Young Children and the Environment Early Education for Sustainability

Editor’s note

In this revised chapter, Megan Gibson again discusses the vital role of leadership in creating change for sustainability in an early childhood education and care (ECEC) setting. Megan was the Director of Campus Kindergarten, a long day care centre in Brisbane, in the Australian state of Queensland, when it initiated its Sustainable Planet Project (SPP) in the late 1990s, a time when ECEfS was in its infancy. Megan reflects on her personal experiences at the centre and outlines the theoretical underpinnings that helped to shape her work as an innovative leader and a leader of innovation in ECEfS.

Megan also updates her discussion of the four frames of leadership, organisational culture, professional development and organisational change and how they can contribute to creating and shaping whole-centre approaches to ECEfS. She re-emphasises that educational and organisational leadership style plays an essential role in creating cultures of sustainability within a centre and community, and that teacher professional development within a collaborative learning community is a vital aspect for creating change.

An opportunity to lead for EfS

For close to a decade I had the privilege to work within the Campus Kindergarten community – a unique place for children, families and teachers. This community’s interest in environmental issues led to the development of the SPP. From its inception at a staff professional development retreat, this project permeated the everyday ‘lifeworld’ (Sergiovanni 2003, p. 16) at the centre.