University of Guyana Early Childhood Centre of Excellence

Children playing in mud, building with natural materials, and learning through hands-on exploration with plants might seem like simple childhood activities. But as free play declines globally and children spend increasing time indoors, research at the University of Guyana is proving what many intuitively understand: nature-based learning transforms child development in ways traditional classroom methods cannot match.

Key Points

• First-of-its-kind university integration: UG-ECCE connects early childhood education with university research, drawing from expertise across multiple faculties to enhance children's learning experiences
• Comprehensive research-to-practice model: The centre generates real-time findings that directly inform Caribbean early childhood education policy while providing evidence-based care to children
• Pioneering inclusive education: The centre serves 171 children with 54 having special education needs, creating the Caribbean's most ambitious inclusive early childhood program with a waiting list exceeding 700 applications
• Tackling nature play crisis: The centre addresses research showing dramatic decline in nature-based learning - from 145 minutes daily in 1976 to just 45 minutes by 2012 in Guyanese early childhood settings
• $161 million regional investment: Government of Guyana and Caribbean Development Bank funding creates replicable model for addressing Caribbean early childhood development challenges
• Combating global play decline: The centre addresses worldwide crisis where children's experiences in nature are rapidly declining and free play has been declining over two decades, significantly hampering children's development

Challenges vs Solutions

Groundbreaking Approach to Early Childhood Education

Dr. Lidon Lashley, Director of UG-ECCE

The University of Guyana Early Childhood Centre of Excellence represents a groundbreaking approach to early childhood education in the Caribbean. Officially established on April 12, 2022, after a 12-year development process, the centre serves as both an educational facility and research hub.

Dr. Lashley explains the centre's origins: "Staff and students of the University of Guyana struggled for years to find inclusive, diverse and equitable spaces to accommodate their children while they serve and contribute to critical areas of Guyana's socioeconomic and sociocultural development."

The facility currently operates with 171 enrolled children, with 54 having special education needs - creating one of the Caribbean's most comprehensive inclusive early childhood programs. The centre maintains a waiting list exceeding 700 applications, demonstrating significant demand for this innovative approach.

Unlike traditional early childhood centres, UG-ECCE integrates directly with university faculties, allowing children to benefit from expertise across multiple disciplines.

How It Works: University-Integrated Learning

The centre draws from the expertise of the University of Guyana's Faculty of Education and Humanities and researchers from multiple disciplines. Children receive support from:

• College of Medical Sciences for pediatric care and developmental assessments
• Faculty of Agriculture & Forestry for garden-based learning experiences
• Faculty of Natural Sciences – Department of Chemistry
• Faculty of Earth and Environmental Science – Ecology Club
• Speech and Language Pathology specialists for communication development
• Psychology students for behavioral and emotional support
• Creative Arts, Computer Science, and other departments for specialized curriculum support

"The University of Guyana has been further integrated into global discourses in early childhood development sharing and influencing exemplary pedagogical practice and opportunities for research about the impact of early care, education and development, including special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND)," notes Dr. Lashley.

The centre uses the Learning Outcomes for Early Childhood Development in the Caribbean framework, promoting six core areas: resilience, wellness, effective communication, respect for self and others, valuing culture, and intellectual empowerment.

Research Driving Policy Change

UG-ECCE serves as a teaching demonstration and research venue for lecturers, teachers, students, families and researchers locally, nationally, and internationally. The centre's research directly challenges traditional classroom methods by demonstrating how nature-based and play-based approaches can achieve better developmental outcomes than structured academic instruction. Research findings directly inform practitioners and policymakers about early childhood development trends and best practices.

Dr. Lashley reports significant research impact: "Research on Neurodiverse Farming Adventures, which provides alternative therapy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, was highlighted at international conferences including the International Association of Laboratory Schools and the Caribbean Development Bank Transforming Education Symposium."

The centre's innovative approach extends to inclusive education, integrating children with developmental challenges into a mainstream environment supported by university resources. This demonstrates new possibilities for Caribbean education systems while showing how nature and play-based learning benefit all children, regardless of their developmental needs.

Global Decline Of Nature and Play-Based Learning

The decline in nature-based play documented in Guyana reflects a global crisis affecting children worldwide. Research shows that children's experiences in nature are rapidly declining because children's daily lives are increasingly filled with structured and programmatic activities, while children around the world are spending more time indoors compared to previous generations.

In developed nations, this shift has profound implications for child development. From 1990 to 2016 the number of children aged between 0–5 years considered overweight or obese increased from 32 million to 41 million globally, and free play has been declining over two decades with the lack of free play and experiential learning opportunities significantly hampering children's development.

The academic pressure affecting Guyanese early childhood education mirrors trends across Western democracies. "Schoolification" was identified as a global epidemic in 2018, with evidence tracking its spread across many Western democracies, including the United States, England, Ireland, Iceland, and Denmark. In England, recent research has noted "marked reductions" in break-times at school over the last 25 years, with a decline in afternoon breaks and shortening of lunchtimes.

However, new research shows play-based learning can be more effective than direct instruction at improving outcomes for early learners—particularly in the development of mathematical and spatial skills. This growing body of evidence has prompted policy changes, with New Hampshire mandating play-based kindergarten in 2018, Oklahoma's Play to Learn Act signed into law in 2021, and Connecticut requiring play-based learning for public programs as of July 2024.

Nature-Based Learning Revival

The centre emphasizes hands-on, play-based learning experiences that have been declining in Caribbean early childhood settings. Activities include mud play projects, gardening experiences, and culturally relevant games such as "peacock flower play," where children use stamens from Delonix regia flowers in competitive games that develop mathematical thinking, emotional regulation, and social skills while connecting them to their natural environment.

