Workshops & Events
In addition to special events in the community, New Bedford Children holds professional development workshops. The goal of these workshops is to inspire new ideas and to reshape how we think about our teaching practices. The workshops aim to inspire self reflection and kick start new ideas. Teaching early childhood is challenging work and can often lead to burn out. We hope our workshops leave teachers feeling reinvigorated and inspired. We love coming together as a community of learners.
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We also arrange in-school workshops for PD days, stemming from a consultation with the school to understand their unique needs. Schedule a workshop and consultation today.
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Check back here often and sign up for our newsletter for new events and follow us on facebook for updates.
Upcoming Workshops & Events
Wednesday, September 6th 2023 (infant and toddler teachers)
Thursday, September 7th 2023 (preschool/PreK teachers)
@ 6:00PM
​Let's Talk About (And Make) Art!!!
6:00-7:30 PM
Location:The First Unitarian Church of New Bedford
How do you plan art activites that give children the opportunity to express themselves creatively? What does developmentally appropriate artwork look like? How can science and art go together?
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In this workshop, we will examine the importance of art education in children's development. We will look at examples of children's artowrk and discuss ways we as educators can support children's creativity and self expression. Then we will play with some art materials ourselves!
Cost: $10 teachers working in New Bedford. $15 for all others.
A certificate for 1.5 hours of professional development will be provided at the workshop.
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*If you are a parent and need to bring your children with you to be able to attend, please reach out. There is space where they could play independently under your supervision.
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Presenter: Marissa Fay Martin M.A.
Marissa is an early childhood teacher and the founder of New Bedford Children. Marissa has a bachelors degree in Art Education from UMass Dartmouth and a masters degree in Education and Human Development from the University of Colorado Denver. This fall she starts a new role teaching infants and toddlers at New Bedford Public Schools' Parenting Teens Program. In her spare time she enjoys going for walks in nature with her husband and dog Ollie.
Wednesday September 20th @6:00
Teacher Potluck and Movie Night
6:00-8:00PM
Location:The First Unitarian Church of New Bedford
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Bring a favorite food or snack to share as we gather as early childhood educators to chat , watch a movie, and relax. We will be watching "Won't You Be My Neighbor".
No registration required. Children welcome.
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Cost: FREE
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About the movie:
"This hit film takes an intimate look at America's most beloved neighbor: Mister Rogers. For over thirty years, American children grew up watching Mister Rogers' Neighborhood on PBS. Mister Rogers offered a calm and stable presence, tackling life's weightiest issues in a simple, direct way. Won't You Be My Neighbor? reflects on Fred Rogers' legacy of kindness, and the profound and lasting effect his innovative approach to television had on millions of children. " (From pbs.org).
Past Workshops & Events
May 10th, 2022 @ 6:00PM
Music Therapy in the Early Childhood Classroom
6:00-7:30 PM
at the Creative Resource Center
AND over Zoom
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Did you know music can be used to assist with task analysis, listening skills, following directions, impulsivity and many other developmental and educational learning skills?
In this workshop, led by Board Certified Music Therapist and Neurologic Music Therapist, Rosemary Williams, Rosemary will show how music therapy and neurologic music therapy relates to early childhood development from infants through preK. Techniques will be shared that involve sensory regulation techniques and ways to use music in a variety of ways within your classroom setting.
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There will be music and movement interactive activities and a great take a away gift for your classroom.
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The workshop is free to early childhood educators working within the city of New Bedford MA.
Tickets are $15 for all others.
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A certificate for 1.5 hours of professional development will be awarded upon completion. This workshop includes methods for working with children with special needs and counts towards MA's diverse learners professional development hours requirement.
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Pizza will be served before the workshop.
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Presenter: Rosemary WIlliams
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Rosemary Williams is a board certified Music Therapist and Neurologic Music Therapist. She has been working as a music therapist for 8 years with 4 of those years in Early Intervention, as People Incorporated only music therapist. In 2021 she founded her private practice Mindful Melodies LLC to provide music therapy services to individuals, families, and groups in Greater New Bedford and surrounding areas. The vision of Mindful Melodies LLC is to help unveil ones true potential, abilities, growth, and development using music therapy. Rosemary specializes in music therapy with Autism Spectrum disorder, Developmental Delays, Chromosomal Disorders, Alzheimer’s/Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, Mental Health Disorders and Music Assisted Childbirth, just to name a few populations. In addition to being a Board Certified Music Therapist and Neurologic Music Therapist, Rosemary is also a Reiki Master Level Teacher and Reiki Practitioner and is trained in American Sign Language. She enjoys spending her spare time making memories with her husband and children.
April 13th, 2022 @ 6:00PM
The Emergence of Style
6:00-7:30 PM
At Kilburn Mill
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This workshop will explore The Emergence of Style, a
phrase coined by Lella Gandini in the 1980s while
working on a master's degree at Smith College.
