HELLO!

Hoppípolla says hello!

The Hoppípolla kita works according to the guiding principle of mindful accompaniment. The educational approach is based on the pedagogy of Emmi Pikler, Maria Montessori and Jesper Juuls, as well as the ‘Berliner Bildungsprogramm’ (Berlin Educational Program). The pedagogical team currently consists of four educators. We consider all of the child's primary caregivers to be educational partners with whom we work in partnership, on an equal footing, and on the basis of trust for the benefit of the child.

The conception emphasises five key topics:

1. Community and social relations
2. Gendersensitive pedagogy
3. Awareness of one’s prejudice and diversity
4. Participation and autonomy
5. Environmental consciousness and sustainability

After the Berlin senate’s funding program was unexpectedly in question this summer, we have now received the final approval of the funding and finally opened in April 2021.

We are especially looking for more families with BIPoC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and/or LGBTINQ* family members. It is important to us that diverse perspectives are represented in and help shape the kita enverionment (children/parenting/team). Hoppípolla is intended to be a safer space for the children, where they are valued members of the community, unlike what they often experience.

Due to the age mix of the children's group, we are currently looking for families whose children were born between August 2016 - July 2017 and August 2018 - July 2019. We are unable to consider applications for children from other age groups at this time.

PEDAGOGY

We see children as active, creative, autonomous creators of their own development. From the moment they are born, children have an inner drive to understand their surroundings and actively deal with their environment.

The kindergarten Hoppípolla will work by the guiding theme of mindful companionship. The educational approach will be in line with the pedagogy of Emmi Pikler, Maria Montessori, Jesper Juul and the “Berliner Bildungsprogramm” (Berlin educational program). We want to create a close atmosphere that provides orientation as well as liberty, a place where children can flourish until they begin school. We want to support the childrens’ development and help them detect their own needs as well as those of others and reflect their stereotypes.

The pedagogical concept that will be developed by the pedagogical staff on the basis of Hoppipolla e.V.’s guiding theme.
→ OUR PICTURE OF CHILDREN

We acknowledge the child as a competent human being who wants to and is able to be independent right from the beginning according to their development. Children bring independence with them and strive to live it out. It does not have to be instilled into them and should be granted to them within the scope of their possibilities.

Children are acknowledged the same dignity and respect as adults, but not always the same rights. They are not unfinished or have to be formed, but neither are they small adults. We don’t see ourselves as superior to them, but we want to learn with them and from them. Children have a right to be involved in decisions that concern them individually or as a group.

Every child brings their personality that we want to accept and do not want to change. Every child has the right to their own will even if it cannot always be implemented. We view every expression of the child as valuable and try to identify and meet the needs behind it, instead of only reacting to its actions behaviouristically. The children establish their development, its speed cannot be imposed by the outside, but should be accompanied by us.

We regard one of our main tasks to provide a safe and secure environment for the child and thus, the right conditions for them to unfold their personality and potential. The child educates themself by dealing with their environment and constructing its knowledge (cf. Piaget). The child has a right to test themselves and make their own experiences. Making mistakes is part of that.

We take every child seriously with their needs, feelings, and boundaries and see them as competent to set the latter themself.

PARENTAL WORK

The kindergarten Hoppípolla is a parents’ initiative and therefore relying on the active participation of the parents. Every family whose child(ren) is/are looked after in the kindergarten will join the association Hoppípolla e.V. (= responsible body of the Kita) when signing the contract and are active members with voting power.

Every parent will join one of the following working groups (AGs): pedagogy, finances, staff, building, communication.

Furthermore, parents’ work includes the following tasks:

- participation in general meetings (at least 1 per year)
- participation in parents’ meetings (around every 6 weeks)
- participation in pedagogical parent-teacher conferences (around 4 per year)
- writing protocols of meetings
- shopping shifts
- cleaning and laundry shifts
- participation in actions of maintenance and repair of the facility or toys or structural measures
- pedagogical shifts if necessary (substitution during staffing shortage)
- accompanying trips
- organising and arranging festivities

The fees for the care of the children are composed of the youth welfare office (Jugendamt) fee of 23€ per child, a monthly income-dependent parents’ fee per child and a membership fee for the association of 1€ per month per parent. The membership fee will be decided on the general meeting by all members of the association.

APPLICATION

Jobs

Would you like to create your workspace? Then open the kindergarten Hoppípolla with us!
Here you find the link to our job posting.

→ bewerbung@hoppipolla-ev.de

We are looking forward to getting to know you!
The Hoppípolla-Team


Kindergarten spots

The kindergarten Hoppípolla has space for a heterogeneous age group of around 19 children.

We are especially looking for more families with BIPoC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and/or LGBTINQ* family members. It is important to us that diverse perspectives are represented in and help shape the kita enverionment (children/parenting/team). Hoppípolla is intended to be a safer space for the children, where they are valued members of the community, unlike what they often experience.

Due to the age mix of the children's group, we are currently looking for families whose children were born between August 2016 - July 2017 and August 2018 - July 2019. We are unable to consider applications for children from other age groups at this time.

To sustainably keep the kindergarten running we need the “Kitagutschein” for 7-9 hours, if possible. We can not provide and do not consider 9+ hours. Fewer hours are not necessarily a dealbreaker, please contact us in that case.

If you are interested, you can put your child on the waiting list. To do so we need the following information: name, birthday, the status of the Kitagutschein, complete contact details of the parents/caregivers. Please write a mail to hallo@hoppipolla-ev.de
You can write to us both in German or English.

We kindly ask you to refrain from regular requests. As soon as we have free spots, we will contact all eligible families.

In case your child hasn’t been born yet, we wish you all the best. Feel free to get intouch with us once you have gotten to know each other.

We are looking forward to hearing from you!
the Hoppípolla team

ASSOCIATION

The responsible body of our kindergarten is the nonprofit association Hoppípolla e.V. which was founded in 2019. It is the employer of the staff and represented by the voluntary board. Parents whose children are taken care of in our kindergarten automatically become members of the association.

Hoppípolla e.V. is a member of the “DaKS” (umbrella organisation for Berlin self-organised kindergartens and after-school centers).

BLOG

→ „AUF DIE PLÄTZE, KITA, INSOLVENZ!“
→ A small update
→ Thanks to you our rent is safe
→ Hoppípolla’s main themes part 5: Gender sensitive pedagogy
→ Das Crowdfunding geht weiter! / The Crowdfunding continues!
→ We collected already more than half of the money - thank you!
→ Hoppípolla’s main themes Part 4: Environmental consciousness and Sustainability
→ Hoppípolla’s main themes Part 3: Prejudice-consciousness and diversity
→ Hoppípolla’s main themes Part 2: Community and social relations
→ Hoppípolla’s main themes: Part 1: Participation and self-determination
→ Why we need Hoppípolla

LEGAL NOTICE

Hoppípolla e.V.
Donaustraße 49
D-12043 Berlin

hallo@hoppipolla-ev.de
hoppipolla-ev.de

Steuernr.: 27/636/61966
Amtsgericht Charlottenburg
(VR 37413 B)

Vorstand:
Ricarda Bochat, Iman Congo, Anna Maria Müller, Ruby Riad, Christian Seiler, Jakob Voigt