This paper considers an Action Research project which was implemented to establish a shared understanding of the term 'Education for Sustainable development' within the context of an Early Childhood Studies degree. Students engaged in projects with children and local early years' providers, and the research aligns with previous work undertaken by Siraj-Blatchford, Smith, and Samuelsson (2010. "Education for Sustainable Development in the Early Years." Organisation Mondiale Pour lEducation Prescolaire (OMEP)), which explored the role of education for sustainability in the field of Early Childhood Education. With the lingering and persistent preoccupation with testing, results and outcomes in early childhood education, compulsory school education and higher education the research aimed to capture the idea of the student as a change agent with opportunities to work with children as agents of change. The main findings lean towards participatory action research as an emancipatory reminder that research does not need to be a technical activity and the voices and actions of children, students and early childhood educators can be foregrounded in a way that validates authentic involvement by all participants.