Lella will explain why and how she recommends that
adults step back to observe and document the joys
found in children's learning. There will be time to
explore one's own artistic style by working with locally
found materials from the Creative Resource Center for
Early Childhood Educators.
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MASKS AND PROOF OF VACCINATION REQUIRED
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Price:
FREE for early childhood teachers, directors, administrators, and early childhood intervention specialists working in New Bedford MA. $20 for all other participants. Payments can be made at: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=PK3XX4A5A37H8
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PD Certificate (1.5 hours) provided after completion
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A little more context:
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Lella will be traveling to New Bedford from her home in
northern MA to share a never before seen presentation on her
Theory of The Emergence of Style. Our executive director has
been working with Lella and her two workshop facilitators
James McCuire and Kristina Lamour Sansone to craft this
presentation specifically for New Bedford educators. The
workshop will include a hands-on portion where participants
will engage with materials personally selected by Lella from the
Creative Resource Center for Early Childhood Educators.
The next day Lella will be touring New Bedford and visiting
one lucky childcare center!
This workshop is funded by the Art is Everywhere grant program, financed by MassDevelopment/TDI and the Barr Foundation, and facilitated by New Bedford Creative at the NBEDC
Presenter: Lella Gandini
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Lella Gandini moved from Italy to the United States in 1972 but remained connected, both as educator and parent,
with her home country’s innovative programs in early childhood education, especially those of the cities of Pistoia
and Reggio Emilia. She earned a B.A. and M.A. at Smith College and an Ed.D. at the University of Massachusetts,
where she taught together with two of her professors, George Forman and Carolyn Edwards. In the same period she
published several books for children in Italy, focusing mainly on traditional nursery rhymes and fairy tales. As she
became familiar with schools and childcare centers in this country, she realized that many of the practices that she
observed did not correspond to the child development theories she had studied that placed value on relationships and
learning. Thus she began to bring visual materials and documented stories from Pistoia and Reggio Emilia to present
and publish in this country, to help educators open new possibilities both for children and for their own profession.
Since 1994 she has served as Reggio Children’s United States Liaison for the Dissemination of the Reggio Emilia
approach. Since 1997 she has been Associate Editor of the journal, Innovations in Early Childhood Education: The
International Reggio Exchange. She has also been a Visiting Scholar at Lesley University since 2008. Her honors
include an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from the Erikson Institute (2004) and the Smith College Medal
for Distinguished Alumnae (2008). Among her many publications for educators, the best known is The Hundred
Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education, co-edited with Edwards and Foreman.
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Facilitators: James McGuire & Kristina Lamour Samsone
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James McGuire brings visual literacy skills from 17 years
of freelance film, photo, and design experience in NYC
and abroad. A Cameroonian-American multilingual
creative producer, he is also the father of 4-year-old twins.
His work focuses on fostering intersections between
technology, learning, and full hearted human innovation.
For over three decades, Kristina Lamour Sansone has
built bridges between graphic design, teaching and
learning, creating applications to support access,
engagement, and comprehension across the lifespan in
schools of early to adult learning.
April 6th, 2022 @ 6:00PM
“Why do they do that?”
Understanding and Responding to Behaviors in ECE
6:00-7:30 PM
At the Creative Resource Center
AND over Zoom
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In this workshop we investigate behaviors and
their underlying causes. We will briefly look at
the brain science behind stress and behavior and
identify ways it may be impacting you and your
response to children. We will discuss
self-regulation as a developmental process and
provide some practical
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Price:
FREE for early childhood teachers, directors, administrators, and early childhood intervention specialists working in New Bedford MA. $20 for all other participants. Payments can be made at: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=PK3XX4A5A37H8
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PD Certificate (1.5 hours) provided after completion
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Presenter: Allegra Taylor
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Allegra Taylor is an early childhood consultant in Cambridge. She
has had a diverse career in early childhood education and child
development, having taught in several states and in the United
Kingdom. Allegra has been working in the field of early childhood for 20 years as a teacher, mentor, director, parent educator, and
consultant. Allegra strives to support children, families, and teachers to feel successful during the often challenging times of early childhood. Allegra holds a Masters degree in Child Development from Tufts University and a Bachelor's degree in Child Studies and Psychology from Bennington College. Allegra lives in Cambridge with her husband and her cat, Ike.
March 30, 2021 | 6:00 - 8:00 PM
New Bedford Children's Week of the Young Child Fundraising Event
At Century House,
107 South Main St.
Acushnet, MA
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We invite you to join us in welcoming the Week of the Young Child and showing your support for New Bedford Children, Inc.
This evening event will feature:
~Hors d'oeuvres
~Open bar
~Raffle (including two Red Sox tickets!!)
~Door prize!
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Price: $50
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Your financial support allows us to continue our work partnering with the childcare providers and teachers in New Bedford to improve the quality of early childhood education available to our youngest children and their families. Thank you!
