"Sustainability from the Start" is a new digital application designed for educators and teachers working in early childhood education. It aims to embed sustainability practices in children from a young age. Designed for the training or self-training of educators working with children up to the age of 8, the application was developed by five national committees of the World Organization for Early Childhood Education (OMEP - Organisation mondiale pour l'éducation préscolaire), an international NGO promoting Children’s Rights and Early Childhood Education, in conjunction with academics from Croatia, Czechia, France, Ireland and Sweden.
Closely linked to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the provides knowledge and examples of activities adapted for young children, on the subjects of nature, the environment, society, the economy, culture and citizenship. It is available free of charge in English, French, Croatian, Czech, and Spanish. Adaptations have been made to meet current educational and school curricula per language.
Using the app to support teaching and learning
Nadia Gandrey, head of a preschool in Dijon, France, has been using the app with her 118 students. "When the application became available, our school had already embarked on a comprehensive approach to education for sustainable development, involving not just the children but also parents and community partners", she said. “The application allowed us to expand our knowledge of sustainable development and to deepen our work with the children in relation to the SDGs.”
Nelly Pacha, who teaches a class of five-year-olds near Aix-en-Provence, in the South of France, found the app beneficial for its structured approach to introducing the essential concepts of sustainable development, and how each concept is interlinked. She also noted its flexible learning option “You can tackle the eight modules at your convenience, and they include activities closely linked to the curriculum”.
Both Nadia and Nelly have integrated the app into their teaching strategies. This has involved customizing the activities suggested in the app to the different classroom environments and age groups.
Nadia highlights that the app complements their regular nature outings, which are key in covering all areas of the curriculum while fostering an early understanding of sustainable practices. "These outings are special moments that allow us to raise awareness and build the foundational knowledge necessary for sustainable development," she explains.
The app has inspired several innovative projects within Nadia’s school. For instance, the creation of an "eco-exhibition" involved collecting waste and materials, accompanied by photos of sorting centres and landfill sites. This project helped children understand the importance of waste sorting and recycling in protecting the planet.
Another project, "Thanking the earthworms in the composter," engaged children in scientific exploration by observing earthworms and their role in the environment. Activities included building a terrarium, creating earthworm identity sheets, and using compost in the school garden, which introduced children to scientific methods in a hands-on, relatable way.
Promoting an inclusive approach and a community involvement
The application also emphasizes inclusivity and community engagement. Nadia underscores the importance of fostering openness and respect for cultural diversity within the school, noting, "The app encourages us to be mindful of diverse perspectives and to include all children, regardless of their situation, in sustainability education."
"To take things a step further, our team decided to get the parents involved, with the help of the children. Each week, a sustainable development challenge was defined by the kindergarten pupils (aged 5) and then suggested to the whole school: for example, cycling or walking to school, collecting sorting and recycling rubbish found in the neighbourhood, or preparing a 'zero waste picnic' for a school outing. The children and their parents enjoyed taking up these challenges, and we were able to showcase their successes in a photo gallery displayed at the school entrance.”
Nelly has seen how new approaches and tools such as these can transform learning for both the teachers and the students. She notes that “the app creates opportunities to share experiences within a teaching team, and it makes it easier to integrate education for sustainable development into a school project". Moreover, there has also been a change in the behaviour of both the children and their families. “The application is an invaluable support, because it stimulates reflection and provides ideas for activities adapted to the context of the children's lives".
As part of its work to strengthen education for sustainable development, UNESCO is spotlighting promising practices from organizations that are part of the ESD 2030 Global Network (ESD-NET 2030). These are in line with the five Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) action areas: advancing policy; transforming learning environments; building capacities of educators; empowering and mobilizing youth; and accelerating local level actions.
