Connecting Across Borders: First International Professional Learning Community Meets in Tartu

Erasmus+ Project: Soft Skills for High Quality Education
Published: December 2024

🌍 Learning without borders

In early December, project partners from Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, and Croatia came together in Tartu, Estonia for the second transnational project meeting—and a landmark moment for our initiative: the first meeting of the international Professional Learning Community (iPLC).

Bringing together TSLG leaders, national trainers, and project facilitators from across the partnership, the iPLC aims to create a space for continuous peer learning, reflection, and growth around soft leadership in early childhood education.

The meeting in Tartu marked the beginning of a new layer of connection—one that reaches beyond national systems and school walls. 

🤝 A space to reflect, exchange, and grow

The iPLC is designed to model the very values we promote in the project: empathy, curiosity, inclusion, and collaborative learning.

During this first gathering, participants:

• Shared experiences from their national trainings and pilot preparations
• Reflected on challenges in leading Teacher Support Learning Groups (TSLGs)
• Practiced cross-cultural facilitation and feedback techniques
• Explored the role of emotional safety in professional learning spaces

“It was incredibly inspiring to realise how similar our journeys are—even when our systems and languages differ.”
– iPLC participant, Estonia

Key takeaways

This first iPLC meeting underscored the power of horizontal learning. Participants valued:

• Seeing concrete facilitation strategies in action
• Discussing real-life dilemmas from different cultural perspectives
• Gaining confidence in leading reflective conversations
• Building new relationships that support ongoing professional growth

The iPLC is not a one-off event—it is a living space that will continue to evolve. Meetings will continue both in-person and online, creating space for exchange, feedback, and shared learning throughout 2025.

Looking ahead

With the iPLC now launched, we move into the next phase of the project:

• Pilot trainings will continue in partner countries
• Feedback from TSLG leaders will be gathered to inform the final version of the Toolbox
• The next iPLC meeting will focus on deepening practice and showcasing examples from the field
• We will begin developing video case studies capturing how soft leadership transforms group dynamics

Stay connected

We’ll be sharing more reflections, photos, and highlights from the iPLC meetings on our website and social media. Follow our journey!