Opportunity Knocks: Identifying opportunities for improving sustainability

Opportunities to improve sustainability knock everyday, do you answer?

Embedding sustainability is a process of continuous improvement.  Incremental actions and ongoing progress.  You can’t do everything all at once.  

Embedding sustainability is about the small steps you take consistently, every day.  Improving and evolving your practice as your knowledge, understanding and confidence develop. Engaging others and expanding your circle of influence.

So, how do you identify opportunities to improve sustainability outcomes in your program and practice?

I like to think of embedding sustainability as an emergent curriculum.

Small steps are the key.  How can you take your current practice to the next level?

Over the next few days take some time and look around.  Look at what’s happening around you through a sustainability lens. 

🔍Reflection: What do you see?  What do you hear? What is done consistently?  What is done with enthusiasm?  What is done begrudgingly?

Take these observations, as you would if you were observing a child, and consider some options that might make what you’re already doing a little bit more sustainable.  For example:

You observe families bringing in recycled resources for craft and construction activities.  Consider challenging your team to come up with some different ways they could use them in the program - could they make their own resources? Could they use them as props for imaginative play? As tools in the sand pit or water table?

Perhaps you notice the children enjoying painting.  Consider making your own paint, reoffering artwork to explore multiple mediums or further creation, make your own painting tools using natural or recycled items or try ephemeral art and creative experiences that promote the reuse of materials.

The team enjoys taking the children on adventures out in the community.  Consider how you might develop deeper relationships with community partners - supporting local businesses, community groups, schools, libraries, seniors groups or nursing homes, events or projects.  This provides the children with opportunities to take action, be active and engaged citizens and develop relationships to and within their place.  This provides an important context for sustainability.

If visiting the compost bin is not met with joy, or it’s smelly and not working - consider involving the children in a research project around decomposition and what a compost bin requires. Get some advice from a passionate local gardener or visit your local community garden.  Your Local Government may offer education sessions.  Or consider other ways you could reduce and manage food waste - does anyone in your community have chooks at home, would a worm farm work better (or as well, if you find you have too much for your compost set up).  Could you share leftovers with your community?  Could you consider allowing the children to serve themselves at meal time or modify your routines to reduce food waste.

Identifying opportunities to improve sustainability can be approached in a similar way to your approach to planning for children.  Observe what is happening now, ask what is the next step in the progression that will move you closer to your sustainability vision.  Reflect, did it work?  What was the impact? What is the next step?  

The key is knowing where you want to go.  What is your sustainability vision?