Always Open: a jubilee symposium on the open preschool

In Oct 2022 a cross-disciolinary symposium is being held at EDU, Uppsala University, entitled ´Always Open - a jubilee symposium on the open preschool´ (OP).

The symposium marks 50-years since the first OP pilot projects, and entails two days with presentations from not only researchers but also practitioners with long professional experience within the field.

The theme for the symposium is open preschool then, now and in the future and it will offer rich possibilities for participants to deepen their knowledge on the OP as a setting, as well as to engage in critical reflection about today´s open preschool and the challenges and opportunities which it may meet in the future.

In addition to the presentations, the symposium will host a panel discussion, structured time for innovative forms of discussion, a study visit to an OP, and an in-depth exhibition of material related to the symposium´s themes.The presentations will cover the OP from a cross-disciplinary perspective, and cover a wide range of research areas, including history of education, gender studies, social work, public health, and curriculum studies.

Invited speakers are active within the field in not only Sweden but also Norway, USA and Scotland, and they will present their work in the following areas:- the history / devpt of the OP- OP´s work with particular target groups such as fathers or immigrant families- the OP as a setting between the pedagogical and the social- OP´s influence internationally- adult learning in the OP- OP´s work during the pandemicThe target group for the symposium is researchers within the diverse research areas from within which the OP can be examined.

In addition, municipal / national actors are encouraged to attend, as well as practititioners within OP and family centres.

Participant numbers are limited to 50 (inc speakers), but students on the preschool teacher and school leadership programmes are invited to the exhibition, along with other researchers (as time allows).