Fostering Children's Ecoliteracy from an Early Age: Early Childhood Education Students Hold a Major “Planting Brazilian Spinach Together” Project at Pijar Simokerto

In the densely populated urban area of Simokerto District, Surabaya, a meaningful environmental conservation initiative combined with nature-based learning was successfully carried out. Students from the Early Childhood Teacher Education Program (PG-PAUD) organized their community service final project through a collaborative activity entitled “Planting Together: Brazilian Spinach Cultivation.” The event, held on Friday, May 29, 2026, at Pijar Institution (Pelita Insan Belajar) Simokerto, marked the culmination of a series of volunteer programs that had been implemented intensively over the past several weeks.

This environmental initiative was particularly remarkable due to its large scale and collaborative nature. The program brought together volunteer students from Batch 1 and Batch 2, who were divided into four external working groups. In addition, Pijar Institution consolidated all learners who usually attended tutoring classes on Fridays and Saturdays. As a result, dozens of participants from various age groups, ranging from Grade 1 elementary school students to Grade 9 junior high school students, gathered with a shared enthusiasm to make their learning environment greener and more sustainable.

The final planting project was initiated based on an analysis of the needs of the Simokerto area, which is characterized by dense residential settlements. The limited availability of green open spaces in urban areas often restricts children's opportunities to interact directly with nature. Through this closing program, the PG-PAUD students sought to introduce basic botanical science concepts and foster children's naturalistic intelligence through practical activities that can easily be replicated at home, namely cultivating plants using black polybags.

The plant selected for this project was Brazilian Spinach (Alternanthera sissoo). This horticultural crop was chosen because of its high adaptability, ability to grow in limited spaces, low maintenance requirements, and rich nutritional value. Through the cultivation of Brazilian spinach, children not only learned how to plant and care for vegetables but were also introduced to the concept of local food security and self-sufficiency from an early age.

The activity, which took place from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., began with a short educational session conducted by the student volunteers inside the classroom. The children were introduced to the basic parts of plants, the role of soil as a growing medium, the importance of water and sunlight, and the health benefits of consuming green vegetables. After the theoretical session, all participants were guided to the outdoor area of Pijar Institution to begin the practical planting activities.

The institution's courtyard quickly transformed into an inclusive and joyful outdoor learning laboratory. Before handling the planting materials, the volunteers distributed transparent plastic gloves to each child to promote awareness of hygiene and safety while working with soil, without reducing the sensory and motor experiences involved in the activity.

The children enthusiastically sat together in circles on the paved courtyard and proudly held up their black polybags filled with fertile soil and Brazilian spinach seedlings. Bright smiles could be seen on the faces of both the children and the accompanying student volunteers.

Warm and interactive communication emerged as the children helped one another distribute seedlings and tidy the soil around the plants. Volunteers from the four combined groups actively facilitated the planting process, demonstrating proper transplanting techniques to prevent root damage, teaching children how to gently compact the soil to stabilize the plant, and explaining the appropriate amount of water needed during the first watering stage.

Stimulating Child Development Through Nature-Based Learning

For the PG-PAUD students, this final planting project was far more than a leisure activity or an academic requirement. It represented a practical application of outdoor learning theory aimed at stimulating various aspects of child development across different age groups.

For elementary school students, activities such as handling soil and determining planting depth in polybags helped develop fine motor coordination, perseverance, and spatial awareness. Meanwhile, junior high school students gained opportunities to strengthen socio-emotional skills, leadership abilities, and teamwork. They were encouraged to assist younger children by sharing planting tools and helping maintain an organized workspace.

This cross-age tutoring process emerged naturally under the guidance of the student volunteers, creating a supportive and collaborative learning atmosphere within Pijar Institution.

Before the activity officially concluded, all Brazilian spinach plants that had been successfully planted in the polybags were collected and arranged in a designated green area of Pijar Institution. Responsibility for maintaining the plants was then entrusted to the institution's management and the participating children.

To ensure the sustainability of the program, the student volunteers and institution administrators established a watering and maintenance schedule that would be carried out independently by children attending tutoring sessions on Fridays and Saturdays. This initiative was designed to foster a sense of belonging and responsibility toward the living organisms they had planted themselves.

The closing event concluded with an emotional reflection session, the sharing of impressions and messages from participants and institution representatives, and a group photo session as a historical record of the community engagement program.

Through the publication of this activity, it is hoped that the academic community will recognize the tangible contributions made by university students to society and be inspired to develop similar ecoliteracy initiatives within other non-formal educational communities.