Personal Resource for Professional Development

On Friday morning I went to Personal Resource for Professional Development, a program that was not in the original program and produced a small audience. Speakers were from Please Touch in Philadelphia and the Minnesota Children’s Museum. They spoke about outreach programs they created with area partners.

The Community Partners Program created at Please Touch sounded something like the Parent/Child Workshop done through the Family Place Libraries (we renamed it the Play and Learn Workshop). The workshop included a circle time and a learning through play orientation session. They had substantial grant funding and could offer participating families museum memberships after finishing the 6-week workshops. Their goals sounded familiar after all the study of play we have done; increased parent involvement in children’s lives, introduce families to a museum experience; provide safe space to play and interact, and finally to encourage play at home.

A 2005 study showed that 50% of children in Minnesota were not ready for Kindergarten. The Minnesota Children’s Museum created a program to offer professional development opportunities to adults in the early childhood world. They focused on those who had the least access to high quality resources and training with a goal to provide education and resources to child care providers. They targeted licensed in home care providers, family, friend & neighbor (FFN) caregivers and directors of independent child care centers

They offer Super Saturday Workshops in fall, winter and spring. Part of the workshop is spent connecting content to developmentally appropriate practices and learning strategies, extensive handouts and materials for participants. They have a training plan that connects classroom practices to Minnesota Core Competencies for early childhood providers.

A Museum Learning Adventure is offered for all workshop participants. Participants had to bring at least one other family that they served. They were given a two-hour museum visit but could stay longer. Their guest family received a free book per child and 5 for each child care provider.

It was interesting to see that other agencies are working on projects to increase play and learning in young children.