Doing the Sustainability Wrap with Primary OSHCare

Within our team of dedicated childcare professionals, effective relationships support high performance and are the key to our success.

At Primary OSHCare centres in Sydney - Term 2, 2017 represented the opportunity for a deep and sustained dive into the topic of sustainability. The objective of the program was to take our already embedded processes, shake them up and see what popped out the other side! The centres were given the task of creatively articulating

“WHAT DOES YOUR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE LOOK LIKE?”

Between 4 May and 27 June, centres discussed and developed ideas, competing against each other for the most creative execution of the answer to this vexing question.

Loosely borrowing from ‘agile’ project management processes - our educators guided discussions and brainstorming processes to get the creative ideas flowing. Everyone learned new skills in both discussion moderation, participation, and brainstorming.

At Canterbury OSHC, the children were totally aware of and could describe in detail what the NATURAL WORLD consisted of… i.e, all the ‘stuff’ of the earth - trees, gardens, and greenery as well as other areas such as beaches and oceans, snowy mountains and rivers as well as the skies – in particular stars.

The children clearly understand nature provides LIFE CRITICAL resources like food, cooling and heating, rain, air and the elements vital for life. There is also clarity around the concept that nature provides us with opportunities for fun and well-being.

Naturally based activities and destinations were clearly identified… camping, hiking, beach, snow, reading under a tree, watching the clouds and stars, hearing and seeing birds.

THERE IS A CLEAR CONNECTION BETWEEN NATURE AND THE QUALITY OF OUR LIVES

CBs children recognise the risk pollution poses – understanding it has the potential to kill and seriously, negatively impact the quality of the future for humankind. Garbage (and non-bio- degradable plastics); chemical waste and litter are seen as a big problem without a solution.

The children understand humans are using resources faster than the earth can produce them and this is untenable.

Catastrophic themes were cited such as:

being too hot
expecting dead wildlife
no trees; no oxygen

THEIR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE is supported by a healthy natural world where gardens and thriving plants are vital for life.

In their sustainable future, they want to see more nature, gardens, healthy plants and waterfalls and live in a world where mountains and clean oceans exist. One where there is enough food for everyone.

In a SUSTAINABLE FUTURE water conservation; renewable energy, sustainable and eco farming are the norm. There is a cure for cancer, we drive solar cars our planet is healthy and can sustain life forever!

HOW DO THESE FINDINGS STACK UP AGAINST THE WIDER GROUP?

Looking wider across 5 centres we did some digging into the results of our idea generation sessions. The total average number of children attending across the 5 days was 315, all aged 4-14 years.

Each centre reviewed represents one of the regions across Sydney. In summary, we consider the findings listed to be a qualitative indication of the mindset of Sydney children.

What we found out…

Over 4 consecutive days between 7-21 May, Educator teams at every Primary OSHCare site across Sydney lead discussions about sustainability, ensuring children got the opportunity to contribute ideas and to tease out thoughts. Using a visual guide – what we love, dislike and recognise as a brilliant idea – the talkfest commenced!

The following graphs summarise and rank the main ideas children articulated and were able to describe.

Children are highly aware that our actions and choices have an impact on the earth.

Plastics were called out by all groups as a major threat matched by their concerns around careless environmental destruction and activities that contribute to global warming such as deforestation.

Avoiding direct questioning, Educators mused with the children about the activities and settings that made them feel good and enriched their lives.

The children stayed with themes of nature and health. Technology topics were surprisingly absent (eg, more/bigger iPods, faster internet speeds).

Like the previous discussion topic, our children said their ideal future featured good health, clean and green themes, good habits (walking) and choices (such as recycling and solar) and once again, any reference to technology was noticeably absent.

Outcomes:

From the discussion, we encouraged children to move towards action with the formulation of a concept or completed project that represented their sustainable future in some way. The project was to be collaborative, using the discussion and idea generation sessions to orient their thinking towards a solution. Through the process, groups brainstormed interesting ideas, built a common language and returned to the drawing board several times.

With the assistance of their Educators, the children kept their mind on the outcome, tossing around ideas and building prototypes. They were encouraged to combine thinking, feeling and doing to create a great project.

This fun and gentle plunge into creative problem solving using group dynamics, a collection of skills, diverse discussion approaches, and brainstorming techniques have applications across many aspects of the student’s life. While this project aimed to tease out the child’s understanding of climate and enviro matters, it also has aimed to instill creative problem-solving techniques in the group.

Educators used a variety of communication techniques to maximise idea generation and problem-solving.

What the children said:

“We need to be careful with these tools”

“I hope it actually catches the rain”

“Mor trees so peapol kan breath”

“Why doesn’t everyone have solar panels?”

“Get off Twitter and start picking up litter”

“Wow, we actually did it!”

Projects: By the end of term, 61% of our centres had created a project and completed the full program – see a sample of our ideas below

All children had the opportunity to lead discussion, contribute ideas, tease out thoughts, document and participate creatively. By then end of the project creative ideas included:

Enviro Aware: Community recycle, reduce & reuse
Share Me App: Community Upcycling
Fairy Lanterns: An illuminating look at light pollution
Rethink/Repurpose: Floating fountains & wiggly worms
Video for the Environment: Elderly Chooks take the spotlight
Eco Cutlery: Natures Alternative
Sort & Survive: Recycled Recycling
Reclaiming the Road: Our Car Free Future
Sustainability Spin: The “clean it, sort it, resuse it, choose it” board game challenge
Sustainable Cities = Better Future: Cityscape diorama
Materials Matter: wise choices improve the world
Package Free Food: Community Garden Project
Recycled Ropes: Skip fit and save the planet
Sea of trash: putting a stop to marine debris
Stop, Look & Sort: how we recycle
YES World!
Dear Prime Minister… lobbying for real change

Links to the Quality Areas and My Time, Our Place

While all centres will have nuanced examples of meeting the Quality Areas – most will have achieved the following:
Quality Area 3:

My Time, Our Place:

Outcome 1: CHILDREN HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF IDENTITY
Element: Children developed knowledgeable and confident self-identities through celebrating and sharing their contributions and achievements with others

Outcome 2: CHILDREN ARE CONNECTED WITH AND CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR WORLD
Element: Children displayed both respect for the natural environment around them as well as an awareness of the impact we, as a society have on it whilst problem-solving and sharing their ideas on how to save the planet.

Element: Children demonstrate an awareness of the impact of human activity on environments and the interdependence of living things.

Element: Children develop their understanding of contributing through play and meaningful projects

Outcome 4: CHILDREN ARE CONFIDENT AND INVOLVED LEARNERS
Element: Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, place and natural and processed materials. This was reflected by manipulating resources to investigate, take part, assemble invent and construct.

REFERENCES

Community Focus Project Workbook "Your Sustainable Future”,

Blog Post http://www.primaryoshcare.com.au/chatterbox/rethink-repurpose-a-recyclers-report

Blog Post http://www.primaryoshcare.com.au/chatterbox/rubbish-sorted-now-what

Web Page http://www.primaryoshcare.com.au/sustainability

Getting Students to generate ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLpZ6RZHyoM

Getting Students to generate ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLpZ6RZHyoM

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