Green Algorithms in Preschool Education: Zero Waste Children of The Future

Özet

The preschool period is a very important stage in which children develop both emotional and cognitive skills and interact with their environment. In this process, instilling environmental awareness can reinforce children's individual development and increase their social responsibilities. Raising environmentally sensitive individuals is of critical importance in laying the foundations for a sustainable future. Nature and biodiversity issues play an important role in teaching children about the need to protect nature and keep ecosystems healthy.

This research examines a project that aims to raise environmental awareness in preschool children and teach them sustainable habits such as recycling. In this project carried out with children in the 5-6 age group, the participation of families in the process was of great importance. The involvement of families in the project enabled the children to reinforce what they had learned and integrate environmentally friendly behaviors into their daily lives.

The study was conducted during the September-May period between 2022-2024. In the study, one-on-one interviews with children, observation techniques and illustrations were used as data collection methods. During the project, it was observed that children's environmental awareness increased and they acquired environmentally friendly habits. Likewise, it has been found that families are becoming more conscious of recycling and other environmentally friendly habits.

In the project, children were presented with practices such as separating waste, using organic waste in composting, and doing creative activities with recyclable materials. For example, toys were made from waste materials and handicrafts were carried out with recyclable materials. These activities not only helped children develop environmentally conscious thinking skills but also helped them acquire environmentally friendly habits. Additionally, families have developed various methods with their children regarding water conservation.

The findings of the research show that project participants developed greater awareness of environmental issues and began to exhibit environmentally friendly behaviors in their daily lives. Participants became aware of the need to protect biodiversity in nature and keep ecosystems healthy. They have also turned to environmentally friendly practices such as composting organic waste at home and reducing the use of chemical fertilizers.

As a result of the research, it was possible to increase the environmental awareness of children and their families and ensure that they adopt environmentally friendly living habits. The active participation of families in projects has been effective in making environmental awareness permanent. In order to create a more sustainable society in the future, it is of great importance to popularize environmentally friendly projects in pre-school education.