How do you start to teach children about social justice? And how does wearing our PJs help?
As we have for the past 21 years, this year in the ELC we supported a campaign that Melbourne City Mission began in 2004: Homeless, Not Helpless. It was the springboard to begin a journey of social justice for our youngest Carey students. We introduce the children to the concept of people who were less fortunate than us and that we have a responsibility to do something.
We have been able to engage the children in a practical way that they can relate to: by holding PJ days in the ELC, where children and staff come to the centre wearing their pyjamas.
Although a fun idea, we make sure our focus stays on the serious element of the matter – that our children have and wear PJs because they live in a house and have a bed to sleep in, but many children and adults in Melbourne do not have a house or a bed and therefore do not wear PJs. Raising awareness is important, as is thinking about how we can help and raising money to provide shelters, special tents or backpacks that unhoused people can use to put their possessions in and keep with them, as well as having a place to sleep.
Our conversations with the children are considered and developmentally appropriate from the Staff Childcare room through to the five-year-olds who are getting ready for school. These are opportunities to think about justice, fairness and their place as active citizens of the world. By running this event, we are expanding their safe world of home and the ELC and exercising their empathy. We think what it might feel like to be homeless, trying to sleep in a tree, on a park bench, in a car, someone else’s couch and different couches night after night.
Over the last 21 years, our PJ days have become a tradition and the beginning of the social justice journey at Carey, of which we are truly proud. It has been very encouraging to have the different chaplains come and visit and support our cause, and to see the older children in the school sections reminiscing about their time wearing PJs on PJ day and reflecting on the value of the start of their social justice journey.
A great book to support this concept was read by our Lead Chaplain to all the children, I saw Pete and Pete saw me by Maggie Hutchings, a moving story about acts of kindness.
Thank you for supporting us in this important aspect of developing children who are global citizens.
Wendy Seidler
ELC Director – Kew campus
