• How do you fit environmental health into Head Start's mission?
• Have you ever seen children delight in the natural environment around them? Do you recollect similar experiences in your own childhood?
• Consider how your own consciousness of our ecosystem developed. Was there a special place that you loved to fo that made you aware of natural systems? Was there a pollution problem that made you aware of the delicate balance of nature?
• Are there any special celebrations or rituals with environmental themes that you or your family, community, or church group carry out? How did these celebrations or ritual;s become established? What is the significance of the celebrations to you and to the group?

Refernces for Background Information

• "Principles of Eco1ogy" by the Center for Ecoliteracy, Berkeley, California, 1996.
• "Sustainability" by Hope Hart, Waslitenaw County Department of Environment and Infrastructure Services, in Environment Section Newsletter, American Public Health Association, Spring 1996.

Activity 1: Healthy Environmental Concepts

Purpose: Participants will understand "ecosystem" and "sustainability" and how these concepts are important in building a healthy environment.

For this activity you will need:

· Handout A Children's Activity Cards
· Writing materials for each participant
· Flip chart and markers

Step 1: Explain to participants that two major themes weave throughout most environmental discussions and actions. Today they will explore those themes and apply them to activities that they might do in their Head Start programs.

Ask how many in the group already use environmental activities in their work. Congratulate those who do, let them know how helpful their experiences will be in this workshop.

Step 2: Give each group member a piece of paper, then tell them to divide it into two sections. Tell them you will give them two words, and they should write down thoughts on what each word means. Tell them not to think too deeply-just jot down their first impressions. Acknowledge that these terms might be unfa miliar to many.

• Give them the first word: ecosystem. After a few moments, ask them to stop writing.
• Now the second word: sustainability. Give them a few moments to write down their thoughts on that word.

Step 4: Read the sections on ecosystem and sustainability in the Background Information. Then ask each group to share its definition.

Ask whether members of the group differed greatly in definition. Discuss any significant differences in the groups' definitions from the background information.

Step 5: Emphasize that these concepts are important whether we are thinking about the global environment or focusing on our local community. The next step will be to apply these concepts to activities that can be done with children in Head Start.

Step 6: Divide the participants into four groups. Ask them all to focus on their local ecosystem.

· What are the important features of the local ecosystem?
· Why do we love it?
· What makes our area different from other areas in our state?

Fan the cards (cut out from Handout A: Children's Activity Cards) and ask each group to choose one. Each group will plan an activity for a different group of children.

· Group 1: infants through age 1
· Group 2: toddlers (ages 2-3)
· Group 3: a group of young preschoolers, including two children with motor disabilities
· Group 4: a group of older preschoolers who will soon be entering kindergarten

Step 7: Ask each group to plan an activity, or series of activities, that they would lead with their group of children. This activity will help the children to:

· appreciate their local ecosystem;
· understand some things they must do to sustain the health of this place they call home.

Assure the group that all staff-teachers, cooks, family service workers, parent involvement coordinators-have the opportunity to help children learn about the environment. Encourage staff to think about what experiences each role can offer.

Step 8: Ask each group to share its activity. Encourage all to implement some of these ideas in their program.

• Be sure that when you define ecosystem, you cover the concept of the web of life and include the spectrum of community members: humans, plants, animals.
• Clarify the definition of sustainability. Encourage the group to think long-term:
• What do we have to do to keep this place healthy?
• What should we stop doing?
• Ideas for activities (see Step 7):
• Bird Feeders: Using cardboard tubes from paper towel rolls, have the children spread suet or peanut butter on the tubes and roll them in seed or oats. Hang the tube outside and watch how many different kinds of birds live in your neighborhood as they come to feed.
• Earth in Our Hands: Adapt the game of hot potato. Have children and parents sit in a circle and pass around a cloth ball representing Earth. When the music stops, the child with the ball "has Earth in her hands." She sits in the center of the circle, recognized as an Earth caretaker. Ask her to tell the group one thing she does to protect the environment. The music continues until each child has moved to the center as an Earth caretaker. Then the whole group moves outside to plant seeds, pick up litter (with gloves on), feed the animals, or otherwise care for Earth.
• Cleaning the Water: Put an inch of water into a small plastic swimming pool. Toss ln the type of litter found in your area. Have the children put on latex gloves and use a small fish net to remove the litter. Talk about the source of the litter and sort it into what is recyclable and what is not.

