Schola Empirica

Spreading Best Practices in Education

We are an educational and research organisation. We educate teachers, social workers and parents so that they can provide the best possible care for children and help them reach their full potential. We draw on scientifically proven approaches and methods from abroad, adapt them to the Czech Republic, test them in practice together with our partners, evaluate their impact in the Czech environment and then scale the best practices.

Our Mission

We aim to improve education, so that it provides every child with an opportunity to succeed.There is little focus in our education on development of social and emotional skills. We want to change that. Through scientifically proven methodologies, we help educators develop children’s social and emotional skills so that they can succeed in school and in life and fully develop their talents and personality.  

Our Strategy

We look for scientifically proven approaches and methods (evidence-based, evidence-informed), which we adapt to the conditions in the Czech Republic, together with our partners we verify them in practice and evaluate their impact in the Czech environment (evaluate). We continue to improve the implemented approaches and methods based on practical experience from pilot implementations and evaluation results. In cooperation with our partners, we disseminate approaches, strategies and methods, that proved to be successful in practice and the positive outcome of which has been confirmed by the research in the Czech Republic (scaling).

What we do

Přivážíme ze světa metodiky

Do Česka přivážíme vědecky ověřené metodiky pro rozvoj měkkých dovedností.

Adaptujeme je pro Česko

Metodiky pilotujeme na českých školách a školkách a ve spolupráci s učiteli je přizpůsobujeme českému prostředí.

Měříme dopad

Provádíme kvalitativní a kvantitativní výzkum, rešerše a konzultace výzkumného designu. Realizujeme základní výzkum a experimentální vývoj.

Šíříme, co funguje

Výsledné postupy, které se osvědčily, šíříme dál formou výuky, vzděláváním a odbornými publikacemi.

Organizujeme Prague Summer Schools

Pro mladé lidi z celého světa organizujeme letní setkávání nad aktuálními tématy. Interaktivní přednášky a diskuze Prague Summer Schools jsou vedené mezinárodními experty.

Učíme (se)

S evropskými vzdělávacími partnery sdílíme příklady dobré praxe s cílem vytvořit nové, inovativní výstupy – v projektech Erasmus+ se učíme navzájem.

Proč vymýšlet znovu kolo?

Je hodně dobré vůle zlepšit vzdělávání u nás, ale ne všechno úsilí má žádoucí efekt a je napřeno správným směrem. Proto přivážíme ze světa ověřené metodiky, které prokazatelně děti rozvíjejí. Testujeme je, adaptujeme na naše podmínky a šíříme.

Our team

Egle Havrdová, MA, Ph.D.

Director
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Egle Havrdová

Egle Havrdová received her PhD in December r. 2005 at the Department of Public and Social Policy, Charles University in Prague. In her doctoral thesis she dealt with the issue of social intervention and made a comparison of the implementation of intervention programmes at the local level in the Czech Republic and Lithuania between 1994 and 2003. In 2002/2003 Egle served as the National Coordinator for Science, Society and Mobility of the EU Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development in Lithuania. Since r. 2004 Egle Havrdová coordinated several educational projects and a number of conferences organized by the Center for Public Policy.
havrdova@scholaempirica.org

Mgr. Anna Petrova Kubesova

Training Methodologist, Skills Builder Project, HR Support
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Anna Petrova Kubesova

At Schola Empirica I am in charge of the Skills Builder project and staff support for the team. The field of education and human resources has been with me all my professional life. After studying at the Faculty of Education, Charles University in Prague and a study internship in London, I worked in France as a linguistic assistant in a small primary school. After that I led a team of English teachers in a language school and worked as an HR consultant. Before joining the Schola, I worked as a methodologist in non-formal education for children. I am interested in family mediation, which I have been doing for over 10 years, and drama education, which I study in a 2-year course organized by DAMU. I spend my free time with my family, outdoor trips, traveling and yoga.
petrova@scholaempirica.org

Jaromír Mazák, Ph.D.

