On Friday the 1st of November the Eco House and Garden hosted a Professional Development Day targeted at Early Childhood Centres and their educators. We had 20 participants attend from 13 different Early Education Centres, which made for a fantastic day of sharing ideas and experiences.
Educators not only learnt about the joys and benefits of composting and worm farming in an Early Learning setting, but also about recycling systems at their centre and how to conduct a waste audit. The overall focus of the day was about engaging the young children with these concepts and creating a learning environment that is alive with sustainable ideas. Furthermore, viewing the National Quality Standards for Early Education through the Early Years Learning Framework principle lens of Sustainability Throughout the day participants were engaging in hands on activities relating to sensory garden experiences, biodiversity, edible gardening and more. All complimented with supporting resources and educator instructions on our Resource Hive.
All the educators left with an upcycled coaster, a bee hotel or clay creature and a unique, handmade, upcycled bag, donated by Boomerang Bags. In addition to this, 6 lucky educators left with a lucky door prize valued up to $99! These prizes included a Worm Farm Café, donated by ‘Tumbleweed’, a Root Pouch and Water Olla donated by ‘Up On the Rooftop’, and a Wicking Bed Planter Kit donated by ‘Water Ups’, plus a handful of other items. Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive:
- ‘Very informative, engaging and realistic ideas’
- ‘Liked being outdoors and the information’
- ‘So much valuable info, particularly about the composting and worms’
- ‘Presenters were easy to listen to, good practical advice and knowledgeable in sustainability’
- ‘I can’t wait to implement these into preschool!’
- ‘Engaging and interactive!’
- ‘Rachel, Angie and Abbey were so enthusiastic and informative!’
Educators and children have important roles to play in creating, promoting and maintaining sustainable communities. We look forward to our next Waste & Sustainability Early Childhood Educators Professional Development Day on Friday 28th March 2025. Keep an eye out for BOOKINGS HERE in early 2025.
