Glen Education Sundowner
Building Identity, Belonging and Connections – Our ‘About Me’ Project
Glen Sundowner Kindergarten always embraces each child as a capable and unique individual as well as value every child’s identity, voice and experiences. This year, one of our curriculum projects is called “About Me.”
This project supports children to explore and share who they are, including their families, culture, interests, favourite things, and what makes each of them unique.
Through drawing, storytelling, and decorating their personal “About Me” sheet, children are encouraged to express themselves in meaningful and creative ways. These sheets are kept in a folder and placed in the book corner, where children can freely access them at any time. This supports independence, revisiting learning, and ongoing conversations with peers and educators.
The purpose of this project is to build a strong sense of identity, belonging and connection within our group. It aligns with our curriculum planning cycle as we observe children’s interests, gather information about their backgrounds, and use this to extend learning experiences. Educators use children’s contributions to plan responsive activities that reflect their ideas, strengths, and cultural backgrounds, ensuring the learning is meaningful and child-led.
Children’s voices are at the centre of this project. They are actively involved in choosing what they want to share about themselves and how they want to present it.
During group discussions and one-to-one conversations, children proudly talk about their families, pets, favourite activities, and special memories. These moments show how confident they are becoming in using their voice and listening to others with respect.
Learning is supported through intentional teaching, where educators encourage children to reflect, ask questions, and make connections between themselves and their peers. Children engage in creative experiences such as drawing self-portraits, decorating their pages, and sharing stories with friends. These experiences support language development, emotional expression, and social skills.
Families are also invited to contribute information, photos, and ideas to support children’s learning, making them an active part of the project. This collaboration strengthens the connection between home and kindergarten, helping children feel a strong sense of belonging across both environments. When families and educators work together, children’s learning becomes more meaningful, consistent, and responsive to their individual interests and experiences.
Children’s interests are reflected throughout their “About Me” project, making the learning personal, engaging, and relevant to their lives. We also encourage children to explore similarities and differences within the group, supporting respect, empathy, and appreciation for diversity. Through these shared experiences, children develop a stronger understanding of themselves and others, while building a supportive and inclusive classroom community.
As educators, we have been critically reflecting on how children respond to sharing personal information and how this supports relationships within the group. We have observed increased confidence, stronger peer connections, and more inclusive play. We also noticed that revisiting the “About Me” folders in the book corner has encouraged children to start conversations independently and show interest in others’ stories. This reflection helps us adjust and extend the project to further support children’s engagement and learning.
Overall, the “About Me” project is helping children develop confidence, belonging, and strong relationships in a supportive and inclusive learning environment.