Little Builders of a Great Port: Rijeka Gateway Brings Learning to Life Through Play in Rijeka’s Kindergartens

Rijeka Gateway has launched a new series of educational programmes for the youngest residents of Rijeka. In cooperation with local kindergartens Fiume, Mlaka, Zvonimir Cviić, Podmurvice and Potok, workshops were organised throughout April for 150 children, introducing them to the Port of Rijeka through the EDUKIDO concept and play with LEGO bricks.

Through the joint task “Let’s Build Our Own Little Port”, kindergarten children assembled ships, cranes, trains and lighthouses, learning about the journey of everyday items from distant parts of the world and onwards from the port to their homes. The project encourages children’s curiosity, develops fine motor skills and fosters collaboration, while helping them understand how the port functions as an integral part of their urban environment.

“This is an interesting and highly commendable initiative by Rijeka Gateway to sponsor and bring Edukido workshops into our kindergartens. Participating in LEGO play sessions certainly sparks children’s interest in ships and the port of our city. Both the children and the educators are delighted with the opportunity to build cranes, ships and lighthouses with the support of patient Edukido instructors. The children had the chance to create with LEGO bricks, learn about our city and its port, and take pride in their creations. For the second year in a row, we have maintained a successful collaboration, with the hope that future generations will also benefit from such experiences,” said Sanja Štemberger, expert associate pedagogue at CPO Potok.

Alongside this kindergarten-focused project, Rijeka Gateway is also implementing educational support initiatives at Podmurvice Primary School, where a donation programme was launched during this school year to fund school trips for pupils from lower-income backgrounds, directly contributing to their social development and inclusion.

Rijeka Gateway believes that long-term development is built not only through infrastructure, but above all through people and the community. Partnerships like these reaffirm the company’s commitment to being not just a business entity, but a reliable partner that recognises the needs of the local community and invests in experiences that stay with children for a lifetime.