FESTIVAL OF COMMUNICATION AND CRITICAL THINKING

After the highly successful Summer School of Thinking, which last year brought together a large number of children and young people eager to reflect and learn, this year we took a step further.

We launched the first Children's Festival of Communication and Critical Thinking — a unique educational program that combines learning, play, and the development of key skills for the future.

The festival is held as part of the Young Leaders Fest initiative, which brings together experts from different fields with the aim of empowering children and young people to participate in society actively, thoughtfully, and responsibly. We are proud that Mala filozofija is one of the key partners in implementing the program.

WHAT TO EXPECT?

The festival program is designed so that children, through an interactive and stimulating approach, will:

• develop critical thinking and the ability to argue

• learn to express their ideas clearly and confidently

• recognize disinformation and understand the concept of “fake news”

• participate in a simulated journalistic newsroom

• develop creativity through various forms of expression

WHERE AND WHEN?

The festival will be held immediately after the end of the school year in four cities: Osijek: June 19–21 Zagreb: June 22–24 Rijeka: June 26–28 Split: June 29–July 1

The exact schedule by city is available in the registration form.

WHO IS THE FESTIVAL FOR?

The program is intended for primary school–aged children who want to:

• better understand the world around them

• learn how to express their opinions

• develop communication and social skills

• participate in creative and educational activities

HOW TO REGISTER?

Registration is simple and takes only a few minutes via the online form.

⚠️ Places are limited to ensure quality work in smaller groups, so we recommend registering early.

All additional information about the program, dates, and participation is available on the festival’s official website:

https://young-leaders-fest.transformacije.hr/

The Secret That Always Finds Its Way: Students of Pučišća Elementary School Explore Truth Through Brač Stories

As part of the TRACE.hr project, a workshop on interpreting folk literature was held with sixth-grade students of Pučišća Elementary School, involving nine participants. After reading various short stories, fairy tales, anecdotes, legends, and traditional tales from the island of Brač, the story “In Tailor Rujun’s Place, Prague Teeth and Dog Fur”, recorded in the area of Bol, was selected.

The students discussed the dilemmas that keeping secrets can bring and reflected on what to do when a secret troubles us, yet revealing it might hurt someone—whether to confide in oneself, write the secret down, share it with nature, or even tell it to a pet. They also identified unfamiliar local words and then used them in new contexts. In the creative part of the workshop, they made illustrations inspired by the story’s motifs and created a kamishibai, through which they collaboratively retold the text. The activity was further enriched by recording audio and video material.

The story was then compared with the fairy tale “Emperor Trajan’s Goat Ears”, where students recognized similarities in the central motif of a secret and its revelation, as well as differences in characters, helpers, and symbols. Special emphasis was placed on understanding the core idea of both stories—that the truth cannot be hidden forever.

Inspired by the texts they had read, the students created their own stories, retaining key elements such as an unusual character, the motif of a secret, and a moral, while developing a deeper understanding of their own experiences and universal life questions.

From Comets to Emperors: Children Explore Fear and Authority

As part of the TRaCE.hr project, a workshop with children was held at the City and University Library in Osijek, at the Donji Grad branch. Five girls participated in the workshop, four 4th-grade students from Osnovna škola Mladost and one 2nd-grade student from Osnovna škola Vijenac. The workshop was based on a shared reading of the story “Hide in the Inn”, which offers a humorous portrayal of an event from Osijek’s past, set during the visit of Emperor Franz Joseph I. In the story, citizens eagerly await his arrival at the city gates, while the anticipation is heightened by the announcement of Halley's Comet, which evokes fear and uncertainty among the people. At the center of the story is a misunderstanding involving a seemingly simple sentence uttered by an innkeeper, which becomes a source of humor and highlights how meaning depends on context and interpretation. Through guided discussion, participants developed critical thinking skills, explored different perspectives, asked questions, and articulated their own opinions. Particular attention was given to themes such as fear, admiration, and authority, raising questions like: Is it possible to fear and admire someone at the same time? Why do we fear things that are not necessarily dangerous?

The workshop concluded with a creative activity in which the participants expressed their ideas and imagined continuations of the story through drawing, further deepening their understanding and interpretation of the text.

