Here in Boppard-Buchholz, strong partners are now shaping the future together. At the initiative and in close cooperation with the Ehrhardt Partner Group, littlebigFuture as the carrier is creating new educational and care space for children of employees of the participating companies as well as for families from the region. Up to 80 children in two nursery and three kindergarten groups will bring the total of 2,000 m² property to life in the future. Everyone involved has been looking forward to this moment for a long time: from the first request at EPG for childcare places in the company, the coming together of the developer and the carrier, the groundbreaking ceremony in summer 2022 to the upcoming opening in September 2023, over four years have passed, so that the “baby” – the joint idea of an innovative educational institution – is finally in the right kindergarten age.

Preparation of the pedagogical team in advance

Insights could also be gained by families and interested parties during the construction phase. Finally, the daycare center opens its brand-new doors: Since the beginning of September, there has already been life and laughter in the house. First, it comes from the “big ones”, because the EPGlinos team is in the two-week onboarding phase. This is consciously designed by littlebigFuture so that the acclimatization of the adults in the house already takes place in advance. When finally the ones who really matter, the first children, arrive, the team is already familiar with the facility and each other.

Finally, the children come! Familial acclimatization

From now on, the children are in focus! They and their families will start gently and accompanied into their daycare time from September 18, 2023: with the joint acclimatization. Because littlebigFuture’s pedagogy focuses on mutual relationships. It’s not about a child growing into “the existing system”. The transition of children from their family to the institution can only succeed if all participants move with it and contribute their part. In this sensitive phase, everyone approaches and adapts to each other. This way, the children are safely and securely accompanied from the start. And the families find each other. Because even before the opening, everyone can get to know each other at the parent-child afternoon on September 14, 2023, in a relaxed atmosphere and explore the new daycare center. This lays the foundation for an intensive educational partnership with parents and families – building on this will always be the focus of the entire team.

Pedagogical orientation: exploring the living environment autonomously

Based on the educational guiding principle “I am somebody. I can do something.” the littlebigFuture team accompanies the children in everyday life and conveys security and safety to them while they explore their living environment autonomously. Whenever possible, the children encounter nature and develop a long-term awareness of sustainability in this rich educational space. Similarly, exploring and researching the digital realm is part of their everyday life. The focus here is on handling the digital equipment of the facility creatively, but of course also on sensibly and critically assessing its possibilities. Both the carrier and the corporate partners focus on this aspect. Therefore, the equipment of the EPGlinos also includes digital tools such as a wildlife and an endoscope camera for use in nature, but also a 3D printer with which the children and the team can experiment. Because inquiry-based learning is at the center of pedagogy: the EPGlinos strive for the MINT certification of the “Kinder forschen” foundation. Another focus of the future-oriented pedagogy is bilingualism. As a bilingual institution, the team accompanies the children and their families not only in the German language from the beginning but also through English-speaking specialists. Luzia Winkler, project manager at littlebigFuture, summarizes: “With the EPG, we have a strong partner at our side who invests with us in the future of our children and makes high-quality education tangible with all senses.”

Fusion of Daycare and Gourmet Cuisine: Nutritional Education with Expertise

Another meaningful connection emerged with Sarah Henke and Christian Eckhardt – parents of a young son themselves: From their restaurant Lemabri, which will be located in the new building complex, they will provide fresh and healthy food to the daycare center’s children daily. The restaurant operators bring experience from gourmet cuisine and emphasize variety on the plates. Their aim is to awaken the children’s joy of discovery and love of food, particularly by introducing theme days such as “Cooking by Colors,” “International Cuisine,” or “Children’s Favorite Dishes.” So, a mildly spiced carrot and sweet potato curry might transition from the “Orange” theme day to the “Favorite Dish”? And it may also be accompanied by a basket containing the ingredients used, showing the children what ends up on their plates. This fosters discussions about the origin and cultivation of vegetables – and ultimately, appreciation for our food and the loving preparation. Naturally, the children will also participate in the preparation in our bistro kitchen from time to time or enjoy their self-created pizza from the restaurant’s pizza oven. This lively implementation of the littlebigFuture concept in terms of nutrition (Hungry for more? See the nutrition concept).

The entire team is currently doing everything possible to ensure that the children and families, as well as the educators on-site, have a successful start. A big thank you goes to the partners EPG, BOMAG, the city of Emmelshausen, the city of Boppard, and the Rhein-Hunsrück district for their cooperation so far and the shared “desire for tomorrow.”

littlebigFuture is a non-profit organization that operates educational institutions, based in Nuremberg with nationwide engagement. The dedicated team has set itself the goal since its founding in 2021 of empowering children with early education for later success. The educational focus areas include experiencing nature, developing awareness of sustainability, and creative exploration in the digital realm.

Press Contact littlebigFuture gGmbH

Manuela Hackl
Pretzfelder Str. 15
90425 Nürnberg

Tel.: +49 (0) 911 148 999 54
E-Mail: mhackl@littlebigfuture.de
• presse@littlebigfuture.de
Internet: www.littlebigfuture.de

Key Facts about EPGlinos:

• Start date: September 18, 2023, for children from six months old
• Two nursery and three kindergarten groups for up to 80 children
• Opening hours: Mon to Fri from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm
• Address: Kratzenburger Landstraße 6, 56154 Boppard-Buchholz