Why Rozmanita?

Humanity is currently facing several crises which are causing a great deal of uncertainty. What will our future look like? Despite it being difficult to anticipate we should prepare ourselves and our loved ones as well as we can.

Let's bet on diversity

Rozmanita is the Slovak word for “diverse”. Nature has always prepared for an uncertain future with its diversity. It is this strategy that is inspiring for Rozmanita.

When we do not know what the future holds, we need all the more to support and develop the diversity of each of us and society as a whole. So that we are ready for anything. We need to fully accept the fact that each of us is different, and to look at that difference with respect and curiosity - what innovation will it bring?

How will it enrich us?

Skills of the future

We cannot fully predict the future, but that does not mean that we cannot prepare for it. There is a great deal of consensus among the experts as to what skills will be needed - critical, creative and innovative thinking, the ability to build relationships with truly diverse people across different backgrounds and abilities, the ability to take care of one’s physical and mental health in rapidly changing conditions, strong self-awareness and an open and positive attitude towards diversity.

Diverse teams

These skills are very difficult to build in groups and communities which lack diversity. Studies show that all children, both those above and those below average on various measures, develop best in terms of cognitive, emotional and social skills in mixed groups.

Groups in which they can make friends with children who are differently gifted, with various abilities, from different family backgrounds, minorities and different ages. Where they can learn from each other.

Inclusive education

It is inclusive education that combines the elements of fully accepting differences, a focus on skills of the future and the targeted building of diverse communities, in which each child and adult develops exactly according to his needs. Inclusive education is highly individualized, open to accepting anyone with any need.

It does not need to box people according to their disadvantages, limitations or talents. It uses systems in which children can do different activities at any given time, depending on what they need, but still develop and grow together.

Stanislav Boledovič

CEO of Teach for Slovakia, co-founder of Nexteria and Aspiro, former consultant at McKinsey & Co

"As a Bratislava citizen, I have long thought that Slovakia only had a problem with segregation far in the East where Roma children and their families are often denied access to the same schools or classes as their non-Roma peers. Gradually, however, I am realizing that we are sitting on a time bomb here in Bratislava - children from financially and socially advantaged families go to different schools than the rest of the city, which is detrimental to both groups.

That is why I am excited that Rozmanita is launching and will show us the way forward - high quality education for everyone with an emphasis on diversity and the interconnection of various backgrounds, cultures and abilities."

Urgent need

Unfortunately, in Slovakia, diversity is to a large extent feared and hidden.

Suppressing diversity leads to a segregated and unjust society, which is absolutely inadequately preparing us and our children - all of our children - for an uncertain future.

At the same time, disparities between advantaged and disadvantaged groups are growing, which in turn weakens democracy, economic growth and, ultimately, environmental sustainability.

Slovakia has significant problems with segregation and inequity:

SEGREGATION

• Segregation since nursery (ages 3-6)

Nurseries disproportionately refuse to accept children with disabilities, children from low-income families and children of foreigners (State School Inspectorate, 2019). The few children from these groups who do attend nurseries are most often from other children - in special schools or classes (analysis To dá rozum, 2019)

• Extremely segregated schools

Slovakia ranked 62nd out of 63 countries surveyed in the index of segregation according to the socio-economic background of children in primary schools (up to age 15 in Slovakia). This applies to the whole country - no major differences were found between regions.

In short - children from high income families do not attend the same schools as those from low income families. They have no chance to meet, to understand each other, to make friends (PISA 2018). Segregation has a direct effect on school quality - schools attended by low income children are much worse on most metrics.

INEQUITY

• Background more important than skills

The socio-economic background of families has the second strongest effect on student outcomes out of the OECD (36th place out of 37). Low income children in Slovakia do not have a chance to fully develop their talents. At the same time, children from more socio-economically advantaged backgrounds are not doing better in Slovakia than in other countries - they have the same or worse skills (PISA 2018).

• Prejudice

More than half of Slovaks do not want to have Roma or Muslim people as their neighbors. The inhabitants of the Bratislava region reject foreigners or people of a different race more than neighbors than in other regions (EVS 2017).

• Lifelong learning

Lifelong learning in Slovakia is the least accessible out of all OECD countries for people from disadvantaged groups (long-term unemployed, people on low incomes, people working for a definite period of time, ...) (PIAAC, 2012).


