Footprint Assessment Tool, which can help organisations to  better understand and monitor their progression towards diversity inclusion. 

For this purpose, the consortium is now embarking on a piloting phase of the Footprint Assessment Tool within the 7 partner countries and beyond. Multiple organisations which will be involved in the piloting of the Tool will get the exclusive chance to use it for the first time and learn if their organisation meets the minimum requirements for diversity inclusion in ECEC. All Footprint Assessment Tool users who receive an ‘excellent’ evaluation by completing the questions within the Tool will be able to download a certificate for their organisation and will be encouraged to promote this rating across their services. Finally, organisations that take part in the piloting will not only access  guidelines on their journey towards reaching the required diversity requirements in their organisation, but will also support the further improvement of the Footprint Assessment Tool by giving their feedback which is crucial for the further successful development of the Diversity+ project.

Diversity+ project partners believe that the Footprint Assessment Tool will be a huge help to non-specialist ECEC leaders to understand the nuanced needs of different groups and so, in this way, improve their service. As a result, more people will benefit from it and receive the opportunity to develop key social skills, empathy, compassion, mutual respect and awareness in relation to equality and rights, something which will ultimately improve social inclusion across Europe in the long term. Since the Footprint Assessment Tool is expected to be officially launched in April 2022, the consortium calls for ECEC leaders, educators and assistants, HR managers, and equality and diversity leaders to test this interactive Tool, discover how diversity-inclusive their ECEC organisation currently is and  support the overall development of a diversity positive society. 

Laura Migliacci, Project Manager, Schola Empirica z.s.