The present project is part of the eTwinning project "Artful STEAM Tellers, Creative STEAM Solvers" and was based on project based learning, where six Kindergartens in Greece and Turkey collaborated to give meaning to the concept of the inclusive city in terms of participatory design. Based on the book "Rosa the Monster" by the author Olga De Dios , the question "What would an inclusive city" be like, where people would participate in its design. The children envision a city accessible, sustainable, ecological, emotional, smart, the "City of their Dreams", while using the framework of STEAM education and educational robotics. Children are encouraged to reflect on creating a city for all based on inclusive and participatory design and reducing inequalities , in line with the 10th and 11th Sustainable Development Goals highlighting the need to make our cities more sustainable and open, while emphasizing education for sustainable inclusiveness.

Keywords: Kindergarten, Sustainable Development Goals, collaboration

Introduction

Cities are not isolated; they interact extensively with their surroundings and increasingly with the rest of the world. This assumption, combined with their rapid and rapid development, has resulted in the degradation of their environment and peri-urban space Sustainable urban development is therefore increasingly recognised as vital for achieving collectively agreed sustainability goals at local, regional and global scales, and more broadly for ensuring human well-being worldwide. In recent years, one of the main challenges regarding urban management has been the creation of sustainable inclusive cities (Alberti et al., 2007; Bibri & Krogstie, 2017).

Current challenges for urban sustainability cover a wide range of environmental issues, such as traffic congestion, air pollution, continuous increase in solid and liquid waste production, overconsumption, global warming and social issues, such as discrimination, increasing social tensions and inappropriate urban planning (Bibri & Krogstie, 2017). These challenges can be mitigated by creating inclusive, environmentally friendly and economically sustainable cities (Yigitcanlar et al., 2019).

Through these environmental and social challenges, we are driven to seek innovative solutions for designing sustainable cities as sustainable urban development, i.e. the ways a city develops and operates, provides it with economic growth and social justice, but also makes it more environmentally friendly, being the greatest hope for achieving a more sustainable future for the planet.

Theoretical framework

The framework of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are a roadmap to a more just, peaceful and prosperous world and a healthy planet. It is also a call for intergenerational solidarity. There is no greater challenge than investing in the well-being of future citizens. As part of our project we used the 10th objective-Less Inequalities where children put forward their ideas and proposals for creating an "ideal city", a city they would like to live in by empowering and promoting the social, economic and political inclusion of all, regardless of age, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, nationality, origin, religion, economic or other status.

Objective 11 - Sustainable cities and communities - has also been used. The aim of the activities implemented was for children to understand the importance of cities as hubs for the exchange of ideas, culture, science, productivity, social development, equality and inclusion. The children designed and implemented models of cities that promote well-being for all residents , proposing a future where cities offer opportunities for all, are friendly, accessible, inclusive, green energy, housing, transport, etc.

Inclusive education in pre-school education

The essential mission of inclusive education is to change the structures of schools to ensure equal educational opportunities and its main task "is to celebrate diversity of needs and characteristics" (Felder, 2021: 138). In this context, inclusive early childhood education creates a supportive and positive environment where individualized attention is provided to children, which makes them feel valued by adults and peers increasing their self-esteem by focusing on equal and quality participation of all students in school processes. It is a process in the sense of a continuous search for the most appropriate forms of response to diversity in order to achieve sustainable changes and prevent conditions leading to exclusion (Booth & Ainscow, 2011).

In addition, inclusive early childhood education programmes enhance team building activities by providing children with or without disabilities with a sense of importance and belonging by improving relationships between them, aiming to adapt the school culture in order to achieve sustainable change that is the basis for critical research and social equity (Kairiene & Sprindziunas, 2016).

In summary, inclusive education adapts to the students' backgrounds, differentiated needs and diverse characteristics, ensuring that all different voices within the school context have a place and it is the school that changes by listening to them, not the students who attend it (Angelides & Stylianou, 2011).
 

