Before you begin. Overview: The National Quality Framework 1. Chapter 1: Developing a sustainability management plan 3

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1 Contents Before you begin v Overview: The National Quality Framework 1 Chapter 1: Developing a sustainability management plan 3 1A Identifying aspects of sustainability 5 1B Identifying areas for change and enhancing environmental sustainability 1C Developing, implementing and evaluating strategies to address changes Chapter summary 27 Assessment activity 1: Developing a sustainability management plan Chapter 2: Supporting children to develop an understanding of and respect for the natural environment 31 2A Creating opportunities to discuss the environment and providing children with appropriate materials 2B Role-modelling respect and encouraging children s ideas 43 2C Creating spaces to promote the development of life skills 48 2D Exploring ethical dilemmas of waste disposal 55 Chapter summary 60 Assessment activity 2: Supporting children to develop an understanding of and respect for the natural environment Chapter 3: Supporting others in implementing sustainable practice 63 3A Encouraging children to participate in sustainable practice discussions and learning experiences 3B Engaging with adults to encourage their participation in the service s sustainable practices Chapter summary 77 Assessment activity 3: Supporting others in implementing sustainable practice iii

2 Chapter 4: Embedding sustainability into service policies and procedures 81 4A Reviewing the service s philosophy, policies and procedures 83 4B Identifying areas of potential change 91 4C Discussing and finalising changes with stakeholders 94 Chapter summary 98 Assessment activity 4: Embedding sustainability into service 99 policies and procedures Final assessment: CHCECE025 Embed sustainable practices in service operations 101 Foundation skills 107 Appendices 109 Appendix 1: How the learner guide addresses the unit of competency 109 Appendix 2: Foundation skills 113 iv

3 Chapter 1 Developing a sustainability management plan As community awareness of environmental issues increases, so does the need for environmental programs for children. The main aim of an environmental program is to provide children with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to help them become environmentally responsible. It is important that environmental education is incorporated into the service s program and becomes part of its daily practice. It is equally important that sustainability is embraced by the whole service. This allows all children, staff and families to take ownership of the process. Developing a sustainability management plan (SMP) is a good way to address sustainability in your service. It provides a mechanism to guide people through the process of change by formalising the targets, goals and practices. In this chapter you will learn about: 1A Identifying aspects of sustainability 1B Identifying areas for change and enhancing environmental sustainability 1C Developing, implementing and evaluating strategies to address changes 3

4 The following table maps this chapter to the National Quality Standard and Belonging, being & becoming: the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. National Quality Standard Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice Quality Area 2: Children s health and safety Quality Area 3: Physical environment Quality Area 4: Staffing arrangements Quality Area 5: Relationships with children Quality Area 6: Collaborative partnerships with families and communities Quality Area 7: Leadership and service management Early Years Learning Framework Principles Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships Partnerships High expectations and equity Respect for diversity Ongoing learning and reflective practice Practice Holistic approaches Responsiveness to children Learning through play Intentional teaching Learning environments Cultural competence Continuity of learning and transitions Assessment for learning Outcomes Children have a strong sense of identity Children are connected to and contribute to their world Children have a strong sense of wellbeing Children are confident and involved learners Children are effective communicators 4

5 Chapter 1 Developing a sustainability management plan 1A Identifying aspects of sustainability PC 1.1 PC 1.3 Everything you do involves the use of materials and resources, both natural and man-made. Even some things you regard as man-made are derived from nature; for example, plastics are made from petroleum products, which are derived from naturally occurring, ancient, irreplaceable fossil deposits. Every aspect of your way of life is dependent on the natural world and your relationship with it. Sustainable practice is about understanding that your wellbeing is dependent on the health of the planet and that the resources you depend on daily are not limitless. As a role model for children, it is your responsibility to increase your knowledge and practice of sustainability issues and educate children and your community through the way you manage your service. The first step in developing a sustainability management plan is to look at your service s environmental policies and procedures and establish how these have been translated into practice. It is important to identify the aspects of sustainability that are already in place. Sustainability issues You are in the unique position of educating future generations about their important role in caring for their environment and contributing to their future. Your service can become the place where simple acts of sustainable practice are modelled. We are currently faced with a number of environmental issues, which are a direct result of our impact on the planet. All life on the planet is dependent on the sun, the atmosphere, water, the land and the resulting weather patterns. Everything in the natural world is connected. In order to modify your service s practices to lessen our impact on the environment, you must first understand the following key issues and your contribution to them: Climate change and the greenhouse effect Ozone layer effects Earth s resources Biodiversity Climate change and the greenhouse effect Climate change and the greenhouse effect simply refer to changes in climate over decades. The average temperature of the Earth is rising; this is known as global warming. This warming of the climate has been recorded since the Industrial Revolution last century, when burning fossil fuels to power machinery first began. 5

