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Editor's Note

In June 2007, 40 colleagues and members of our design team gathered in Nebraska at the Institute on Creating Sustainable Environments for Young Children to learn ways to create healthier environments for youngsters, both indoors and outdoors. Participants, designers and presenters alike completed a six-month action plan on what they could do to make their environments healthier for children.

The individual action plans completed by participants were returned to them in December so they could see how much progress they had made on their goals. Among my goals were writing more about sustainable environments and switching to green cleaning products. In February, I will host a Party for the Planet where I will share my newly expanded green knowledge and commitment with my family, friends and neighbors. Another of my goals was to ask our design team to recommit to the 2008 Institute on Creating Sustainable Environments, which will take place again in June. Our team has stepped forward and will be at Lied Lodge again in late spring with other designers and early childhood staff.

The time has passed to wonder idly what you can do to better our environment for young children -- get involved right now to get your center and classroom green.

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