Stories That Bring Generations Together: Jabukovac Primary School Students Revive the Spirit of the Past

At Jabukovac Primary School, philosophy-literary, drama, and visual arts workshops were held as part of the TRACE.hr – The Story in Your Hands project. The workshops were led by volunteer Nastja Novak together with school staff members Erija Matković and Jadranka Novak. Students, parents, and local cultural and artistic societies also took part in collecting stories. Through working with these stories, students revived the spirit of past times and forgotten customs while reflecting on values and ways of life then and now. Activities were organised in three groups, each exploring a story through a different approach.

In the literary-philosophical group, students from grades 5 to 8 analysed a poem about a girl named Mara. They reflected on Mara’s journey — from parental expectations in preparation for marriage to confronting false suitors and finding true love. The discussion connected tradition and modern life through the motifs of marriage customs and dowry, highlighting Mara’s wisdom and authenticity as a starting point for reflecting on the timeless value of love. The session concluded with a research task encouraging students to speak with their grandmothers and older family members about past wedding customs and to explore whether dowry items still exist in their homes.

The drama workshop proved especially creative and evocative, awakening students’ imagination and helping them immerse themselves in life in earlier times. Inspired by the story of “Grandfather and Grandma Ana,” they recalled family anecdotes from a time without television or the internet, when stories were shared during moments of leisure, conversation, tobacco smoking, and a small glass of rakija, recounting past events, discussing everyday trivialities, and occasionally engaging in livelyquarrels that formed part of daily life. Students designed the set, created costumes, and staged the text.

In the visual arts workshop, students used coloured pencils to interpret scenes from a poem about the unhappy love of two young people separated by the River Sava. Although imbued with sadness, the poem ends with hope: “When the Sava calms a little, I will come to you.”

The workshops demonstrated how stories can connect generations and encourage students to xplore and preserve local intangible heritage, transforming the legacy of the past into inspiration for the future.

YoungMinds Partners Meet in Vilnius to Shape the Final Stage

The YoungMinds partners meeting is currently taking place in Vilnius. During the meeting, partners are refining the plans for the finalization of the project. Workshops in schools across Portugal, Greece, Lithuania, and Croatia will begin soon.

The first day of the meeting, yesterday, began with a review of what has already been achieved and an analysis of the progress made so far. Special attention was given to evaluation and quality, as well as to Work Package 4, which took up a large part of the first day’s programme. In addition, the partners discussed an overview of WP3, and the day concluded with open questions and a joint dinner.

Today, we are discussing the current state of the project, with a special focus on communication and dissemination. In other words, we are exploring how to make what we are developing visible, useful, and inspiring for schools, teachers, and the wider community. The programme also includes further discussions on WP4, planning the final in-person meeting in Athens, and agreeing on deadlines and all upcoming activities.

YoungMinds is a project that represents a living process of cooperation, exchange of experiences, and the joint creation of educational content that can have a real impact in schools. That is precisely why meetings like this are so important.

New Website of the IMANARE Project

The IMANARE project – Implicit Anthropology of Reforms in Education – has launched its

new official website, available at: https://imanare.eu/

IMANARE is an international Erasmus+ project that explores a frequently overlooked yet

crucial dimension of education – the implicit assumptions about human beings that underlie

educational reforms. In other words, the project examines what kind of image of students,

teachers, and society is embedded in contemporary educational policies. The new website

provides an overview of the project’s goals, activities, and partners, as well as a space to

follow its results and ongoing development. IMANARE brings together organisations from

several European countries, including the Mala filozofija Association. Throughout the project,

research tools, educational materials, and models that connect theory and practice in

education will be developed. Special emphasis is placed on understanding the relationship

between education and society, as well as on developing more thoughtful and humane

approaches to educational reforms. The new website will serve as a central hub for anyone

interested in following the project, learning about its results, and engaging in discussions

about the future of education.

The Story of the Olive Tree in a Small Island Classroom

On the island of Drvenik Veli, in a small yet exceptionally important combined classroom of a primary school—recently reopened after many years—first- and fourth-grade students explored the verses of an old poem about the olive tree.

As part of the TRACE.HR – Story into Hands project, implemented by the Mala filozofija Association, the students, together with their teacher, read and reflected on a poem in which the olive tree speaks about the land, work, and life by the sea. Through shared reading and discussion, the verses inspired reflections on the power of nature, the patience required to cultivate olive trees, and the deep connection between people and trees on the islands.

The uniqueness of this activity lies precisely in its context—a small island school which, despite its size, holds immeasurable importance for the local community. Its reopening symbolizes life, continuity, and care for future generations on the island.

In such an environment, an old poem came to life once again—through dialogue, curiosity, and the attentive reading of the youngest students.