Education for sustainable development

According to UNESCO, Education for Sustainable Development is not to be confused with Environmental Education, as with Education for Sustainable Development we focus on the harmony of the environment, society and the economy with the aim of a high standard of living. Its main purpose is to educate active citizens who will be environmentally aware and conscious of the importance of environmental problems, think critically, participate in decision making, and intervene in social events to shape conditions for sustainable development, have visions and values, and be vigilant for the future of future generations (Katsakiori et al., 2008).

The education of kindergarten children on sustainable development is helpful to take as a starting point but also to conclude on issues that are relevant to the children's everyday life. In this way, children will be able to build their thinking gradually and in an inductive way to move from the specific to the general by understanding environmental issues that are quite complex. The aim of sustainable development education is for children to gradually approach contemporary concerns and gradually become environmentally literate citizens (Pearson & Degotardi, 2009).

Education for sustainable inclusion

Education for sustainable behaviour can help to create a sustainable philosophy of change based in particular on the empowerment and transformation of school culture and social beliefs. Inclusion should be extended to all social groups that are inherent within each school unit (Sorkos & Chatzisotiriou, 2021). At the same time, sustainability should be at the centre of the focus of inclusion as education for sustainable inclusiveness can ensure social cohesion, the development of social and cultural capital and the promotion of people's well-being, especially when referring to vulnerable individuals or groups, elements that are, after all, the key pillars of the social dimension of sustainable development (Ajmal et al., 2017). Education for sustainable inclusiveness therefore supports the goals set by the social dimension of sustainable development by creating a new educational model that can guarantee the right of current and future generations to enjoy the education they deserve regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability or socio-economic background (Sorkos & Chatzisotiriou, 2021).

Building inclusive cities

One of the fundamental elements of inclusive urban development is participation. All citizens have a voice in the planning process of their city since it is the place where they live. This is the formula that will allow the needs of all residents in each city to be controlled and met. An accessible city, then, is a place where everyone, regardless of their economic circumstances, gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual identity, nationality or religion, can and is allowed to fully participate in the social, economic, cultural and political events offered by the city they live in. A new form of urban planning is therefore needed that promotes cities for all. For architect and designer Jaime Lerner, inclusive planning involves reclaiming public spaces, rethinking mobility and creating cities where people have basic services at their fingertips within 15 minutes. Design that prioritises inclusive, sustainable, diverse urban spaces that result in cities made for everyone, not just the 'elite'. Architect Izaskun Chinchilla, author of The Citizen City, agrees with Lerner and supports the idea of a city that cares. Chinchilla says it would consist of a compact urban development with uninterrupted planning. Everything we need will be nearby, with lots of interconnected public spaces and plenty of biodiversity, and it will aim to help people interact with each other and the city. A fundamental aspect on which proponents of inclusive urban development agree is that a city should not be designed around car use. Chinchilla believes that the preference for private vehicles has fundamentally dehumanized cities. She lists many problems in her book caused by cars, which take up 50% of public space. Now is the time to help cities give back to their inhabitants and develop people-friendly urban designs that allow everyone to enjoy equal rights and access the benefits of living in a city (Sustainability for all, 2017).

STE(A)M and Educational Robotics in Early Childhood Education

STE(A)M education is a pedagogical method based on the idea of educating children in the fields of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics, with an interdisciplinary approach and experiential learning at its core.Children are growing up in a world with multiple environmental problems, it is important to ensure that they have the necessary skills and competences to take initiatives as active citizens.Such educational environments are developed in a student-centred way and enhance learning in a variety of areas.

The key,therefore,element of STEM education is the active participation of students in knowledge discovery and problem solving,through interdisciplinarity (Gavrilas, 2019). Now, according to Bers & Portsmore, (2005) educational robotics falls under the "umbrella" of STE(A)M offering students opportunities to actively participate in its scientific fields.

