Early childhood educators feel they don’t receive sufficient support and competence development from school management regarding climate change, yet early childhood education has an important assignment within sustainable development. At the same time, edChild, a unique module around sustainable development that both develops competence and strengthens educators’ ability to teach, has been selected for the 2021 Education for Sustainable Development Award from World OMEP. With recognition from the industry’s most prestigious organisation, edChild’s focus is now to make its app available to more early childhood educators.
‘It’s with great pleasure that edChild receives OMEP’s award. In early childhood education, we have a responsibility to lay the foundation for an interest and responsibility for sustainable development, and in edChild we do it within a concrete context for the children. Through our technology, educators can more easily meet and inspire with their fantastic knowledge,’ says Sofia Zätterström, co-founder and CEO of edChild.
edChild’s digital solution for continuing skills development combines research, peer learning and edtech to strengthen educators’ ability to teach about sustainable development. edChild was started in August 2019 together with Hoppetossa Preschools. During the project, more preschools and educators have joined edChild – which is inspired by Swedish pedagogy and research – and today more than 800 educators use the app. In September 2020, a finished product was launched.
“edChild is a fantastic tool for the pedagogical work in teaching. It helps us go from doing, to learning and understanding together with the children in a way that I have not seen any other tool or platform do before,” says Helen Oskarsson, teacher at the preschool Hoppetossa Raketen.
In the edChild app, educators find an introduction to sustainable development, developed by preschool teachers together with a researcher, and suggestions for research articles and books for in depth study. Furthermore, educators can interact with each other and share pedagogical activities within early childhood educators.
In the area of sustainable development, there are over 300 activities to choose from, for example how to work with democracy or how different choices contribute to sustainable development, and it’s even possible to search for activities based on, for example, age.
“We nhave now made the edChild app available free of charge for individual educators. We want as many people as possible to take part in the material produced within the module that received the OMEP award, and to encourage continued peer learning to strengthen education and teaching in sustainable development,” says Sofia Zätterström.
edChild is available as an app for educators, and as a web interface for principals/educational leaders. The app is available for download in the AppStore and on Google Play. If you want to connect with your entire preschool/early childhood education centre, and then, among other things, get access to the web interface, contact edChild directly.
About edChild: edChild is an edtech company from Stockholm, Sweden. With a background in preschools, we care deeply about children’s development and learning and the educator’s important role. Our long-term vision is to contribute to the UN’s global goal 4.2: ‘Equal access to qualitative pre-primary education’.
About OMEP (World Organization for Early Childhood Education): OMEP is an international organisation that has worked for all aspects of ‘early childhood education and care’ since 1948. OMEP is currently present in over 70 countries, and has special advisory status with the UN, UNESCO and ECOSOC.
About sustainable development in early childhood education: sustainable development is about a development that satisfies today’s needs without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy their needs – a sustainable development in three dimensions; economic, social and environmental. In 2015, the 17 global sustainability goals that all UN member states must strive for were adopted (Agenda 2030). Goal 4 is ‘Good education for all’, and early childhood education is affected in various parts of the global sustainability goals.
Contact
Sofia Zätterström
CEO, edChild
[email protected]
072-853 63 14
1 Comment
Pushpa Nawer
Good day there, Thank you for sharing such an interesting and educational post with us. For the next generation of children, early childhood education is critical. This is something that all parents should be aware of. Thanks and God Bless!!
https://www.educatingkiddies.com