Expert Guarantor of the Evaluation
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Jaromír Mazák

At Schole Empirice, I work on project impact evaluation and data analysis. In addition, I work as a lecturer and researcher at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University. I have published on the topics of civic and political participation in internationally recognized journals. For many years now I have enjoyed delving deeper and deeper into social science methodology, finding both joy and adventure in data analysis and visualization.
mazak@scholaempirica.org

Mgr. Romana Šloufová

Social Innovation Methodologist
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Romana Šloufová

Romana graduated with a Master's degree in Civil Sector Studies from the Faculty of Economics, Charles University, where she worked on international research and lectured courses on social economy. She is currently studying at the Department of Civil Society Studies at the Charles University in Prague for a PhD focused on social entrepreneurship in the Czech Republic. In her spare time, she volunteers with HoSt - Home-Start Czech Republic, an organization that provides assistance to families at risk of serious social situations. She enjoys relaxing in the water as a children's swimming instructor.
sloufova@scholaempirica.org

Kateřina Hudáčová

Evaluator
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Kateřina Hudáčová

I am a fourth year student of psychology at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University. In psychology, I am interested in psychometrics and data analysis, among other things, which I do at Schole Empirica. In my free time I like to go on trips, play the flute and draw.
hudacova@scholaempirica.org

Bc. Veronika Švomová

KiVa Programme Methodologist
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Veronika Švomová

At Schola Empirica I work as a methodologist for the KiVa program. After studying Pedagogy, I started working as an English teacher for children in a language school, and now I lead the teaching team there. I was led to the topic of bullying by my work for the Parents' Association and the local school committee. I am currently studying Applied Ethics at the Charles University. In my spare time I spend time with my family, my hobbies include music therapy and horse riding.
svomova@scholaempirica.org

Mgr. Martina Koutná

Researcher
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Martina Koutná

After studying Sociology and Social Policy and Public and Social Policy at FSV UK, she focused on predicting skills needs on the labour market and analysing the links between education, skills and success on the labour market. She has also published several articles on this topic. She was brought to Schola Empirica by the opportunity to be involved in supporting projects focused on early childhood education and evidence-based approaches to education. He likes to spend his free time in nature, climbing walls, training with the Amazons and playing badminton.
koutna@scholaempirica.org

Mgr. Pavel Fiala

Education Methodologist, Skills Builder Project
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Pavel Fiala

At Schole Empirice, I am involved in the Skills Builder project, which I believe in and support - that's why I put my energy into it 🙂 Skills Builder is a methodology that helps develop key competencies. I am a teacher and I know how important soft skills are and how we need to address them in schools. Before coming to the Schola, I taught at the da Vinci School and before that I worked at the Karlin Business Academy. Some time ago I was approached about coaching, which I am now intensively involved in. I like tennis, badminton, sauna and nature. And of course my girlfriend and our two cats 🙂
fiala@scholaempirica.org

Bc. Jan Netík

Quantitative Data Analyst
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Jan Netík

Honza is a fifth-year psychology student at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University, where he has also recently been giving seminars in general psychology. However, at Schole Empirice, instead of people, he analyses data, and he likes to discover new contexts that can help not only in educational practice. He enjoys learning anything new and connecting seemingly unrelated fields such as psychology, mathematical statistics, programming or neuroscience, which he would like to continue in his PhD studies. He fills his rare free moments with playing the electric guitar.
netik@scholaempirica.org
Mgr. Monika Kotrbová

Mgr. Monika Kotrbová

Project coordinator
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Monika Kotrbová

Monika studied sociology at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University. During her studies she was primarily concerned with social inequalities with a focus on unequal access to education. At Schole Empirice, she is involved in the coordination of the "KiVa" project, which focuses on preventing and addressing bullying in primary schools, and collaborates on the "Learning Entrepreneurship" project. When she is not working, she enjoys reading, writing in her drawer, going to concerts, and teaching others about the proper way to make coffee. 🙂
kotrbova@scholaempirica.org

Mgr. Adam Klocek

Project evaluator
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Adam Klocek

At Schole Emirice I am involved in project evaluation, theoretical review papers, methodology and data analysis. Outside the School, I am studying for a PhD in Clinical Psychology at the Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University, where I am mainly interested in psychometric validation of therapeutic scales and network modelling of mechanisms of change. In my spare time I play the cello, write short stories or publish scholarly articles.
klocek@scholaempirica.org

Mgr. Kateřina Michalová

Education Methodist
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Kateřina Michalová