Janette Motlová

author, activist, director of the Research Institute of Child Psychology (VŮDPAP)

"Finally, there are people who give the word “inclusion” a clear outline. They are not only talking about it, but looking for a concrete way to fulfill the meaning of this important word. In a clear plan, concrete steps. I do not only see Rozmanita as an important project for our country.

Behind the idea, I see the faces of people who have already proven that they can overcome obstacles, look for solutions. I see people who do not give up when the first problems come. I fully trust them. I believe in the need for Rozmanita. Because inclusion affects us all. Even those who live a content life at the moment and may not realise it."


What we do

Rozmanita is building a model inclusive nursery, school and community in Bratislava to better prepare us all for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

We are building a quality inclusive development centre for everyone. Our vision is to build a replicable, scalable model of an inclusive school and community in which everyone can develop, regardless of background, needs, skills or age.

We offer cutting-edge education focused on 21st century skills - with an emphasis on creativity, critical thinking, emotional and social intelligence, physical and mental wellbeing, English, intercultural relations and the development of a responsible and sustainable lifestyle. We will share our model to reach as many children as possible throughout Slovakia.

We start with a nursery, in which each family pays scaled fees based on what they can afford. In each mixed-age group, there will be children from all income groups, children with and without disabilities, children of different nationalities, ethnicities and other minorities as well as children of who do not belong to any minority. Our nursery is unique in that it offers high quality education based on Montessori principles for a truly diverse group of children.

Our model does not only think about the development of children, but also about the development and connection of their families, the connection of various “social bubbles” which live in Bratislava, multigenerational connections and connections with the local community. We organize regular community activities and educational courses or other opportunities for meaningful connections and relationships.

In the next few years our nursery will be followed by a primary school, a senior and parent centre and coworking space with childcare, so that it is a place where anyone can come and grow, at any time.

We are building a model that we will evaluate, innovate and proactively and freely disseminate further with other schools - to contribute to a vision in which all children have a chance to attend quality inclusive schools where they can meet and develop with all the people in their community.

Founder and CEO

Anna Symington-Maar

"I experienced truly diverse schools and communities for the first time in the UK, where I lived for 8 years. As a science teacher in a low income area of London, I worked with children of all backgrounds and abilities and saw how the diversity of our school was benefiting them all.

I remember my shock when I found out about the level of segregation and educational inequity in Slovakia. I decided that I had to do something about it.

I am a manager, a teacher and a parent. I am raising my son with my wife, I am a woman with a degree in physics, I have been a foreigner in almost every country I have ever lived in.

For me, my differences have become a source of incredible strength. As a result, I see the differences of others as something beautiful, full of potential, a source of innovation and inspiration. I want as many people as possible to be able to see the power of diversity in helping us shape the successful, just and sustainable society we should all be striving for. That’s why I founded Rozmanita.”

  • Co-founder of Teach for Slovakia (equivalent of Teach First in Slovakia) and co-chair of the non-profit Rainbow families (Dúhové rodiny)
  • Master’s degree from the University of Oxford - Education
  • 12 years of experience in inclusive education of children and adults and in leading teams and organizations

Photo by Gustavo Pizano Photography

Our team

Anna
Symington-Maar

CEO

Ľubica
Ujváryová

Director of Rozmanita nursery

Radovan
Chalupka

Financial manager

Daniela
Žideková

Accountant

Soňa
Trubačová

Social media manager



Rozmanita support team

Zuzana
Sojková

VUDPAP, Teach for Slovakia, lawyer, platform Naše školstvo

Pavel
Hrica

CEO o.z. Cesta von/Way out, former program director at Pontis Foundation

Eva Hrabovská

HR manager Websupport, Connect Coworking, community garden Ostredky

Michala Hrnčiarová

Coworking Cvernovka director, Forester blog, Aliancia Stará Tržnica

Jana Kružliaková

Early childhood special education teacher, inclusive education expert, VÚDPAP

Ivana Némethová

Architect and climate change activist - Znepokojené matky

Lucia Malastová

Sales and project manager, AIESEC, Reshoper, Mini Tech MBA for Women

Lucia Plaváková

Attorney, human rights activist

Danka Laciková

Montessori teacher, blogger, Sokratov inštitút, social worker

Dana
Bubák

Illustrator, grafic designer, Sokratov inštitút, FAMU, MILK

Majo
Čurilla

Architect, activist - Rainbow families, ABA instructor with children with autism spectrum disorder

Michaela
Vargová

Early childhood education expert

Our plan

Funding model

We are a non-profit with a sustainable funding model. How does it work?

