Municipal General Educational Institution Secondary General Education School "Samara Waldorf School"

The first Waldorf school was established in 1919 in Stuttgart. Rudolf Steiner was not only the author of ideas and the head of a school but he also founded a special pedagogical system, therapeutic pedagogics and medicine, and a whole spiritual school. The main idea of Waldorf pedagogical system is that childhood is a unique period in a human life: it’s impossible to consider this age the same as elder one. It’s very important to give a child an opportunity of development in a natural way, according to the age and abilities. Nowadays there are 35 Waldorf Secondary Schools and 70 Waldorf Kindergarten in Russia. In 2001 one small group of little children was established on the basis of Samara Waldorf Secondary School. There are now about 100 children of 3 to 6 years old in four Waldorf Kindergartens. They attend the Kindergarten for a full day stay, where they get personal development through games and communication, according to Waldorf system. They develop new skills through the imitation and examples of adults and this experience enriches their personality and establishes it. The volunteers that come to be involved in this project are asked to show the diversity of their cultures, to show children different patterns that form individuality. The volunteers help in organising playing facilities and any forms of traditional games, dances and art. For a long time in Russia and former Soviet Union it was absolutely impossible to implement this kind of children education system and that brings us to the current necessity of Waldorf Kindergarten in a city like Samara.