Kateřina graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Humanities at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University and a Master's degree in Pedagogy at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University. During her studies, she focused on the development of pupils' learning competences and the use of the key principles of the Instrumental Enrichment Programme in school learning conditions. At the same time she worked as a teacher at a primary school for children with specific learning disabilities in Prague. In 2009, she moved to Zurich, Switzerland for a few years, where she gained experience as a tutor and teaching assistant in an international school. Later she founded and led a Czech preschool group for children of compatriots.
michalova@scholaempirica.org

Mgr. Alexandr Strnad

Project Coordinator
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Alexandr Strnad

At Schole Empirice, I work mainly on the project Learning Entrepreneurship. At the same time, I am involved as a methodologist in the implementation of the international KiVa project in the Czech Republic. I graduated from the Faculty of Education of the University of Ostrava, majoring in Mathematics - Civics. In recent years, I have gained experience as a director of a small private school or as a project manager in the field of education. In my spare time I love to run, read, travel around the world and take photographs.
strnad@scholaempirica.org

Mgr. Kateřina Šafářová

Project Evaluator
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Kateřina Šafářová

At Schole Empirice, I work on data analysis and project evaluation. Before coming to Schola, I worked for many years at People in Need on research and support for media education in primary and secondary schools. In addition to my work, I am also studying Applied Sociological Research and its Methodology at the Charles University. I like to spend my free time doing outdoor sports, especially climbing and hiking.
safarova@scholaempirica.org

PhDr. Irena Zárubová

Education Methodist
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Irena Zárubová

Irena graduated from the Faculty of Education at Charles University in Prague, majoring in Teaching for the First Grade with a specialization in English language teaching. As part of the Erasmus programme, she spent part of her studies and subsequent internship in Finland. She has taught at public and private primary schools in the Czech Republic, and gained most of her experience at the European School in Brussels at the first level of the Czech section, where she worked from 2009-2018. He also has experience in adult training. She is a lifelong learner and participates in training courses focused on pedagogy and parenting. In the Schola Empirica organization, she is mainly involved as a methodologist in the implementation of the international KiVa project in the Czech Republic, but also collaborates on other projects in Innovation for Pedagogy.
zarubova@scholaempirica.org

Mgr. Marek Pour

Researcher and evaluator
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Marek Pour

He is a psychologist by training from the Faculty of Philosophy at Charles University. Currently a PhD student at Masaryk University. For Schola Empirica, he is working on evaluations of projects related to journalism and education. In addition to interviews, she focuses mainly on qualitative research methods.
pour@scholaempirica.org

Paolo Mazzeo

Prague Summer School Coordinator
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Paolo Mazzeo

Paolo studied History and Art History in Italy, where he has been involved in the organization and dissemination of activities in the fields of art, history and culture since 2015. He has worked with media and cultural organizations (e.g. museums) as a graphic designer. He has conducted research in the field of psychology of art and psychology of tourism and has participated in educational projects in cooperation with schools. His passion for Slavic history, art and culture brought him to Prague in 2019. Here he works as a tourist guide and explores the possibilities of smart tourism. It cooperates with travel agencies, creates new routes and tours in Prague and trains other guides. Since 2022 he has been the coordinator of Prague Summer Schools.
mazzeo@scholaempirica.org

Bc. Kateřina Netíková, DiS.

Project Manager
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Kateřina Netíková

I have been managing projects for 20 years, and for the last 10 years I have been attracted to the education of children and adults. Since 2021, I have been helping Schola to disseminate soft skills development methodologies.
netikova@scholaempirica.org

Membership in professional organisations

Standing Conference of Associations in Education

A voluntary grouping of educator associations, programs, and civic associations working to promote and protect progressive change in education and to facilitate the exchange of ideas among educator initiatives, the nonprofit sector, state and local governments, and the public.

Standing Conference of Associations in Education

Czech Professional Society for Inclusive Education (ČOSIV)

It supports the development of inclusive education in the Czech education system. It brings together non-profit organisations, academics, school representatives, parents and young people with special educational needs who believe that learning together is the path to a cohesive and prosperous society.

Czech Professional Society for Inclusive Education (ČOSIV)

Partner organisations

Parish charity Roudnice n. L.

