the Y
the Y
The first-year anniversary of the Sandbox Project sees an exciting milestone, as the professional development platform opens up with free access for early childhood practitioners Australia-wide.
Created through a collaboration between the Y Ballarat and Federation University, and in conjunction with Y Kinders, these high-quality immersive learning experiences have already received favourable reviews from Early Childhood educators and teachers.
Currently offering three innovative modules – Nature Play, Indigenous Perspectives, and Trauma-Aware Practice, the suite is aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework and the AITSL standards. Certificates of completion are issued, which are VIT accepted.
Using a game-based interactive approach enhanced with AI elements, the modules can be completed in bite-sized sections making the learning self-paced and manageable. Already completed by many Educators and our Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) teams, they have found them highly engaging and beneficial, with the content and format being described as appealing and relevant.
“I really like the different learning styles within the program – mixed up with mini quizzes, games and slides,” said an OSHC team member.
Others enjoyed the flexibility of delivery and the quality and selection of content.
“I thought the learning module was excellent,” said an Early Childhood Teacher on completion of the Nature Play module. They added that they found the experience “full of research backed information, myths, practical tips and ideas on how to engage children in natural play spaces.”
Having launched these more widely and now reaching a larger audience, the Sandbox team is keen to implement further enhancements, with more modules to be released in early 2025.
Early Years practitioners are invited to take advantage of this free professional development and provide feedback for further refinement to create a powerful, engaging and truly unique learning environment.
Free access is available until the 30 June 2025 – sign up today!
