South West College proudly hosted early years professionals, educators, and advocates at its Annual Early Years Conference at the Erne campus, focusing on the theme “Cultivating the Global Citizen in the Early Years: Developing Lifelong Learners through the UN Sustainable Goals’ Priorities.”
The conference celebrated the vital role early years education plays in shaping children’s understanding of themselves, others, and the wider world. It encouraged reflection on how Sustainable Development Goals principles are integrated into practice by promoting wellbeing, inclusion, children's voices, and meaningful connections with nature. The full day event united a vibrant community of students and practitioners for a day of expert insights, engaging discussions, and practical workshops to enhance understanding and strengthen practices in the early years sector.
The event featured a keynote address by Supriya Foster, Prism Cluster Manager at South West College, who discussed innovative strategies for embedding sustainability in education and promoting environmental awareness. In the afternoon, Fey Cole, Curriculum Manager and Early Years Lecturer at South West College, inspired attendees by exploring the values of play, kindness, community, and curiosity to support inclusive practices across the sector.
Delegates participated in various engaging workshops throughout the day, including sessions led by Early Years Organisation on nurturing global citizens, Playboard on promoting children's resilience through play, National Childhood Network on sustaining creativity in children, Rebalance With Barbara on supporting wellbeing in early years, and SWC staff on active citizenship through sport and prioritizing staff health to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.Each session offered fresh perspectives and practical ideas to take back into early years practice.
Attendees visited Corbally Mobile Fun Farm on-site, where they engaged with various animals. These experiences support children’s understanding of care, respect, and responsibility, linking to the Sustainable Development Goals by developing connection with nature, wellbeing, and environmental awareness through meaningful, hands-on learning.