Educational robotics as an innovative learning environment helps children to acquire , knowledge, skills, thinking abilities that will lead them to problem solving by enhancing teamwork, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, computational thinking, creativity, imagination and engagement with STEAM education where STEAM is the acronym of (Science, Technology Engineering, Arts, Mathematics).

Educational robotics is linked to STE(A)M education, as it increases students' interest to participate in activities related to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics and to pursue them in the future. According to the international literature on educational robotics, educational robotics allows students by controlling the behaviour of a tangible model (robot), to be led into a learning situation that actively engages them in experimentation, research and problem solving (Alimisis, 2012).

On the other hand, research by Sullivan & Bers, 2016 conducted with kindergarten students found that educational robotics allows children to master knowledge and skills about their motor sensors, while engaging them in collaborative, communicative and teamwork environments. Stoeckelmayr, Tesar, & Hofmann, (2011) using a small sample of toddlers designed sequence and repetition activities with the programmable floor robot BEEBOT concluding that through the activities with the educational robot, the toddlers' confidence, self-esteem and interest in robotics were strengthened. Also, the research by Sullivan et al., (2013) reflected that young kindergarten students can perform on par with older students in building robots with the LEGO WeDo® educational package and in programming them. Bers, Flannery, Kazakoff & Sullivan (2014), report that preschool students have the ability to grasp and understand basic programming concepts, build, program robotic devices, and learn concepts from engineering, technology, science programming, (STEM) building and Computational Thinking skills . Kim et al, (2015), (2015), report that the contact and use of educational robots in education is very important and effective in teaching STEM.

To summarize, STE(A)M education and educational robotics cultivate students' inductive thinking and focus on problem solving with applications to everyday life, mastering in the process essential 21st century skills such as critical thinking and reasoning, creativity, collaboration and communication.

The implementation of the project

Purpose of the project

The aim of the project is to jointly design a city for all based on inclusive and participatory planning and the reduction of inequalities. The six Kindergartens, working together, proposed their ideas and created cities that together constitute the "City of our Dreams". The children's participation in this action will lay the foundations for the development of competences considered essential for the successful and dynamic participation of children in contemporary social life as active citizens, promoting the elaboration of issues of concern in relation to their personal development and action, individually and collectively, in order to be able to set goals aimed at sustainable development, personal, social and environmental awareness and well-being.

Given that the formation of active citizenship is not simply an individual process but takes place through social interaction, social literacy provides the tools for processing social reality and cultivating knowledge, skills and attitudes that promote communication, cooperation, active participation and mutual understanding, so that children can become culturally literate and aware citizens, always within the context of their developmental maturity.

Objectives in terms of knowledge, skills, attitudes and link to new curriculum for Kindergarten

In terms of knowledge to understand that: their individual choices have an impact on the environment, social and natural, through creative representation of the direct and indirect environment, it is important to participate in social organisation and decision-making processes

In terms of skills: to cultivate the need to explore and document the factors that shape individual and social experience through the comparative investigation of social situations and environmental phenomena linked to human activity, adapting their individual needs to the needs of wider ecosystems, both locally and globally, for more sustainable human settlements, feeling responsible for the environmental and social impacts of their lifestyles Use appropriate specialist vocabulary to collect, analyse, interpret and present data in multiple formats, to formulate and test hypotheses, to make quantitative, qualitative and causal connections, to choose the best solution (decision) and to draw conclusions about the individual and the group, for responsible behaviour.

In terms of attitudes: to emphasise the understanding of self and the importance of positive interaction with other people in order to co-create a safe, resilient, sustainable and inclusive community that sees diversity as an asset for personal and social development, to develop universal values such as responsibility, respect, solidarity by applying democratic processes in decisions to design sustainability projects according to the needs of the community

Link to the New Curriculum

A Subject area: Child and Communication (Language, ICT)
B Subject area: Child, Self and Society (Personal and Socio-Emotional Development, Social Sciences)
C Thematic field: Child and Science (Mathematics, Science)
D Subject area : Child, Body, Creation and Expression (Arts)
Children will be actively involved in activities based on exploration and play, promoting cooperation and taking into account their socio-cultural background and differentiated needs.