6 Practice task 1 1. Find a carbon footprint calculator (on the internet or from an energy provider). a) Briefly explain how it works. b) Identify and list the criteria that are being evaluated (for instance, nature, waste, energy and toxins). 2. Use the carbon footprint calculator to determine the carbon footprint of your service. 3. Explain how this task links to the NQS and EYLF. 4. Identify the policies and/or procedures in your service that link to environmental sustainability. Summarise the areas that relate to: nature waste energy toxins. 5. Explain how these sustainable policies and procedures relate to key global issues such as climate change, ozone layer effects, the greenhouse effect, Earth s resources and biodiversity. 14

7 Chapter 1 Developing a sustainability management plan Developing children s connection with nature When you talk about environmentally sound practices, as well as modelling them, it sends a very clear message to children about why you do what you do. For example, using vinegar to wipe benches will go unnoticed by children unless you make a point of discussing the reason for this choice. Talking about the environment enables children to take an interest in sustainability. It also helps them to connect with nature and develop respect for nature. The following table provides a range of other ways to increase children s respect for and connection with nature. Outcome to achieve Knowing where things come from; for example, milk comes from a cow and apples grow on trees Valuing water resources Experiencing different landscapes Playing with natural materials Learning about the four seasons and/or weather How to develop children s connection with nature Investigate through excursion, research and discussions Develop a visual supply chain Grow foods Talk about the water cycle Measure how much water is used and think of ways this can be reduced Place buckets under taps and use water collected to water the garden Investigate through excursions Discuss using photographs, posters and the experience of each child Introduce sand, mud, water, leaves, gumnuts, clay, logs, timber blocks or wood offcuts Watch weather changes Talk about the different seasons and why they change Collect materials or photographic evidence of each season; for example, leaves, frost, rain, lightening and sunshine 17

8 Involving stakeholders Any evaluation is more constructive when you involve stakeholders. Sustainable practices require people to work together to achieve outcomes and stakeholders may provide insight into: methods that have worked in other settings ideas that have worked or failed for them information that could reduce the time and effort your service takes to become more sustainable. The more people involved in an evaluation, the more ideas you are likely to gain. Common ways to involve stakeholders in evaluation include: meetings sub-committees noticeboard presentations graffiti sheets s social media suggestion boxes discussions. You will find more information about involving stakeholders in Chapter 4. Putting it all together A sustainability management plan provides a framework to ensure that sustainability measures are implemented and continually improved. To be effective, it should be designed so that changes are constantly being developed and reviewed. Change is not a one-off intervention; change should be constant. To ensure there is an effective change, there needs to be a commitment to a change process. The plan should set out steps to ensure the change is developed and supported by this continuous process. v0064 The process for creating a sustainability management plan may be similar to the following. 24

9 Chapter 2 Supporting children to develop an understanding of and respect for the natural environment It is important to provide children with opportunities relating to nature and its processes; for example, watching chicken eggs hatch. The following case study highlights how activities can emerge from basic discussion. Case study It is a cold and rainy day. Droplets of water are forming on the windows and puddles are on the ground outside. Educator: What would happen if we went outside in the rain? Children: We d get wet. Educator: Is anything else getting wet? Children: The ground, the cubby house, the trees Educator: Do you know where rain comes from? Can you tell me what rain does for us? A discussion begins and questions are raised. Some questions are answered in the course of the discussion, while other questions require further investigation. Different age levels are able to pursue this theme. Young children investigate the need for plants and animals to have water. Older children look into the broader uses of rain water, and children at a more advanced level investigate evaporation and condensation as components of the water cycle. Providing access to appropriate resources The key to engaging children and encouraging participation is variety. There are many different resources available about the natural environment, human impact on the environment and measures to promote sustainability. Keep an eye out for age-appropriate materials and, remember, it is important to promote a positive message of change. Children can be alarmed and overwhelmed by being exposed to too much information concerning the destructive effects of human activity on the planet. It is a good idea to delay topics relating to major environmental destruction until the child has developed a real sense of what the environment is and can understand difficult concepts. If you introduce information about ozone holes and climate 37

