New Alliance publication helps settings embed social responsibility into early years provision
The Alliance has launched a new publication focussed on weaving sustainability education into the areas of learning and development.
Educating Social Responsibility explores different aspects of sustainability, social responsibility and Education for Sustainability (EfS) in the early years. This follows a rise in interest in sustainable education and a wider EfS movement which has developed out of a growing awareness of the pressing need to take action on sustainability, leading education settings 鈥 including early years settings 鈥 to increasingly focus on the environment and social responsibility within their curriculums.
The publication considers the role of critical thinking in making sustainable life choices, how the setting community helps children to develop empathy and consideration for others and how children鈥檚 interactions with the natural world contribute to EfS. Focus is given to educators鈥 own attitudes and considers a selection of sample EfS activities in relation to intent, implementation and impact.
Sustainable Development Goals
At the heart of EfS are the United Nations鈥 seventeen sustainability goals, known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Agreed by the UN in 2015, the seventeen SDGs offer a blueprint for creating a more sustainable, peaceful and socially just world. They recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education and reduce inequality, and that tackling climate change is also a key component in creating that world.
The publication provides a comprehensive overview of how early years providers can incorporate sustainability and social responsibility into the early years curriculum, and offers valuable practical guidance on how to early years settings more sustainable, including how to carry out a sustainability audit of the setting.
Equipping children for the future
Hilary White, author of the publication, said: 鈥淵oung children of today are the adults of tomorrow, and as such early years professionals have a responsibility to offer learning experiences that will equip them for their future as well as the here-and-now.
鈥淚n early years settings, the aim should be to create an atmosphere of trust, warmth and openness. Such an atmosphere gives young children the support they need as they learn that it is both right and safe to take responsibility for their actions. At this early stage in the children鈥檚 lives, it is vital that they are given the opportunity to investigate, discover and learn about the world they occupy, and this important publication will support early years professionals to do just that.鈥
Order now for 20% off
Educating Social Responsibility is available to Alliance members for just 拢8.95 and to non-members for 拢12.80. A special 20% discount is available on orders of this publication from the Alliance shop when placed by 30 September.