Learning skills

Creativity, communication, critical thinking, collaboration, cooperation

Life skills

Self-care, empathy, sensitivity

Social skills

Citizenship, initiative, responsibility

Technology and Science Skills

Combined digital technology - communication and collaboration skills, digital literacy

Skills of the mind

Problem solving, strategic thinking

Methodology

Project Based Learning and 21st century skills

This activity, based on project based learning (PBL), through which students cultivate 21st century skills (Bender, 2012). 21st century skills refer to a set of set of skills, knowledge and attributes that are necessary for individuals to be successful in various fields and contexts in a technologically advanced world (Kasimatis, 2005). Research in the field of education concludes that 21st century skills (creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking) need to be integrated into existing school curricula in order to broaden and maximise children's abilities.

At the same time, the acquisition and development of 21st century skills can be realised and supported through other modern pedagogical methods other than project-based learning, such as: problem-solving learning, collaborative learning, experiential learning, the use of thinking routines and inquiry learning, while the use of technology can enhance learning and cultivate 21st century skills.

According to Kokotsaki, Menzies and Wiggins, (2016), six elements are necessary for the successful adoption of the MBE approach in the school context: 1. 1. Support for teachers 3. Support for teachers' support 4. A balance between teaching and research 5. The balance between teaching and learning. The autonomy and self-direction of students.

Through MBE, children face real-world problems while trying to seek solutions within a collaborative context (Bender, 2012). Naum (2021) argues that Project Based Learning (PBL) is a methodological tool promoted by both Skills Workshops and Environmental Education/Sustainable Development Education (ESD/ED)

At the same time, through project-based learning, students learn how to learn, cultivate critical thinking, work on projects that relate to their interests, the world around them and are meaningful to them, while reflecting during the project both on the work produced and on what they are learning (Boss, Krauss, 2008).

Jones, (2007), argues that the use of MBE in early childhood is very important as it helps to cultivate a variety of skills and stresses that choosing a project should answer 4 questions:

• Can it keep children's interest?
• Is the topic broad enough to trigger a variety of investigations?
• Is it practical?
• Will there be enough hands-on experiences to allow children to explore the topic?

MBE is used in the educational process in different ways. In this action we have chosen Naum's (2021) proposal, in which the proposal of John Larmer and Dr. John Mergendoller (2010) from the "Buck Institute for Education" introducing 8 stages, categorized in 4 phases and already utilized in the design and implementation of action projects within the skills workshops.

Phase 1 - Trigger and Question Identification

The children of the collaborating schools listened to the story 'Rosa the Monster' by the author Olga De Dios, followed by a discussion and further elaboration of the story. A key question was posed, which is also highlighted through the story. ''What could the city of our dreams be like''. While other questions emerged such as:

How could the city you would design be open to all?
What elements should it have?
"How do you imagine it? What would you want it to have?
If you had been able to design it from scratch, what would it look like?
Through brainstorming, the online jamboard tool was used to record the children's ideas.

Similarities and differences in the children's proposals were then identified and a categorisation of the items they have proposed was made. In the end they created a joint plan of their dream city and the schools in pairs were tasked with creating their cities. Each city included elements of being sustainable, smart, green, inclusive, animal-friendly, emotional and creative.

Phase 2 - Conducting a simple survey

At this point, each school undertakes to research the elements that their adopted city should include. As part of the plenary session the children discuss about the design of their city.

The following questions were asked in order to help the children of each school in each case.

• How could a city be accessible and inclusive? What does this mean? Could you design it?
• A sustainable city? What elements should it have?
• What does a green city mean to you? Can you imagine it?
• How can a city be emotional? What are your thoughts?
• Could a city be smart? How could it be?
• How could a city be labeled "animal-friendly"? Do you have any ideas?