Parish charity Roudnice n. Labem

The parish charity in Roudnice nad Labem began as a group of volunteers collecting for Armenia in 1988. Today, the Parish Charity provides social services in several areas. It operates a boarding school for pre-school children from socially weak, predominantly Romani families. He takes care of the chapel in the hospital, where mass is held every Monday. It offers accommodation and care to local homeless people. It accommodates women with children who have lost their housing and much more. She is working with Schola Empirica on the project Good Start: inclusive methods of working with children and parents.
www.charitaroudnice.cz

Romano Jasnica

Romano Jasnica

Romano Jasnica is a Romani association in Trmice that strives for social inclusion and positive change in the lives of socially excluded people of all ages, not only from the Romani community. To this end, the association provides information and all-round professional assistance to people in need and offers a wide range of social services, educational, leisure and cultural activities. The civic association was founded in 1998 and is a non-governmental non-profit organization. She is working with Schola Empirica on the project Good Start: inclusive methods of working with children and parents.
www.romanojasnica.webnode.cz
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Center for Evidence Based Early Intervention

(CEBEI, Centre for Empirically Validated Early Intervention), Bangor University, Wales
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Center for Evidence Based Early Intervention

The Centre for Empirically Validated Early Intervention (CEBEI) is a research centre that works closely with the Children's Early Intervention Trust (CEIT), a charitable organisation, to evaluate local empirically validated early intervention programmes and the subsequent development of these programmes in Wales. CEBEI is part of Bangor University in Wales, but also collaborates with many American academics (e.g. Carolyn Webster-Stratton from Seattle, Washington, USA). CEBEI is led by Prof. Judy Hutchings, a recognized expert in the field of early intervention. CEBEI is actively involved in the evaluation and implementation of Incredible Years programmes for Wales.
www.centreforearlyinterventionwales.co.uk/

Erasmus+ foreign partners

Centrum för flexibelt lärande (CFL), Hälsinglands utbildningsförbund (Sweden) http://www.hufb.se

Tiny Signers (UK) http://www.tinysigners.co.uk

SPOLECZNA AKADEMIA NAUK (Poland) http://www.san.edu.pl

Wide Open School n. o. (Slovakia) http://www.skoladokoran.sk/

PIA, information systems and services d.o.o. (Slovenia), https://www.pia.si/

Asociación Mi Hijo y Yo (Spain) http://asociacionmihijoyyo.org

Consultancy for autism, special educational diagnostics, counselling and education, Maja Skrubej Novak s.p. (Slovenia) www.avtizem.net

INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION (Slovenia) www.pei.se

History

2022

Šíříme metodiky Dobrý začátek, Skills Builder, pilotujeme program KiVa.

2021

Šíříme metodiky Dobrý začátek, Skills Builder, pilotujeme program KiVa.

2020

Spouštíme projekt Skills Builder.

2019

Spouštíme projekt KiVa.

2018

Vzniká Metodika Dobrý začátek pro rodiče.

2017

Realizujeme projekt inkluzivního předškolního vzdělávání v Ústeckém kraji, propojení sociálních pracovníků, učitelů a rodičů.

2016

Školíme metodiku Dobrý začátek pro učitelky MŠ.

2015

První projekty stáží učitelek MŠ v CEBEI, New Summer School on Behavioral Economics and Psychology.

2014

Přejmenovali jsme se na Schola Empirica.

2013

Organizujeme projekty zaměřené na podporu NEET mládeže (Youth not in Employment, Education or Training).

2012

Účastníme se Erasmus projektů (Grundtvig).

2011

Vznikají první zárodky metodiky podpory sociálních a emočních dovedností dětí předškolního věku, New Summer School on Development Cooperation.

2010

Probíhá školení učitelek MŠ s prof. Judy Hutchings.

2009

Připravujeme první projekty zaměřené na vzdělávání předškolních pedagogů.

2008

Pořádáme New Summer School on Education.

2007

Připravujeme projekty vzdělávání v Plzeňském a Středočeském kraji.

2006

Organizujeme New Summer School on Crime, Law and Psychology, projekty vzdělávání.

2005

Pokračujeme se Summer Schools on Lobbying in Brussels a realizujeme první projekt vzdělávání učitelů, neziskovek a sociálních pracovníků v Praze a ostatních regionech ČR.

2004

Pořádáme první letní školu Summer Schools on Lobbying in Brussels.

2003

Založili jsme Centrum pro veřejnou politiku.

Annual Reports


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