For this activity you will need:

· Handout B: Values & Perspectives
· Posters with statements from Step 4
· Wnting materials for participants

Before coming to this session, trainer and participants should look through newspapers and magazines for stories about environmental issues. Be alert to other media coverage of controversies. Also think about controversies in your own neighborhood, or in other areas that interest you.
Examples of controversies that are related to basic values:

· Water Usage-Do we believe that rivers should be dammed and channeled so that towns and farms can have adequate water, or do we value the water needs of wildlife?

· Private Properly-How much control should people have over their properly? Should they be able to build whatever they want? Cut down trees if they choose? Should they be required to adapt their needs for their properly to their neighbors' needs? Are their neighbors only humans? Do they include other species?

· Big Developments-Is building a new shopping mall on several acres of farmland outside of the cily a good idea? What if this farmland produces an important food item for even a small segment of the cily 's population? What if the shopping mall will offer a lot of jobs to cily residents? 

Step 1: Open the session with a discussion of how our values influence how we feel about many things, including the environment and how we should act toward other parts of the ecosystem. Controversies-differences of opinion that get very heated-suggest basic value differences between the opposing parties.

Make notes on a flip chart of the topics raised in magazine and newspaper articles and of issues that come out of the participants' personal experiences.

Emphasize that there are no right and wrong answers when it comes to values, although societies make rules that eventually define "right" and "wrong" behaviors. Note that the reason we are interested in understanding others' values is so that we can communicate better.

Sometimes it helps to understand where the values came from: Parents? Grandparents? The media? Ethnic group or cultural community?

Step 2: Again using the examples, recognize that there are many environmental controversies in North America today-and, in fact, all over the world.

Because the environment really knows no boundaries, what one group or person decides to do affects others. Someone who diverts a stream of water takes water from those downstream. A society that uses a great deal of oil produces great quantities of the gases associated with global warming, and affects the climate of people far away.

Share with the group this idea: In Head Start, we are responsible for teaching children about living with others. Some of this living involves behaviors with environmental consequences. Our work with families and communities may involve understanding environmental perspectives, celebrations, and beliefs.

Step 3: Explain to the participants that in this activity we will explore values related to the environment. Distribute Handout B: Values & Perspectives. Tell the group that the statements in the handout represent a variety of environmental values. They are not all inclusive. The group may discover other important values.

Step 4: Post this sample set of paired statements on two opposite walls of the room:

#1: We must be sure that clean and abundant water is avail able for use in our homes, towns, and farms.

#7: The best and highest use of a river is that it runs wild and free to the sea.

Post 8 x 10 inch sheets of paper across the front of the room, with the numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 written large on them.

Explain that we are demonstrating a spectrum of ideas, ranging from #1 through #7. Although both statements are very strong and concern use of water, the values underlying each statement are very different People might tend toward #1 or #7, but not feel so strongly. If so they might represent their opinions as being one of the intermediate numbers.

Ask the group to think about with which statement they most strongly agree. If they fully believe the first statement, their choice would be #1. If they fully agree with the second statement, their choice would be #7.

If they tend toward one or the other statement, but are not 100% in favor of it, then they should choose between #2 and #6. for example, #4 might be: "All the water should be divided evenly between wildlife and human needs."

Step 5: Ask for volunteers willing to share their choice and explain why they feel as they do. Their choice of a statement will be grounded in the relative value they place on the various parts of the ecosystem (in this example of a watershed, the wild creatures or those humans and domesticated animals that use water). How would this value affect the way a person acts? Some examples:

· A child whose family treasures and conserves water will be careful about running the faucet-maybe the child will resist the Head Start teacher's encouragement to wash his or her hands thoroughly under running water.

· A family that does not feel water has any inherent value except for human use may not be concerned about whether the cleaning supplies that go down their drains might pollute local streams or lakes.

· A community might choose to channel a local stream underground and build an apartment house on top, or make a park around the stream, depending on the values of the community.

Step 6: Raise the question of predominant, or "mainstream" values and "minority" or less common values. On the sample issue used in Step 4, where do participants believe the majority of staff fall? What about the local community? What about the U.S. population as a whole? What does it mean to hold "mainstream" or "minority" values? How does that affect behavior?

Step 7: Now ask the group to continue through Handout B: Values & Perspectives, marking their feelings about the various statements. Tell them that we will be discussing the handout, but that they will not be asked to share more than they are comfortable sharing.

Step 8: After they have marked their sheets, ask them to choose a partner. Ask the pairs to choose one statement that they both feel strongly about, and consider the following question:

• If two people had values at opposite ends of the spectrum on this issue, what kind of different behaviors would you expect from them?

• What are some situations in Head Start where these values might lead to conflict or misunderstanding?
• To resolve a conflict, how would you communicate most effectively with a person holding the #1 value? How would you communicate most effectively with the person holding the #7 value?