The centre's approach directly addresses research findings documented by Dr. Semple-McBean and colleagues in The Status of Nature Play in Guyanese Early Childhood Settings, which found that nature-based play in Caribbean early childhood settings had declined dramatically from 145 minutes daily in 1976 to just 45 minutes by 2012. The study revealed that 92% of teachers wanted to return to nature-based activities but faced barriers including academic pressure and parental concerns about children getting messy.

One teacher observed: "The children here are very hyperactive, they misbehave and have tantrums all the time. Maybe it's because the children here don't have opportunities to soothe themselves, like listening to the birds and relaxing under trees."

Breakthrough Moments Through Hands-On Learning

The centre's approach to experiential learning has produced remarkable developmental outcomes, with academics and teachers recognizing the power of play and nature at this critical stage of child development. Multiple programs demonstrate how hands-on activities create breakthrough moments that traditional classroom methods often cannot achieve.

Sand and Water Play Transformations

In one documented case, a child named Tai experienced a significant breakthrough during his fourth week at the centre. Tai had never spoken at home or school, but during outdoor sand play, he made his first verbal expression.

"At one stage when Tai noticed that one of the buckets was broken, he exclaimed, 'Oh my, this is not good'. Well, I was in shock and quite surprised that Tai could speak," his teacher reported. The sand play activity not only enabled Tai's first words but also demonstrated lasting impact: "Tai calmed down immediately" when brought to the outdoor sand area, and showed sustained engagement that was difficult to achieve with traditional classroom activities.

Teachers noted that "Tai does not write or draw, or fancy the crayon and pencils, but he really likes these hands-on activities. It is somewhat difficult to get him to settle with regular table-top activities, but when it is an activity to build or construct, he displays a sense of accomplishment doing them. You could see the pride and joy, and his face lights up."

Mud Play: Building Immunity and Creativity

University of Guyana ECCE pupils playing during international mud day

The centre's mud play project recognizes that messy play has profound developmental benefits. Research indicates that exposure to natural elements helps build children's immune systems while providing unlimited creative possibilities. The programme acknowledges that "mud play is fun and has as much potential for learning as playing with sand or water" and emphasizes stress reduction through outdoor nature experiences.

Agriculture Month: Connecting Science and Environment

Agricultural month at University of Guyana ECCE

During Agriculture Month, the centre's gardening project, supported by the Faculty of Agriculture & Forestry, connects children to Guyana's "Grow More Campaign" while developing multiple developmental domains simultaneously. Children explore basic farming principles, conduct scientific inquiry through plant monitoring, and develop patience and focus as they wait for plants to grow.

The programme teaches cause-and-effect relationships - "plants die without water, weeds compete with plants" - while fostering environmental stewardship and appreciation for locally grown foods. Children learn plant structure and functions, understanding how "roots absorb water and nutrients" and "leaves conduct photosynthesis and respiration," demonstrating how nature-based learning seamlessly integrates scientific concepts with hands-on discovery.

Regional Impact Potential

The UG-ECCE model addresses challenges common across Caribbean nations, where early childhood education systems often lack resources and research integration. The centre's partnership structure, involving UNICEF, the Ministry of Education, and the Caribbean Development Bank, provides a framework other nations could adapt.

Dr. Lashley explains the centre's broader influence: "As members of AHEAD and IALS, UG-ECCE has been place in the leaderships of framing the discourses around inclusive, diverse, equitable early childhood development. Locally, in Guyana, the UGECCE has been supporting and facilitating responsive and inclusive ECD training, clinical and practicum experiences for students, and observation of theoretical and research-based ideas in practice within a safe, respectful and nurturing environment."

The $161 million investment creates a sustainable model for addressing critical regional educational challenges while generating research that can inform policy across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Future Vision

"The vision of UG-ECCE is 'To be the premier early childhood institution in Guyana, the Caribbean and the wider global South recognised for providing excellence through early learning experiences to young children and their families.' In ten years we see this vision fully realized with the region and wider global South having modelled inclusive ECD spaces with the abilities to evolve with the needs of children with additional educational and socialization requirements and expectations," states Dr. Lashley.

The centre plans to host international researchers and practitioners seeking to understand how university-integrated early childhood programs can address persistent educational inequities. With its 88,000 square foot campus, the facility has capacity for expansion and regional training programs.

FAQs

Note to Media

Under our Creative Commons licence, editors and journalists are welcome to republish and reuse this article.

Scientific angles for further reporting:

• Long-term developmental outcomes for children in inclusive early childhood settings
• Economic impact analysis of university-integrated early childhood programs
• Cultural preservation through traditional play practices in modern educational settings
• Cross-cultural applications of nature-based learning in tropical educational environments
• Policy implications of research-to-practice integration in developing nations

For further information from the academics featured in this article, reach out to Innovation Report to coordinate interviews, or contact the University of Guyana media office directly.

Sources

• Semple-McBean, Michelle, Godryne Wintz, and Lidon Lashley. "The Status of Nature Play in Guyanese Early Childhood Settings." American Journal of Play, volume 17, number 1. Link
• University of Guyana Early Childhood Centre of Excellence. "Background." Link
• University of Guyana Early Childhood Centre of Excellence. "Explore Our Activities." Link
• "Childhood Development and Access to Nature: A New Direction for Environmental Inequality Research." PMC. Link
• "Nature play and child wellbeing." Australian Institute of Family Studies. Link
• "The Role of Interaction with Nature in Childhood Development: An Under-Appreciated Ecosystem Service." PMC. Link
• "The impacts of unstructured nature play on health in early childhood development: A systematic review." PMC. Link
• "Tracking the winds of change on the American education policy landscape." Brookings Institution, October 9, 2023. Link
• "The barriers to utilising play-based learning in England's primary school classrooms." British Psychological Society. Link