Hötting Kindergarten – Summary of educational projects

Hötting municipal kindergarten is centrally located in Innsbruck, yet close to nature. Comprising five groups, the kindergarten is located in a modern building that extends over several floors. 

Our work is guided by the “pedagogic principles” of Innsbruck's child education institutions and follows the life-related approach developed by Norbert Huppertz to focus on children’s life and learning. 

Our educational goals are therefore based on 

• global citizenship (the earth belongs to everyone without exclusion) 

• nature and environmental awareness (appreciating and protecting nature and the environment)

• peace building (being reconciled with others, resolving conflicts without violence)

• a holistic view of life (“my actions affect everyone”)

• experiencing reality (closeness to nature instead of excessive media consumption)

In keeping with this life-related approach, we are also a certified environmental kindergarten and a recognised Klimabündnis (Climate Alliance) kindergarten, as nature and the environment are particularly important issues to us. We therefore work actively with the children to build a positive and conscious relationship with our environment. Sustainability and environmental protection are very important to the entire team.

We have already implemented the following environmental measures:

• responsible use of natural resources, such as through upcycling, an exchange shelf, a green summer party event, reusable lunch boxes and drinking bottles

• closeness to nature, experiencing nature with all the senses, e.g. forest days, walks to interesting destinations in the area

• promotion of health, e.g. muesli snack once a week, lots of fresh-air exercise

• energy saving, e.g. turning off the lights, saving water, ventilating

• waste avoidance, e.g. reusing paper, apps for news/information, upcycling: using valueless materials to design and create

• waste separation in every group

• mobility: families are encouraged to walk to kindergarten

• annual themes/focus areas include aspects relating to the eco-label

• commitment to using environmentally friendly consumables in our everyday life at the kindergarten (toilet paper, paper towels, printer paper, detergent, etc.).

We believe that dealing with environmental issues on a daily basis helps raise children’s and parents’ awareness of sustainable and environmentally conscious actions.

What we do today determines what the world will look like tomorrow.” (Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach)