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!