Before starting the construction of the cities, the children's prior knowledge was explored and activated, regarding environmental and inclusion issues, while it is worth mentioning that what they had learned in similar skills workshops and school activity programmes implemented in the partner schools during the school year was used.

During the design of the cities, the learning process was reinforced as through it children collaborate, explore, critique and express opinions on various problems to be solved that a city may face, drawing on personal experiences and lessons learned.

At the same time, the children were actively involved in the design of the city, in terms of its content and the choice of materials to be used. They were divided into groups and each group discussed, took on roles and made decisions about what they would be asked to build for the city they had taken on.

A variety of materials chosen by the children themselves were used to build each city, such as plasticine, finger paints, blocks and recyclable materials (plastic lids, leftover cardboard, tongue depressors, rolls, etc.).

The towns that were created were creative, happy, full of emotions, had colorful houses, schools, hospitals, taverns, a fountain of joy, a resting beach, friendship benches, a Yayoy Kusama art museum and a cinema.

Our cities were green, full of trees, flowers and gardens.

Our cities were inclusive, with playgrounds accessible to all children, smart traffic lights and streets that made it easier for blind people to cross, ramps and parking for people with disabilities.

Our cities were sustainable, they had recycling bins, electric cars, solar buses, wind farms, hydroelectric power plants, photovoltaic panels and rainwater harvesting containers.

Our cities were animal-friendly with tree feeders for birds, bird watchers, and every home, school, business or public place was open to them, providing suitable living conditions.

Phase 3 - Reflection - Feedback - Review

After building the cities, the children were able to observe them and critically reflect on their creations. They were able to discuss with their classmates and make re-proposals to redesign and modify the cities.

The original question was raised again and at this point the use of new technologies occupied a special place, highlighting its added value.

The makey makey invention kit

The Makey Makey Invention Kit is a tangible technology device and provides innovative ways of learning by creating authentic, interactive environments in order to teach children in an accessible and engaging way how to program and design tangible interfaces (Lee, et al, 2014). Makey-Makey consists of a circuit board, wires that have clips known as alligator clips on both terminals, a USB cable that connects the board to the computer, and a cable for grounding. The connection between conductive materials and the Makey-Makey board is established through these cables. The circuit is completed by connecting the clips of the wires called crocodiles to the holes of the Makey-Makey board (Tsapara et al., 2023). Makey-Makey connects the real and digital worlds as it transforms real objects into tactile interfaces while being an educational approach that contributes to the development of computational, design and creative thinking.

In the cities, the makey makey invention kit was used, the children, wanting to solve the problem of including people with visual impairments in their city, used the makey makey sampler application. The app enabled the children to record messages and create tactile interfaces so that audio messages could be heard in the recycling bins, while in the same way they used the makey makey invention kit to create smart traffic lights. The children's suggestion to create musical chairs in the "pocket park" they created for their city was met by using the classic piano application of the makey makey invention kit.

The Micro:bit microcontroller

The micro:bit is a pocket computer built by the BBC that enables programming from within a computer. To work it needs two AAA batteries or a usb cable if connected to a handheld device or computer, and programming can be done through various programming environments such as Scratch or Microsoft Block Editor, etc. According to Lazarini, (2020), "it can help children become more active in programming and software writing, as well as help them understand basic elements of computer science and digital technology".

The children, with the help of the teachers, used the microbit microcontroller by integrating a ready-to-use species counter program into the device so that birds or insects or other animals living in the city can be counted. The great interest of the children's self-activity, who asked to extend this activity to the schoolyard, observing and counting the presence of birds with the help of the microbit, thus combining the digital and the real world.

