We look at five ways to teach little ones intuitive and eco-friendly habits with the environment in mind and why these ideas are important.
As educators, today we have a responsibility to teach students the importance of the environment, and also to make sure they are taught the necessary strategies needed to tackle the problems our planet faces. To thrive, 21st century students must be empowered to take on the challenges of the future.
We know that when it comes to environmental issues, human action and habits play a tremendous role. While the challenges may be monumental , the good news is that we’re never too young to build positive habits and to have a transformative impact on the planet.
Here are five things that Maple Bear nurseries are doing around the UAE to show the next generation the way to a more sustainable future.
Upcycling arts and crafts supplies
Not only is it great to extend the life cycle of the range of materials and supplies we use in the classroom, but we’ve found that it’s a wonderful way to get families engaged in the creative process in the classroom too. Each month, our teachers take time to organise scraps and match partially consumed supplies to ensure waste is minimised. We also ask parents to send in packaging and domestic cardboard waste that would otherwise be discarded. The students love the process of creating a bespoke aesthetic, made even more special through the personal contribution they know their mom and dad have made to the project or the class.
Showing the power in power conservation
There’s no denying that our lifestyle in this part of the world depends on high energy consumption. While it wouldn’t be practical to go without air conditioning or light most of the time, there are still little things that can be done to give the planet and the atmosphere a break.
Each of our classrooms takes a ‘cool down’ break during the day. The objectives of this are twofold: to be aware of the environment and the self. Teachers arrange kids in a group learning seating arrangement or in a relaxed stance. With the lights switched off, a few moments of mindful breathing and inward focus, or a ‘cooling’ of thoughts takes place, accompanied by verbal acknowledgement of the part we have played in saving energy and giving the planet a moment to cool down as well.
Reducing plastic waste
With DubaiCan, we can all reduce plastic and that has become part of our teaching. We are fortunate that sustainability and planet focused thinking is a passion for our leaders here in the UAE. With the launch of the DubaiCan initiative, we refreshed our own relationship with water at the school. While water dispensers have always been available for our teachers and students, DubaiCan gave us a renewed push towards discouraging single use plastic bottles. Teachers now look at each water refill request as a high-five moment, recognising the child’s responsible choice with enthusiasm and noting the effort as a collective win for the earth and the animals we share it with.
Creating little green thumbs
The vegetable garden has quickly become a favourite part of the preschool for students and teachers alike. Especially during the cooler months, or planting season as it is known to us, our students learn how to plant, nurture, grow, and harvest vegetables in the school yard. Not only are they connecting with nature and witnessing firsthand the plant life cycle, but they are simultaneously gaining awareness of how much love and effort it takes to grow food – so much of which goes to waste so often. As well as this, children see that food which doesn’t travel as far to get to their plate is better for the planet.
Let’s talk about composting
Showing kids the power of food composting and the magic of organic food is important at Maple Leaf nurseries. Small as it may be, the food compost at each of our schools is a unique experience for the students who are typically used to just tossing food waste in the bin. The benefits of composting are many, but for little students, composting is a great way to encourage smarter consumption habits, as the transformation of the food peels and scraps into soil really demonstrates what the risks are of overburdening the planet with non-organic waste. There is the added joy of using the compost to nourish the plants we are growing in the garden, an experience that really seals the deal with little ones, as the kids get to play a part in making their plants and vegetables even more healthy and strong.
About Maple Bear
Maple Bear Schools is the world’s largest and fastest growing international education network. The globally renowned education system offers a curriculum designed using the best of Canadian education practices, at more than 530 nursery, elementary and high schools, setting students up for success in a global future, across 35 countries worldwide.
In the UAE, the Maple Bear Nursery network includes eight preschools across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Along with the multilingual language immersion program – offering English, French and Arabic – students are additionally enriched through sustainable impact programming and a focus on 21st century skills like critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and problem solving.
The importance of sustainability cannot be overstated in today’s world and no child is too young to integrate eco-conscious habits into their daily life. The sooner little ones begin to think and act with the climate in mind, the more prepared they will be to face the great environmental challenges of this modern age. What better way to achieve this than to reinforce eco-positive habits at home and through their education? By instilling a sense of connection to the planet and their personal actions from a young age, Maple Leaf nurseries hope to shape 21st century students who are able to have a transformative impact on our planet.
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