We cover at least 70% of our costs ourselves so as to better plan for the future. We qualify for some government funding and each of our clients pays the amount they can afford for our services.

Fundraising allows the center to be accessible to all those who cannot cover any or only part of the cost. It also allows us to build, evaluate and share our model widely across Slovakia and beyond.

We provide our donors with full, transparent access to our financial reports. We publish our annual reports publicly (first one will be available in January 2021).

Expected sources of revenue after stabilization:

Adult courses

Our courses for adults will start in the autumn 2021. Our goal is to provide lifelong developmental learning opportunities accessible to all - with an emphasis on those who do not currently have access to lifelong learning.

We will focus specifically on adults from the local community and seniors. We will provide regular personal development courses, exercise classes, courses focusing on various soft and hard skills, parenting and partner skills and courses to facilitate returning to work.

We want to be a place where people from different backgrounds and different ages can develop together. You can look forward to morning yoga classes, evening carpentry courses, parenting classes or future skills workshops and weekend experiential education and community activities. All this with people you might not otherwise get to know.

Nursery

The Rozmanita nursery will open in the autumn of 2021 with one mixed-age group of children aged 2-5.

We will work on the principles of Montessori pedagogy, which allows a high personalisation of each child's development, the development of their independence and self-confidence and supports their love of learning and exploring.

We will enrich Montessori with modern strategies for developing 21st century skills, including creativity, critical thinking, English, social and emotional intelligence and responsible and sustainable choices. We build on the latest knowledge in the field of pedagogy, sociology, psychology and neuroscience.

Our nursery will have an inclusive team that will set up an individual plan for each child with their carers - regardless of whether they have specific needs or not. The team monitors children’s progress and, if necessary, arranges additional support for them in the form of therapy, assistance or other intervention directly in the nursery.

Our program

  • Respectful environment - we fully accept and love each child the way they are

  • Regular community activities for children’s families

  • Lots of time outdoors in any weather, encouraging a connection with nature, gardening

  • Healthy diet, children involved in food preparation, healthy attitude with food and their bodies

  • Emphasis on the development of a wide range of 21st century skills, including creativity, critical thinking, social and emotional intelligence, English, manual and digital skills, and responsible and sustainable behavior

Sliding scale fees

It is only through our shared responsibility that Rozmanita can provide a unique experience of quality inclusive education for all.

Our fees are sliding scale - each family pays as much as they can afford.

The full cost of the nursery 2021/22 is 550 € / month - € 470 + € 80 food. These costs include all-day, personalised development and care 5 days a week, healthy, tasty, all-day meals, stimulating environment, a highly capable team of three teachers/guides per group, our inclusive team of experts to cover the diverse needs of children, development and community activities for the whole family...

Depending on their situation, family contributions can range from a symbolic € 40 / month which partially covers the cost of meals, to the full cost, € 550 (including meals). How much families can afford to contribute to the nursery does not and will never affect whether the child is accepted or not.

Our families know that they are involved in building a unique community and pay not only for top education, but for real inclusion for themselves and their children. Of course, families can choose to support the development of the Rozmanita with any amount they wish in addition to the nursery costs, which will allow us to be accessible to all families without distinction.

Pavel Hrica

CEO of leading non-profit tackling generational poverty in Slovakia - Cesta von, long-term program director at the Pontis Foundation

"I like that Rozmanita wants to equip children from an early age with skills that will teach them to function in an ever smaller, more interconnected and diverse world. In doing so, it makes the world more peaceful and stable, for all of us."

How to apply

All children who are at least 2.5 years old and at most 6 years old on September 1, 2022 can apply, regardless of whether they have specific needs or not.

  • The first step is to fill in the electronic application here by 8th June 2022.
  • We will include your application in the lottery, which will take place if there are more applicants than places.
  • You will receive a decision on the admission of your child by end of june 2022 at the latest.
  • If your child is accepted, we will sign a contract, in which we will also agree on fees. Your financial means will never be a reason why we would not accept your child.
  • If we have not accepted your child, we will check with you to see if you are interested in staying on our waiting list if a place becomes available in the nursery.

The lottery takes place through a program that selects a diverse group of children. We do not choose children or their families individually.

