Estonian University of Life Sciences hosted Baltic educators at a One Health workshop

On 9 June, the Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences hosted the international workshop “One Health Starts Early”, bringing together kindergarten and early childhood educators from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The event explored how the One Health approach can be integrated into STEAM education and introduced to children from an early age.

The workshop was organised jointly by Tartu Private Kindergarten TERAKE and the Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences. Throughout the day, participants engaged in practical activities that highlighted the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health, while demonstrating age-appropriate and engaging ways to address these topics in early childhood education.

The programme included:

• hands-on One Health and STEAM activities focusing on microbiology, food safety and environmental health;

• collaborative discussions and creative group work, during which participants developed One Health learning activities suitable for preschool children;

• a visit to the Estonian University of Life Sciences Anatomy Museum, guided by fifth-year veterinary medicine student Safa Haidher Ali, who introduced participants to exhibits related to animal biology and health;

• a visit to the university’s Equine Clinic, where veterinarian Dr Maria Kivastik provided an overview of the role of veterinary medicine in safeguarding animal health and its connections to human and environmental well-being.

The workshop addressed topics including hygiene, antimicrobial resistance, food safety, biodiversity and environmental change. The event demonstrated how the interconnections between human, animal and environmental health can be introduced already in early childhood education and integrated into STEAM learning activities.

The organisation and delivery of the workshop were by Dr Dulmini Nanayakkara Sapugahawatte, Safa Haidher Ali, Dr Maria Kivastik, and Dr Felipe Correa, together with the Equine Clinic team.