Eco Smart A Sustainable Standard for Early Education

EcoSmart: A sustainable standard for early education will support your team on its journey to a more sustainable community with the introduction of concepts, actions and resources that will inspire the whole team.

ECEEN believes experiences in our early years provide an opportunity for life-long learning and that our habits of future years will be influenced by the actions of those around us now. We believe the relationships fostered in children’s services between educators, children and families are the foundations of a caring, sustainable community to nurture ECEEN’s DREAM. ‘Together we must dream of a great place to live, a place that is fair and equitable, that values the Earth and all its life and resources for the present and for future generations."

Contents

Eco Smart for Early Childhood Heritage

Introduction

Chapter 1 Environmental responsibility and Early Education for Sustainability

Chapter 2 Eco Smart for Early Childhood

Chapter 3 Getting started as an Eco Smart early childhood education service

Quality Area 1 Educational program and practice service

Quality Area 2 Children’s health and safety

Quality Area 3 Physical environment

Quality Area 4 Staffing

Quality Area 5 Relationships with Children

Quality Area 6 Collaborative Partnerships with families and communities

Quality Area7 Governance and leadership

Stories of Change

Glossary

Support with further training and feedback

"This revised edition of Eco Smart is very timely. The young children we educate today will be adults in the frontline when global warming exceeds a predicted 2 degree threshold. Critical reflection about how we work in early childhood services for sustainable futures for all children is an imperative. Aligned with the NQS, Eco Smart offers a comprehensive set of action points for urgent change across policy and practice in early childhood services."

Dr Sue Elliott Course Coordinator BT(ECE), BEd(EC), BEd(ECT), BEd(ECP) & BEd Studies School of Education University of New England

"The strategies and actions in Eco Smart – A sustainable standard for early education are supporting Kids Uni CBD to move together with children, families and their local community to advocate and act for a sustainable world." Kellie Grose Children Services Manager, Kids’ Uni, UOW Pulse Ltd,