It’s an exciting time to be a Green Leaves team member! After an overwhelming number of applicants, a cohort of fifteen team members from across Green Leaves have been selected to attend the inaugural pedagogical Green Leaves Study Tour to New Zealand.
An immersive experience, the study tour features an enriching agenda which includes an introduction to the New Zealand bi-cultural curriculum, Te Whariki and its influence throughout pedagogy and practice, workshops, and visits to early learning services in Wellington.
The study tour is hosted by two incredible changemakers in pedagogical practices of early childhood education, Kelly Goodsir, founder of KG Learning, and Karen Hailes, NZ Study Tour Leader. Through ‘thinking and learning collaboratively’, Kelly believes that anything is possible in long-term educational change, designing systems that foster autonomy, ownership, and a strong learning culture! This has been evident in her career in early childhood which spans 20 years.
In consultation with our Education and Nutrition team members, this opportunity is part of Green Leaves’ enriched professional development series designed for our teams, known as the National Learning, Research and Development Project (NLRDP).
Led by our very own advocate for the wise practices in pedagogy, Dr Karen Grubb, the NLRDP will enhance our teams’ practices with Nutrition, Inclusion, Wellbeing, Sustainability and Indigenous Perspectives.
“We received many applications, it was tough to narrow it down” said Dr Karen.
The application involved a series of questions, and our team members were encouraged to respond creatively. Not one to shy away from an opportunity to think out of the box and exercise their artistic skills, the quality of applications demonstrated the calibre of a Green Leaves team member. There was poetry and song, stories and pictures accompanying the applications!
“It brought me great joy to read through them because the applications highlight just how passionate and dedicated our people are to their professional practice. We’re so grateful that this opportunity has been well-received by everyone,” she added.
Kirsten Berry, National Operations Manager, is supportive of professional growth opportunities for all our team members.
“We encourage our centre team members to empower themselves with the knowledge and skills to craft a career that is rich and fulfilling, which will resonate in their daily practices in providing engaging educational experiences and care.
“From a professional development and growth perspective, there are so many exciting things planned this year, which I can’t wait to share with our team. This is just the beginning.
“I am honoured to be joining the team on this study tour and sharing in the learning and collaboration!” said Ms Berry.
