The doctoral research study, which Dr Jane Spiteri conducted at the University of Edinburgh, "Environmental sustainability: A qualitative analysis of young children’s voices" has been selected for the 2020 OMEP New Scholar Award of the World Organisation for Early Childhood Education (World OMEP). World OMEP is the international, non-governmental and non-profit organisation that has worked in all areas related to early childhood education and care (ECEC) since 1948.

Dr Spiteri has been awarded the prestigious New Scholar Award in July during a ceremony hosted by World OMEP at a conference held in Athens, Greece.

Dr Spiteri is the first researcher to ever win this award. This award winning research has been published in the well-reputed early childhood journal published by OMEP, "The International Journal of Early Childhood" and is available online.

During the conference in Greece, the UM academic gave two presentations related to young children's voices about the environment.

Dr Spiteri has been invited to be a co-guest editor of a special issue for the journal Discover Sustainability published by Springer. The call for papers is open and researchers are invited to submit their research. Research submission deadline is 30 July 2023. To submit a paper for the issue visit the website.