Encourage staff members to reconsider the issues that they brought to the. session (articles or ideas) and to think about which underlying values direct the positions of the people on opposing sides of the issue.

• People come to their enviromnental values from various places. Each value has weight behind it.
• Two factors that might be important in developing environmental values are cultural background-including level of comfort with the predominant culture of the area-and level of financial security.
• Were these important to the staff people?
• Do they believe that they are important to the families in Head Start?
• Make note of the cultural backgrounds of the participants and how close people feel to their culture of origin. You will likely have a greater variety of beliefs if your group's origins are varied and they have not incorporated many of the values and practices of the predominant culture into their lives.
• Is it difficult to discuss environmental values? This is an important area, of health; but not so well addressed as individual health has been. Can you see the connection between environmental values and health behaviors?

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For this activity you will need:

• Handout B: Values & Perspectives (filled out by participants in Activity 2: Environmental Perspectives & Values)
• Signs numbered 1 through 7 posted in a line across one long wall, o around the room
• Flip chart and markers
• A group of at least 15 people

This activity takes people further along the path explored in Activity 2: Environmental Perspectives & Values. This ac tivity should be done only with groups of staff who are comfortable sharing their values publicly. Be sure that you are comfortable sharing ideas and/or handling conflicts that might arise around any of the concepts. 

Step 1: Explain to participants that they will continue to look at the values explored in Activity 2: Environmental Perspectives & Values. This session will explore how groups develop around certain values and then how the groups express those values.

Step 2: Point out to the participants the numbered signs arranged around the room. Tell them they will be asked to look at their copies of Handout B: Values & Perspectives (previously completed) and, that as each statement is read, they will be asked to take a position underneath one of the signs.

Read the first set of paired statements and ask people to choose where to stand. After the groups have formed, ask for volunteers who will share the reasons behind their beliefs. Ask for a volunteer to explain some specific behavior of his that springs from this belief.

Step 3: Repeat Step 2 for all or some of the remaining paired statements.

Reinforce the concept that there are two important areas about values to explore:

• the source and intensity of the value—whether it has something to do with the person's own experience or the experience or history of the person's friends, family, social or cultural group; how deeply it is held; how many others share it (is it a group norm?)
• the behavior of the person holding this value

Step 4: As you discuss these values, look for statements that seem to indicate the greatest variation within the group. Are there groups of people at far ends? Note where groupings occur, and talk about how groups form based on values. Some people might call these groupings "cultures," "religions," or "affinity groups."

Step 5: Tell the participants that they will now divide into groups for the purpose of role-playing a meeting at a Head Start program.

Step 6: Help them divide into three or four smaller groups. These groupings should be based on the groupings that developed as you read the paired statements.

See which staff members hovered around the #1 position for most statements, those who were near the center, and who hovered near the #7 statements. The groupings will not be even because your group will likely hold some majority values (more people feel this way) and some minority values (fewer that way). 

Step 7: The task of each group is to suggest ways that their Head Start program will recognize Earth Day. The activities can be celebrations, community actions or educational programs. Expect the suggestions to be different, since the values of the groups are different. Tell them that the statements they read and stood up for are just the beginning of a whole system of environmental values that their group might hold. Encourage them to discuss their perspectives and develop their values system further. Encourage them to be ambitious and not to shy away from ideas that might generate controversy.

Give the groups 10 minutes to prepare their suggestions. Then call them back together and ask for a couple of volunteers to facilitate the whole group Earth Day planning meeting.

Step 8: Allow the planning meeting to proceed for 10 to 15 minutes. Make notes on the following:

• Did the groups differ about how Earth Day should be recognized? Did they express their ideas differently?
• What happened during the meeting that supported and encouraged perspectives from different cultures and groups?
• Was anything done that excluded a group? Especially a minority perspective?
• How was the planned program enriched by a diversity of ideas?

• Groups develop for many reasons. One type of "glue" that holds a group together is the values the members share. These values may be related to a number of things, including their beliefs about the ecosystem and how the members of their group fit into the web of life.
• When one group (or individual) holds a minority perspective or position, they (or she) may have a hard time behaving in the way that feels true to them (or her). This doesn't mean that the value is wrong-in fact some minority positions have been proven very right over the course of history!
• Developing programs with input from many people is a hallmark of Head Start. During this meeting, what was important in assuring that a wide range of opinions/values were heard?
• Think about values as a line or a circle. As a line, #1 and #7 are far apart. But if you draw the group into a circle, they become close neighbors. What common thread can be found among all of the values, even those which appear to be far apart?