Our environment is as inclusive as possible so that it is able to accept and develop a child with any needs. Our space is wheelchair accessible, has quieter and louder spaces, our team is trained in a highly inclusive approach, we have a special education teacher and a team of other external experts.

We look at the needs of our group of children and, if necessary, make adjustments in the premises, in the program or in the team, so that we can develop the group as best we can.

However, it is possible that in rare cases it may happen that after a child is selected, we find out, after thorough consultation with his family and our teaching and professional team, that we cannot fulfil the child's needs at the moment. In this case, we will notify the legal guardians by 30th June at the latest.

Nursery application 2022/2023

If you are interested in our nursery, please fill out this short application form.

We collect the information you provide through the carefully selected Zoho service, which offers a secure way to transfer data. All data will be used only for the purpose of applying for a place for your child in our nursery and destroyed at the time it is no longer needed.

APPLY


Our partners








Online table of supporters

Our Startlab campaign 2021 supporters:

Lucia Astell Orlická , Lydia Blaho , Dana Bubáková , Katarina Cabakova , Marián Červený , Iveta Chovancová , Juraj Čík , Andrea Cocherová , Matúš Čupka , Majo Čurilla , Tomáš Ďurina , Tereza a Jesse Goldberg , Eva Goncalvesova , Michal Halko , Dominika Horňáková , Jana Ivanovičová , Petra Jankovská , Alena Kanabová , Roland Karkó , Daniela Kellerová , Eva Kissová , Viera Kučerová , Zuzana Laukovská , Mária Leitnerová , Agnes Lovecká , Stanislav Maar , Zlatica Maarová , Jakub Malachovský , Zuzana Mášiková , Katarína Melicherová , Zuzana Mikloš Fabrici , Janka a Adam Mikušovci , Michala Mistríková , Ivan Németh , Jana Oleárniková , Ola Olšinová , Veronika Pavlíková Klindová , Lucia Plaváková , Lenka a Tomáš Polereckí , Kristína Pomothy , Klára Ptačinivá Klimčíková , Viera Pyra Mojzesova , Jana Randa , Ábel Ravasz , Valentina Rosputinská , Michal a Michaela Rybároví , Broňa Schragge , Silvia Segesova , Michal Šimečka , Natália Skuráková , Veronika Soková , Petra Štullerová , Flo Symington-Maar , Andrea Szabó , Katarina Tóthová , Naďa Urbanová , Martin Vavrinčík , Marek Víger , Michaela Zelenková


Thank you for being a part of our community.



Support us

We are building a community of supporters who want to build a more diverse and inclusive society, where everyone has access to a quality education.

Financial donation

Support the launch of Rozmanita with a financial gift that will help us lay the first stones of our dream - a diverse school and community in Bratislava with a model inclusive program that will inspire others.

You can become part of a truly diverse community.



Support us


Help with your know-how

If you are a professional in marketing, fundraising, financial management, lecturer/trainer, can you help with the development of our teachers and clients through quality experiential courses and workshops, can help with the organization of events and community activities - or anything else - please do reach out!




Contact us

Give a material gift

  • Give a second life to toys, books, Montessori resources you may have at home. We need quality toys and books that help children develop cognitively, emotionally, socially or physically. We are most interested in books that break down stereotypes and open up various non-traditional worlds to children. We will mainly use books in Slovak and English, but also in other languages.

  • We can definitely use children's furniture, tools for gross motor skills development (tunnels, mats, gymnastic aids, balls, bikes…), carpets...

  • We need to fully equip our center so that it is an open, stimulating environment for all children. By saving on furniture and equipment, we can invest our money in developing and disseminating our innovative inclusive program to benefit as many children as possible.
  • We also need office equipment for our teaching team - quality printer, computers, furniture, …

Contact us

Organize a collection for Rozmanita

If your birthday is coming up, if you will soon be celebrating a wedding or running a marathon (even without a crowd, it counts!), you can ask your friends to donate to Rozmanita on your behalf.

It only takes a few minutes to create a donation website and it can be of enormous help in our work.

In addition to financial support, this can spread the idea of Rozmanita to new people who can become part of our diverse community.


Raise money

Tell your friends about Rozmanita

If you know people who care about diversity, education and equal opportunities for all, let them know about Rozmanita. Send them a link to our website or let us know so we can contact them.


Contact us

Tell families with small children about us

Help us reach as many families with children aged 2-5 with diverse needs. Send them a link to our website and ask them to fill out a questionnaire of interest in the nursery.