Imagine Childcare & Kindergarten Werribee, is focused on a more sustainable future, with the introduction of Sustainable Officers to their Kinder classroom. By giving children the responsibility to recognise and practice sustainable behaviours, and embedding this into their everyday practice, the centre is teaching children the importance of taking care of Earth for future generations.

“It’s our responsibility to cherish and care for this precious land we’ve been blessed with” says Centre Director, Nikki Parkinson.

“And as Educators, we have an important task to hep instil a love for taking care of our natural world in our children. We introduced the role of Sustainable Officers to our Kinder classroom, as a way to teach children the importance of respecting Earth and protecting it for future generations.”

Every week, two Kinder children are chosen to hold the position of Sustainable Officers. Their important task is to monitor their peers and Educators to ensure they are using sustainable practices.

The children make sure the lights are being turned off when not in use and monitor the amount of water that is used in the bathroom and in the gardens.

Within the Kinder Room there is also a strong focus on sustainability, including an important emphasis on reducing, reusing, and recycling. The children enjoy creating beautiful artworks and constructions from boxes and containers recycled from the kitchen. Lights, heaters, and the interactive whiteboards are kept switched off unless in use, and recycled water is used for watering the centre’s gardens.

“The response from our parents has been wonderful” says Nikki. “Every Monday when parents come to pick up their children, their faces light up when they see that their child has been chosen as a Sustainable Officer for the week. They’ve been photographing the special moment of their children in the Sustainability Officer vest with their sustainable badge. It really means a lot to the children and their parents.

 “We’ve also had parents came to us and let us know the positive impact it has had at home, with an added sense of responsibility and ensuring the family are acting in a more sustainable way.

“One of our families also donated soil and seeds for the Kinder Room to grow their very own crops, which was a wonderful way to further enhance our children’s knowledge of sustainability and the environment.”

What a wonderful way to teach our children the importance of respecting Earth and protecting it for future generations!

To find out more about Imagine Childcare & Kindergarten Werribee, visit our centre page here.