 

Activity 4: Getting Into the Garden

Purpose: Participants will, investigate gardens as beautiful places and sites for practical activities of food production, community building, personal growing and healing. The participants will develop a plan for incorporating garden activities/education into their Head Start program.

For this activity you will need:

• Handout C: Thoughts on Gardens
• Handout D The Food Cuide Pyramid
• Writing materials. for participants (journals)

Consider the location of the program: rural, small town, suburban, big city. Determine whether opportunities for gardening include working farms, community gardens, large private gardens, or container gardens. If the parents' work in the program is active farm work, the goal of this activity will be to design ways to integrate that work into the whole of the program. If parents and children are not familiar with gardening or farming, the goal will be to introduce and engage them in gardening concepts.

Step 2: Provide copies of Handout C: Thoughts on Gardening for review and discussion. Encourage the participants to think about how gardening can be enjoyable, educational, and productive. Ask them to, over the next few days, write a report or journal with the following topics.

• Why is gardening enjoyable and valuable? How should a gardening project be presented to others so they become excited and enthusiastic about the work?
• Currently, how do we present to children the concepts of how food comes to the table?
• What do we now to to promote gardening or to integrate gardening topics into our program?
• What needs of families and staff could be met through a gardening project? Do they need better food? Do they need to understand the value of fresh produce in a nutritionally balanced diet?
• What resources in the community are available for gardening projects? Which Head Start staff members or families akeady garden? Are there community garden groups? Suppliers of seeds or other garden materials? A university extension office?

Step 4: Now offer them the opportunity to take their gardening experience one step further. Here are three possibilities for simple gardening projects:

a. If they can spend a week on the project: Ask the staff members to locate a community garden within walking distance of the Head Start Center or within walking distance of some of your families' homes. Spend a few hours in that community garden.

Interview some of the gardeners. Ask how they got involved in the garden: How has their involvement helped them? Has it given them better things to eat? Has it helped them get to know their neighbors? Has it helped them to reduce stress? Would they be willing to share some of their expertise and enthusiasm with Head Start children? Ask questions that will help to plan how to use community gardening in the program.

b. If they have a month: Grow a salad garden in a window box in a classroom. Get some seedlings donated: lettuce, radishes, beets, or others. Plant the garden and tend it. Explain to children, families, and Head Start staff who come to see it what they are doing.

Incorporate Handout D: The Food Guide Pyramid into your teaching. Discuss which foods are grown as plants and which are not. Which of these foods grow locally? At the end of the month, harvest the vegetables and make a salad to share. Was this easy to do? Did others seem interested in the production of a salad?

c. If they have three months: Start a compost bin. They will need something like a medium-sized plastic file box. It will need a solid cover (wood or plastic), and holes drilled near the top of the sides for ventilation. Layer the following items into the box:

· bottom: a layer of dirt and a handful of "red wriggler" earthworms
· on top: enough slightly damp newspaper strips to cover the dirt and worms

For about 10 weeks, add to the box vegetable and fruit scraps (peels, cores, leaves) that are cut into small pieces. Put the food under the newspaper strips, and cover it up. Add more newspaper strips as needed to cover. They will need to add one to two pounds of food each week. Maybe they can get help from the kitchen staff in the program. Set the box in a well-ventilated place, as compost does develop an earthy smell.

During the process, explain what is happening to children, families and staff members who are interested.

During the eleventh and twelfth weeks, don't add any more food, but observe the box to see when the worms have eaten almost all that they have been given. When most of it is gone, notice that the box now holds high-quality soil. Carefully remove most of the soil, leaving the worms with a small layer of the good dirt. Give the worms some more food to start the process again.

You can plain seed in your soil or contribute it to a garden nearby. If families are interested in growing things, think about how to help them set up their own ongoing compost bins. Community gardening groups are likely to have written information or workshops on composting. One source for materials is the San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners (415) 285-SLUG. They have simple pamphlets on home composting in English, Spanish and Chinese.

Step 5: At the end of the gardening experience, coach and participants present the experience to fellow staff members. What can you all do to incorporate gardening into your program?

• How close are you and your program participants to farming or gardening? If close, how does it relate to other activities? If not, how can farming or gardening be brought into everyday activities?
• Why have so many people lost touch with gardening and fanning? Is this is a great loss? Why or why not?
• Be aware of possible negative experiences with farming, perhaps from families whose farms were unsuccessful, or from farm worker families whose experiences with growing food were backbreaking and unrewarding. If these issues are raised, discuss what makes a growing experience good and what makes it bad. Focus on farming's essential place in our society's food system and on the possibilities of maximizing good experiences through the ability to grow some of one's own food.