Here are some Growing Green Hearts highlights from the first 4 months of 2013!
January was cold outside but surely warm when hundreds of preschool teachers and directors gathered in St. Louis Park for the ELEA conference. It was great to listen to the needs of teachers and directors who work to bring inquiry, wonderment, and play through learning into the daily routines of little people. Growing Green Hearts held a drawing for a free workshop and free in-school field trip which were won by Wayzata Community Church Preschool & CHildcare Center and All God’s Children Preschool & Childcare Center in Golden Valley.
February was busy with workshops, in-school field trips, mailings, and curriculum writing. Many teachers have told me that they appreciate the high expectations that the National Association for Education of Young Children holds, especially around accreditation, and it was a highlight for me to experience the conference. The NAEYC confernence was held at RiverCenter in St. Paul and I presented the workshop “Science Inside Out” to a large group of childcare providers and elementary teachers who gave very positive feedback.
March brought the The Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth YES weekend teaching engagements to a close. I don’t know if I’ve ever had so much fun teaching! The questions first through fourth graders had were explosive! We used helium balloons, weather examples, density columns, candles, and kitchen chemistry to better understand solids, liquids, and gases. MITY was so much fun that GGH signed up for more in June and November!
April brought more snow than usual and then even more snow arrived! As word spreads about Growing Green Hearts, one highlight for me has been talking with schools, librarians, preschools, community groups and faith leaders about global climate change. Yes, people are talking about it and want to learn more. In mid-April about 200 of the the littlest members of Christ Lutheran Preschool and Childcare Center in Blaine played in the soil, explored the diversity of seeds, listened to stories, practiced some sign language, and planted tiny gardens. It was a highlight to hear kids telling their parents what soil is made of and listing the five things that living things need to grow.
Play. Learn. Love.