Second National Training Session Held in Zadar

On Saturday, 14 March 2026, the classrooms of the PGŠ in Zadar became a space for exchange, reflection, and experimentation. The second in-person national training session within the Erasmus+ project Young Minds brought together teachers involved in the project and facilitators from the association Petit Philosophy, with a shared goal of preparing for what comes next, bringing mental health workshops into real classrooms.

The session was led collaboratively by two teachers from PGŠ Zadar and two representatives of Petit Philosophy, creating a balance between lived classroom experience and the broader framework of the project. From the very beginning, the atmosphere was open and participatory. This was not a lecture, but a working space.

The first part of the day was dedicated to planning. Teachers worked on developing their action plans, thinking concretely about how they will implement mental health workshops in their schools. They reflected on their goals, the lesson plans they would use, the classes they would work with, and how to present and integrate these activities within their school environments. Alongside this, they explored how to approach the “How to Make a Short Film” workshop, an element that connects creative expression with discussions on mental health.

As the session progressed, the focus shifted from planning to practice. Teachers stepped into the role of facilitators and delivered mock lessons, while their colleagues and facilitators became students. What followed was not a simple rehearsal. Teachers adapted the lesson plans, brought in their own teaching experiences, and in some cases prepared additional materials such as presentations to support their work.

It became clear that the purpose was not to follow the lesson plans step by step, but to understand how to create a space in which students can think, question, and reflect. The classroom was imagined, but the questions and approaches felt very real.

After each lesson, the group gathered for discussion. These moments often lasted longer than planned, not because of poor time management, but because of genuine engagement. Teachers shared what they had seen, what worked, what felt uncertain, and how they imagined these activities unfolding with their own students.

One of the strongest threads throughout the day was the question of how to approach mental health in the classroom. There were many “what if” scenarios, drawn from personal experience, from colleagues, or from situations that might arise. These conversations revealed both hesitation and responsibility, but also a clear commitment. Teachers were not looking for simple answers. They were trying to find ways to approach the topic thoughtfully and responsibly.

By the end of the session, what stood out was not only what had been learned, but how it had been learned. The training became a shared space of mutual learning. Teachers learned from each other, facilitators learned from teachers, and the lesson plans themselves were shaped through this exchange.

The session in Zadar was not just a step in the project timeline. It was a moment in which ideas were tested, doubts were voiced, and confidence slowly began to take shape.

Playing with a Traditional Children’s Story at the Zadar City Library

As part of STEAM Week, yesterday (11 March 2026), the workshop “Playing with a Traditional Children’s Story” was held at the Zadar City Library, organized by the Mala filozofija Association within the project TRaCE.HR – Story into Your Hands. During the workshop, we explored an old legend about the founding of the towns of Nin and Zadar. The story was taken, adapted, and reshaped for children based on the epic poem Vila Slovinka by Juraj Baraković (Canto VII), one of the important works of Croatian Renaissance literature. Through conversation, imagination, and creative activities, the participants became familiar with the intriguing characters from this old story. We now know who Nin, Sava, and Plankita are, as well as the role Neptune plays in the legend. The workshop was an opportunity for children to become acquainted with local heritage and literary tradition in a creative way, while also discovering through play how old stories can be given a new, contemporary form. The program was held as part of the project TRaCE.HR – Story into Your Hands, which encourages the exploration and creative use of traditional stories and cultural heritage.

A Philosophical Walk Towards New Insights into Mental Health

On Saturday, 7 March, a Philosophical Walk was successfully held as part of the project “Recognise, Accept and Strengthen!”. The activity brought together students at the Youth Center Zadar, from where we set off on a walk through the Voštarnica neighborhood, observing everyday spaces from a different, more reflective perspective. The aim of the walk was to encourage participants to recognize scenes, places, and situations in their surroundings that might remind them of different aspects of mental health and mental health difficulties. Through walking, observation, and conversation, the students looked for connections between what they saw in the environment and concepts related to emotions, challenges, vulnerability, support, and resilience.The special value of this workshop lay in the fact that it enabled students to talk about the important topic of mental health openly, thoughtfully, and without stigma. The Philosophical Walk proved to be an excellent way of connecting everyday life, personal experience, and dialogue, and the participants greatly enriched the activity through their observations and reflections. We would like to thank all the students for their participation, openness, and the seriousness with which they approached this topic. Activities like this are an important step in fostering understanding, empathy, and empowering young people to care for their own mental health and the well-being of their community.