Sixteen grants awarded for the first time from the Education Fund

Sixteen projects have received grants from the Hafnarfjörður Education Fund for the 2026–2027 school year. The grants were awarded recently at Hafnarborg, totalling ISK 11 million.

“These grants are clear evidence of the strong and forward‑looking work being carried out in Hafnarfjörður’s schools and leisure services. We have highly competent staff who think big, work together, and always place the needs of children and young people first,” says Valdimar Víðisson, Mayor of Hafnarfjörður.

The purpose of the grants is to support development and innovation within school and leisure activities under the Education and Public Health Department of Hafnarfjörður. The grants are intended for projects that enhance quality and professionalism in work with children, promote increased cooperation, and support research. Projects must support or strengthen professional practice, with a particular emphasis on the participation of children and young people in the department’s institutions.

A total of 27 applications were submitted and reviewed by a professional committee appointed by the Director of the Education and Public Health Department. In evaluating applications, consideration was given to alignment with the guiding principles of the Hafnarfjörður Education Policy. Projects were also assessed in terms of their alignment with annual priorities (cooperation), objectives, work plans and timelines, as well as innovation and development. In addition, the expected outcomes and benefits for school and leisure services in Hafnarfjörður were taken into account.

This is the first time grants have been awarded from the Hafnarfjörður Education Fund. The following projects received funding:

Lighting up the dark winters

Contact: Theodoros Achilleas Proikas

“Bringing light into the darkness” is a shadow theatre project in which children explore emotions, creativity, and collaboration through light and shadow. Using hands, figures, and body movements, children create and present their own shadow performances, bringing warmth and imagination into the winter darkness.

Ástjörn Outdoor Learning

Contact: Stephen James Midgley

“Ástjörn Outdoor Learning” is a collaborative project involving six preschools in Hafnarfjörður that use Ástjörn as a shared learning environment. The preschools develop and test short outdoor learning plans in a common format and share them in an idea bank, supported by a learning community partnership and a concluding gathering at Ástjörn. The project fosters cooperation, well‑being, and creative learning in the local environment.

The Bridge to Sports

Contact: Ingibjörg Magnúsdóttir

This project aims to give children of foreign origin in grades 1–4 the opportunity to become acquainted with the Haukar sports club in a safe and organised setting. The goal is to equalise access to participation, strengthen social connections, and support inclusion through cooperation between schools, after‑school programmes, bridge builders, and the Haukar sports club.

Individual Learning Plans

Contacts: Anna Rut Pálmadóttir and Jóhanna Björg Másdóttir

This project focuses on the coordinated implementation of individual learning plans across all primary schools in Hafnarfjörður, with the aim of ensuring equal access to personalised learning in line with revisions to subject areas in the national curriculum. The project includes clear procedures, updated competency criteria, and guidance for staff, students, and parents within Mentor. This supports increased quality, equality, and continuity in school and support services in Hafnarfjörður.

Skill Flip

Contact: Steinbjörn Logason

The development project “SKILL FLIP” is an integrated teaching and learning approach that connects science, social studies, and information and technology education. The project aims to strengthen students’ ability to apply scientific methods in creative and practical ways. SKILL FLIP is designed with the needs of today’s learners in mind and aligns closely with the national curriculum’s emphasis on comprehensive competencies and collaboration rather than isolated factual knowledge.

Golf Club at Holtasel

Contacts: Margrét Heiða Magnúsdóttir and Svandís Roshni Guðmundsdóttir

A collaborative project between the Holtasel after‑school programme at Hvaleyrarskóli and the Keilir Golf Club. A staff member from Holtasel accompanies a group of students to Keilir once a week, where they receive 60 minutes of golf instruction.

Our World

Contacts: Íris Baldvinsdóttir and Kristín Lind Albertsdóttir

“Our World” is a development project that aims to design and implement specialised, visual, and hands‑on teaching materials for students on the autism spectrum to enhance their independence and academic achievement. By addressing the lack of Icelandic educational resources, the project improves quality and well‑being in school practice, in line with Hafnarfjörður’s Education Policy emphasis on diversity and innovation.

Looking to the Future

Contacts: Berglind Kristjánsdóttir and Ingibjörg Ósk Helgadóttir

This project focuses on coordinating the creation of developmental portfolios for children at Skarðshlíðarleikskóli. It involves cooperation among all staff and supports the continued strengthening of a learning community.

Thinking Classroom

Contact: Arnar Sigurjónsson

A thinking classroom approach in mathematics where all students actively engage in reasoning and problem‑solving, rather than focusing on following predetermined methods or memorising rules.

Slow Pace

Contact: Bryndís Guðlaugsdóttir

The project “Slow Pace in Preschool Practice” aims to enhance cooperation, well‑being, and participation among children through a slower rhythm and more intentional working methods. The project strengthens staff professionalism and creates space for deeper play and connection.

Calculating with Words

Contact: Hildur Arna Håkansson

The project “Calculating with Words” aligns mathematical vocabulary from grades 1–10 through the creation of a website, posters, and creative projects. The aim is to bridge gaps between school levels and improve mathematical literacy among students in Hafnarfjörður.

Collaboration and Technology

Contact: Elísabet K. Benónýsdóttir

In modern society, programming and design have become essential, making it important for schools to reflect this development and prepare students accordingly. Students collaborate on creative programming projects that integrate technology, mathematics, and design in a playful way. The project enhances digital literacy, collaboration, and continuity in programming education across school levels through the use of LEGO Spike Prime.

Anxiety‑Free Togetherness

Contact: Haukur Þór Þorvarðarson

This innovation project in primary schools and leisure services focuses on reducing school avoidance by improving children’s well‑being, sense of safety, and participation in school life. The project brings together teachers, leisure staff, parents, and support services in a comprehensive team approach, developing solutions that strengthen relationships, attendance, and mental well‑being for both students and staff.

Room 13

Contact: Hugborg P. Erlendsdóttir

“Room 13” is a new support initiative at Öldutúnsskóli for younger and middle‑stage students on the autism spectrum. The initiative enables personalised teaching or small‑group instruction in a calm and structured environment, with a focus on meeting students’ needs, including adapted learning materials and play resources that support communication, concentration, and sensory processing.

Tech Workshop in Dalurinn

Contacts: Margrét Halldórsdóttir and Íris Anna Randversdóttir

A technology and creativity workshop at the Dalurinn youth centre. Students are given opportunities to come together and receive guidance, facilities, materials, and equipment to create and develop their ideas.

Reviving Cultivation

Contact: Stephen James Midgley

This project aims to revitalise unused garden beds and build a project centred on cooperation:

• cooperation within departments
• cooperation between departments
• cooperation with parents and families.

The project combines cultivation and composting, with three compost bins installed and departments following shared procedures for organic waste. To make cooperation between departments visible, a “garden buddy system” will be introduced, pairing departments, alongside a small cultivation and composting team and shared communication within the facility, such as a cultivation board displaying photos from all departments.

Yes, strong innovation strengthens educational practice.