Essence of Learning began in 2002, in the aftermath of the Kosovo War, as one educator’s answer to a generation of children whose development had been disrupted by conflict. It started with a single kindergarten in the town of Drenas. Two decades later, elements of the framework are woven into Kosovo’s own official early childhood curriculum, and more than 700 teachers across 27 municipalities have been trained in the method.
A 2026 survey of those teachers found 88% rated it effective or highly effective at improving academic outcomes, with similarly strong results for children’s social skills and emotional regulation. As one teacher put it, describing what changed in the classroom: “there was a great interest from the children which aroused their curiosity.”
This case study traces how that first kindergarten in Drenas became a model still shaping how an entire country teaches its youngest children today.