World-Caring Attitudes and Practices for Green Transition and Children’s Wellbeing in Daycare in Times of Climate Crisis

Climate change impacts all forms of life in our world, and we are rapidly approaching the narrowing window of opportunity to enable climate resilient development (IPCC, 2022). The challenge in education is twofold: to disrupt unsustainable routines, habits, values and lifestyles that the former and current generations have largely maintained; and to nurture World-Care in children, parents, and professionals, without becoming overwhelmed by the damage caused by unsustainable lifestyles. The challenge for current educators is to be believable and trustworthy role models to children and thus embody more hopeful ways of responding than eco-anxiety and despair (Kelsey, 2014). The project “Green Transition and World-Care” is a study of potentials for developing hopeful and caring green transition pedagogies in early years’ education and care facilities. This paper introduces this project, as well as concepts relating to World-Care, research methods with professionals, children and parents, and preliminary results.
In line with school-based family counseling interventions, this project focuses on prevention of climate anxiety and promote sustainable and world-care practices in Danish Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). It involves professionals, school staff, children and parents.