The utilization of the bluebot floor robot

The bluebot programmable robot is the transparent version of BeeBot, which enables children to program wirelessly (via bluetooth), but also to debug and simulate algorithms using mobile devices. As part of the project that was implemented, the floor robot was transformed into Rosa the Monster. The children invited Rosa the Monster-bluebot to visit their city to give her a tour of their city. The children were already familiar with code creation and programming due to their previous use of the beebot in a variety of activities. Working in groups, they created the code and programmed the Rosa-bluebot to move through the city from point to point. In a subsequent learning challenge, working in teams, the children programmed Rosa the monster-bluebot to carry cards depicting litter and by sequentially tapping on the recycling bins to find the appropriate recycling bin to place the card.

The programmable robot kidsbits

The Kidsbits coding robot, which was transformed into the mascot of the project in Steamy Tsiou, was also shown around our cities.

The Kidsbits coding robot is characterized by a variety of features, such as:
 

• navigate by detecting obstacles in space
• to detect obstacles by detecting obstacles in the room, detecting obstacles in the way of obstacles, using the remote control of the TV or DVD player
• follow a line or stay within a closed frame - closed line curve
• play sounds and musical melodies
• react to clapping and other loud sounds.

In this activity the robot was utilized to follow a black line running through the city. The children were tasked with giving a tour and introducing their city to the Steamy Tsiou-robot.

Phase 4 - Presentation and Dissemination of the project

The dissemination pillars of the project are:
 

• the educational community through the blogs of the partner schools,
• the presentation of the collaborative project to the parents of the pupils/students of the partner schools,
• the sharing of the project with the local community through the promotion of the produced collaborative material for promotion through the websites of the municipalities and local newspapers.

By sharing their urban design proposals, students can beneficially influence the functionality of cities and radically change their surroundings to adequately meet the requirements of sustainability and the well-being of citizens.

Results

This educational action focuses on the implementation of an interdisciplinary approach based on STEAM education as it interacts with sustainable development goals and the broader philosophy of sustainable inclusive education. Children were given the opportunity through "Project Based Learning" to cultivate skills related to design thinking, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving and communication. The children of the partner schools expressed their views and concerns by envisioning the "City of their Dreams", a city that is accessible, sustainable, ecological, emotional and smart. In this context, they participated in a learning journey through which they acquired new knowledge, cultivated skills and adopted new attitudes towards the environment, contributing to the design of sustainable and inclusive cities under the condition of participatory planning. They used technology, recognising its added value, which offers individuals the opportunity to design people-friendly smart cities, allowing everyone to enjoy equal rights and access to the benefits of living in a city. They had active roles in the design of their cities, taking on the roles of planners, tour guides and players at the same time, navigating the bluebot and kidsbits robots through their inclusive, sustainable cities.

The students' awakening and awareness can be seen in the way they design and build their inclusive, sustainable cities, playgrounds accessible to all, animal shelters (microbit), ramps, construction of a guide for the blind -colourful embossed paving slabs-, smart traffic lights, public transport stops and litter bins that talk (makey-makey). Construction of wind farms, recycling plants, waste sorting robots, hydroelectric power plants, electric and solar bicycles, cars and buses, parking and charging areas for them, and sustainable apartment buildings in response to the problems that plague our inclusive sustainable cities. Through the design illustration of their thinking, children identify their new opinions and beliefs. By asking them to explain how and why their thinking has changed, they are given the opportunity to develop their reasoning skills while developing active citizenship skills.

Conclusions

Children are growing up in a world with multiple environmental and social problems, in this context teachers need to provide opportunities for students to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes they will need to find solutions to these problems. It is therefore essential that they develop the skills needed for participatory planning, problem solving, creative and critical thinking and innovation, equipped with confidence, curiosity and a willingness to take initiative, to see their mistakes as opportunities for learning and to collaborate by envisioning a better world (Trilling & Fadel, 2009). The invitation, then, is for everyone, children and adults alike if you want to come and think of ways to implement our dream city principles in our city, in our neighborhood, in your neighborhood, in neighborhoods around the world! We are waiting for you to design together inclusive sustainable cities, where citizens dream, participate, act and innovate.