Education for sustainable development in the early years

Education for sustainable development in the early years

There are numerous benefits to beginning education for sustainable development in early childhood education. In the Western world, there is growing concern that children’s access to the outdoors is decreasing, resulting in children becoming disconnected from nature. Therefore, they do not gain a foundational ethic of care toward the natural environment. Concern for the state of the natural environment and fostering children’s connections to nature has led to a growing number of early childhood services worldwide implementing sustainable development practices. However, education for sustainable development in early childhood is not widespread throughout the sector, especially in Malta. This presentation examines what education for sustainable development in early childhood is, and how early childhood educators can implement this in their practice. Towards this aim, it presents a pedagogical approach that educators can use to enable children to become active citizens who act as agents of change for the environment and enact change for more sustainable communities.