Montessori Minds Receives the ECA Sprout Award

Celebrating our young eco-leaders and the seeds of sustainability we grow every day

We are thrilled to share some beautiful news with our families and community: Montessori Minds Childcare & Kindergarten has been recognised with the Sprout Award from Early Childhood Australia for embedding the Seeds of Sustainability and consistently practising meaningful sustainability with young learners.

This award is more than a certificate—it is a celebration of what we believe at Montessori Minds: children are capable, competent and deeply connected to the world around them, and when we offer them respectful guidance, real experiences, and purposeful conversations, they develop a genuine sense of responsibility for their environment and community.

Sustainability at Montessori Minds is not an “activity,” but a way of life. In our Montessori environment, sustainability isn’t saved for a special day on the calendar. It is woven through our routines, materials, language, and daily choices. We aim to nurture a generation of little eco-leaders who understand that looking after the planet is not something we do sometimes — it’s something we live, every day. This aligns closely with the principles of VEYLDF, especially children’s development of Belonging, Being and Becoming—where children build a strong sense of identity, wellbeing, confidence, and connection to the natural world, while learning how their actions impact others and the environment.

To achieve this outcome, careful planning  and age-appropriate conversations are a part of the curriculum and planning around this grows with children. One of the most important parts of our sustainability journey is how we teach it. We intentionally plan experiences and discussions that match children’s stages of development—because sustainability is not taught through big words, but through real-life moments.

• For toddlers, sustainability looks like simple, repeated language and actions: “We put food scraps in the compost,” “We save water,” “We are gentle with nature.”, “ can we use both sides of the paper”
• For older children, it becomes deeper thinking: “What happens to waste?” “How can we reduce?” “Why do worms help our garden?” “How can we care for our world together?”

These conversations are not rushed. They happen slowly, respectfully, and repeatedly—so children don’t just hear values, they absorb them and begin to live them.

We are proud of the sustainable systems our children engage with in authentic ways and real practices that children lead with pride, including:

Composting: turning waste into new life. Children learn that scraps don’t have to become rubbish. They sort, collect, and observe how food waste changes over time and becomes nourishment for the soil—helping them understand cycles in nature and the concept of renewal.

Worm farm learning: nature’s little recyclers. Our worm farm is a favourite! Children watch worms at work, learn what they need to thrive, and develop empathy for living things. It becomes a powerful lesson in responsibility: small creatures can do important work—and so can we.

Caring for the world: daily habits that build lifelong values. Through recycling practices, reusing resources for art and construction, mindful use of water, caring for gardens, and maintaining our learning environments, children develop a natural understanding that every choice matters. Simple steps like using both sides of a paper, not wasting water and giving our toys and clothes a new life is something they are proud of.

These experiences support VEYLDF outcomes by strengthening children’s:

• sense of connection to community and environment,
• confidence as active contributors, and
• ability to think, question, problem-solve and act with purpose.

Nurturing “eco leaders” who feel empowered — not overwhelmed

At Montessori Minds, we never want children to feel the world is “too big to fix.” Instead, we want to nurture “eco leaders” who feel empowered — not overwhelmed. We teach them that:

Even small hands can make a big difference.
Picking up litter, saving resources, feeding worms, caring for plants, sharing reminders with friends—these are powerful acts of agency. Children begin to see themselves as capable citizens, and that belief stays with them.

With a mission of a greener planet, we express our heartfelt gratitude to this whole village who is working with us in achieving these outcomes:

To our children—thank you for your curiosity, your care, and your proud little voices reminding us to “put it in the compost” or “save water.” You are the reason we do this, and you are already leading the way.

To our educators—thank you for embedding sustainability with intention, patience, and heart. Your planning, conversations, and consistency have transformed values into everyday practice.

To our families—thank you for partnering with us, reinforcing sustainable habits at home, joining in our initiatives, contributing ideas, and believing in the importance of raising children who care for their world.

And to our broader community and stakeholders—thank you for supporting our vision and helping Montessori Minds remain a place where education is not only about school readiness, but also about raising responsible, compassionate future citizens.

Our promise moving forward

Receiving the ECA Sprout Award inspires us to continue growing and keeping our promise moving forward —deepening children’s connection with nature, strengthening sustainable systems across the centre, and creating more opportunities for children to lead environmental action in meaningful, age-appropriate ways……Because at Montessori Minds, sustainability isn’t an extra,It’s part of who we are.

With gratitude,
Montessori Minds Childcare & Kindergarten

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