Greening the Curriculum – Integrating Sustainability in Childcare Programs
Sustainability education enables students to promote environmental awareness, respect the natural environment, and actively participate in inquiry and social change. It should be embedded into all curriculum areas and part of the everyday running of a service.
Environmental Education
Environmental education is organized to teach students about the natural environment and humankind’s impact. It combines disciplines such as biology, chemistry, physics, ecology, earth science, and atmospheric science with social sciences and math. It is usually taught in schools but can also occur at parks, zoos, and aquariums.
Modern environmental education gained momentum in the 1960s and 1970s due to the growing concern over nuclear waste, pollution, and its effects on wildlife. The movement has since become a multi-faceted global movement.
Environmental education is a process that aims to create knowledgeable citizens who are aware of the biophysical environment and its problems and are motivated to solve them. It is achieved through teaching that promotes respect for nature and the natural world, outdoor educational methods, and environmentally based learning.
Energy and Water Conservation
Including everyday sustainability in childcare models such as these is an excellent approach to educating kids about energy efficiency. For example, a weekly newsletter could include energy-saving tips such as turning off lights and fans when rooms are not in use, using a worm farm to reduce food waste, water recycling through a children’s garden, and utilizing low-energy equipment such as washing machines.
Educating children about sustainable practices empowers them to be change-makers in their communities and homes. Having a knowledge base allows them to make conscious decisions about the environmental impact of their actions and encourage others to follow suit.
Embracing renewable energy sources, intelligent irrigation systems that monitor weather and soil moisture data, and installing low-flow faucets, toilets, and waterless urinals can dramatically decrease water consumption. Water-saving initiatives also include collecting and utilizing rainwater to help reduce demand for municipal water supplies. Water is a precious resource that can’t be taken for granted and needs to be treated carefully.
Healthy Eating
Greening the curriculum is a holistic approach that fosters a cross-curriculum framework that engages students in environmental literacy, decision-making, and behavioral change.
Children who attend childcare programs receive many of their meals and snacks in childcare settings, which provides an opportunity to promote healthy eating practices. The program’s nutrition education component teaches educators and staff how to implement simple strategies to incorporate fruits and vegetables into meals and snacks while encouraging children to make healthy choices.
The program also aims to connect early care and education (ECE) providers with local grocery stores to facilitate the purchase of nutritious foods needed for program operations. The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated how reduced CACFP reimbursements can negatively affect families, as they are forced to allocate household resources toward additional food expenses.
Recycling
Recycling is an easy and effective way to teach children about sustainability. Encourage kids to sort waste material and place it into bins for glass, paper, plastic, and aluminum. Create a craft project from recycled materials such as empty milk cartons, cereal boxes, and newspapers.
Educators can also create a competition by making lanyards for each child and putting a tag on it with the title ‘Energy Savers,’ ‘Water Savers,’ ‘Recycling Officer,’ or ‘Sustainability Officer.’ Ensure that children are actively involved in the competition by allowing them to choose a task for the day, such as checking that fans, lights, and appliances are turned off and that taps aren’t dripping.
Promote the competition by including a sustainability section in your monthly newsletter or introducing it at a parent information night: display posters and educational materials about sustainability in the center. Encourage the center to utilize a worm farm or composting bin for food scraps and introduce age-appropriate books on sustainability during story time.