10 Example Philosophy States what you value; e.g. the natural environment Policy States your goals; e.g. to foster an appreciation of the natural environment Procedures Describes your aims; e.g. to provide natural flora in environment Practices Describes how you will do it the strategies; e.g. planting seeds, using rocks and logs for outdoor play One policy can relate to two or more procedures, which in turn relate to a number of different practices. The following example demonstrates how all aspects interrelate. 84

11 Practice task Choose an area of change relevant to the sustainable policy, procedures and practice; for example, avoiding the use of disposable nappies. 2. Identify at least three stakeholder groups. 3. Describe the steps you would take to discuss the change. 4. Create an action plan using a table similar to the following. Principle: Actions Person responsible Monitoring checkpoints Chapter summary 1. To be effective and ongoing, sustainability in the service needs to be embedded in the organisation s philosophy, policy, procedures and practices. 2. A service s philosophy, policy and procedures need to be checked regularly to ensure they are current and reflect the service s practices. 3. Policies and processes must be evaluated together with the outcomes of current sustainability practices to identify areas where change may be required. 4. You may have to make changes to align the service s philosophy, policies and procedures more appropriately with current sustainability legislation, sustainability practices the service wishes to introduce, or to address changes within the service. To be able to do this the data collected must be collated, analysed and reported. 5. It is essential to engage stakeholders in the process of consultation and democratic decision-making to decide what changes will be made. 6. For changes to be clearly recognised and adopted, they need to be formalised and embedded in the organisation s policy, procedures and practices. An action plan provides a clear framework for a change to be finalised once it has been formulated. 98

12 Chapter 4 Embedding sustainability into service policies and procedures Assessment activity 4 Embedding sustainability into service policies and procedures Your trainer or assessor may require you to complete this assessment activity and will provide you with instructions as to how to present your responses. They may provide alternative or additional assessment activities depending on the circumstances of your training program. The following table maps the assessment activity for this chapter against the element and performance criteria of Element 4 in CHCECE025 Embed sustainable practices in service operations. Part Element Performance criteria A 4 4.1, 4.2 B 4 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 Purpose This assessment activity is designed to assess your skills and knowledge in embedding sustainability into service policies and procedures. Requirements To complete this assessment activity, you need: access to a children s services environment access to a service s sustainability philosophy, policies and procedures to answer the questions and submit responses as directed by your trainer/ assessor/training organisation. Part A Review the sustainable purchase and use of art materials in your service. Include your findings in a report to your supervisor. 1. List the existing policies or procedures that link to this practice. 2. From this list, identify the existing sustainable practices. a) Why do you think they are sustainable? b) How do they comply with National Quality Standard Element 3.3.1? 3. Evaluate the sustainable practices with either qualitative or quantitative measures to identify at least one area of potential change. 4. Write your recommendations for how the service might enhance its sustainable practices. 99

13 Part B Reflect on the report you completed in Part A. 1. Choose one area of potential change recommended in your report and develop an action plan in a table similar to the following. Include the following: Principle Actions (the steps required to implement the change) Person responsible (make sure you discuss this with the appropriate stakeholders first) Monitoring checkpoints (opportunities for monitoring and feedback) Principle: Actions Person responsible Monitoring checkpoints 2. Implement the change into your service. a) Describe the strategies you used to involve the various stakeholders (for example, colleagues, children, families, the community). b) Describe how you finalised the change after agreement with the appropriate stakeholders was reached. 3. Describe any barriers you encountered during the change process and how you overcame these barriers. 4. Evaluate the change. a) In your opinion, did you have a successful outcome? Why or why not? b) Ask your supervisor to provide some feedback regarding your performance in the change process. Include their feedback with this assessment. Record your foundation skills When you have completed the assessment activity, make sure you record evidence of how you have developed and applied foundation skills. You may use the table following the final assessment for this purpose. Keep copies of material you have prepared as further evidence of your skills. Refer to the information on foundation skills in Appendix 2 of this learner guide for further guidance. 100