IDPBC (Identity and Diversity Picture Book Collections)

"Pictures themselves can teach... if a picture is present in a book it is hard to disregard" said Perry Nodelman in 1988 in his book "Words about Pictures".

Picture books have been proved to be extremely valuable educational tools, bringing multiple learning benefits to diverse groups of learners. Such benefits are related to the development of learning skills such as observation, recognition, interpretation and self-perception. Introducing educators to compilations of carefully selected, high quality picture books that are well suited for specific educational purposes can be quite beneficial for both educators and learners.

In this regard, the Project IDPBC (Identity and Diversity Picture Book Collections) aims to deliver a collection of picture books that provide powerful visual stories about young protagonists who encounter diversity and explore issues of identity, difference and inclusion. Teaching materials will also be developed founded on evidence-based approaches, which will accompany the compiled picture book collections. In addition, pre-school and primary school teachers will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and competences to successfully use the collections and materials in their classrooms, and thus make their teaching more inclusive and accommodating.

More specifically, the objectives of the IDPBC are to:

1. Compile a collection of international picture books in a range of languages
2. Develop, test and disseminate a series of picture-book-based approaches and activities
3. Publish and disseminate a guide that supports practitioners in integrating IDPBC picture books in the curriculum
4. Provide training and professional development to pre- and in-service educators
5. Provide an Open Access Resources (OER) platform that enables pre- and in-service educators to develop networks of practitioners who integrate picture books in the curriculum

The consortium that launched the Project IDPBC consists of six European partner-organizations from Lithuania, Cyprus, Romania, Greece and Portugal. This partnership will cover a wide range of expertise and experience related to the scope and the aims of the Project IDPBC in order to collect picture books with visual stories that will inspire children and educators. The Project is funded by the European Commission and will run for 24 months (September 2015 - August 2017). As a Project partner, CARDET is responsible forcoordinating a series of actions.