Special thanks to Glove Cleaners & Safety Products and
Kilburn Mill for sponsoring this event.
November 30th, 2021 @ 6:00PM
Whole Body Math
6:00-7:30 PM
At the Creative Resource Center
AND over Zoom
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What if, instead of sitting and solving problems at a desk, learning math engages our whole bodies? What would math look like if we get to hop, jump, dance, touch, and play while learning? In this workshop, you will learn how to use Whole Body Math Guiding Questions to modify and design activities, see documentation examples from early childhood classrooms, experience materials first-hand, and leave with strategies to integrate Mathful Play into your teaching.
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MASK REQUIRED
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Price:
FREE for early childhood teachers, directors, administrators, and early childhood intervention specialists working in New Bedford MA. $20 for all other participants. Payments can be made at: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=PK3XX4A5A37H8
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PD Certificate (1.5 hours) provided after completion
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Presenter: Yvonne Liu-Constant, Ph.D.
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Yvonne Liu-Constant is the founder of Mathful Play, a teacher collaborative that explores how to make math more playful and play more mathful. She also works at the Pedagogy of Play project at Project Zero, Harvard University, and teaches early childhood STEAM and Reggio Emilia inspired courses at Lesley University.
November 4th, 2021 @ 6:00PM
Mindfulness Matters: Practices for the Classroom
6:00-7:30 PM
At the Creative Resource Center
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Join us for an evening exploring ways to integrate mindfulness practices into your everyday teaching. We will discuss mindfulness techniques for both yourself and your students, as well as ways to create an atmosphere of calm in your classroom's physical environment.
The “Messing About” portion of the evening will involve trying out mindfulness practices, and working together to create a sample “cozy space” using materials available at the center.
Teachers will be gifted a mindfulness kit for use in their classroom.
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MASK REQUIRED
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FREE for early childhood teachers, directors, administrators, and early childhood intervention specialists working in New Bedford MA.
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Recommended donation of $15 for all other participants. Donations can be made at: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=PK3XX4A5A37H8
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PD Certificate (1.5 hours) provided after completion
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Presenter: Yasmin Flefleh-Vincent, Early Childhood Education teacher at the Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School. Yasmin has a Masters Degree in Teaching from UMass Dartmouth. Among her many local other community endeavors, Yasmin is a member of New Bedford Children’s board of directors.
October 12th, 2021 @ 6:00PM
Beyond Rice: Creating Culturally Sensitive Sensory Experiences for Young Children
6:00-7:30 PM
At the Creative Resource Center
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Sensory play is essential for young children’s development. It supports fine and gross motor skills, language, science and mathematics, social and emotional, and cognitive development. This workshop will explore ways to use natural, recycled, and inexpensive non-food materials to provide enriching and culturally sensitive sensory experiences for young children.
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The “Messing About” portion of the workshop will involve exploring a variety of sample sensory bins. Participants will be able to take back to their classrooms materials for their own sensory bins at the end of the night.
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MASKS REQUIRED
FREE for early childhood teachers, directors, administrators, and early childhood intervention specialists working in New Bedford MA.
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Recommended donation of $15 for all other participants. Donations can be made at: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=PK3XX4A5A37H8
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PD Certificate (1.5 hours) provided after completion
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Presenter: Mary Geiser, preschool teacher at Learning Brooke Early Childhood Center in RI. Mary previously worked as the Chair of the Early Childhood Education Department at Bunker Hill Community College. Mary has a Masters Degree in Creative Arts and Learning from Lesley University and is currently working towards her PH.D. Mary is writing a book on art in early childhood education for Davis Publications.
October 14th, 2021 @ 6:00PM
Artist Workshop:
Exploring Paint and Color Theory with John Jameson
6:00-7:30 PM
At the Creative Resource Center
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This is the first of five Artist Workshops presented by local artists and tied into classroom practices.
Color theory and paint mixing are important elements to understand when offering paint to infants, toddlers and preschoolers. There will be plenty of “messing about” time spent mixing our own custom colors for you to bring back to your classroom as well as time spent using our new paints.
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The second portion of the workshop will show stories and examples from the presenters’ personal experiences using paint with young children.
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MASKS REQUIRED
FREE for early childhood teachers, directors, administrators, and early childhood intervention specialists working in New Bedford MA.
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Recommended donation of $15 for all other participants. Donations can be made at: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=PK3XX4A5A37H8
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PD Certificate (1.5 hours) provided after completion
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Presenter: John Jameson, a local painter with an eye for color. John has a masters degree in Painting from the New York Academy of Art as well as a BFA in painting from UMass Dartmouth. John currently works out of his studio inside the Kilburn Mill in New Bedford where he paints landscapes and portraits. His work can be seen at www.johnjamesonpaintings.com. Marissa Fay-Martin, early childhood teacher and executive director of New Bedford Children. Marissa has a BFA degree in art education from UMass Dartmouth and a masters degree in education and human development from the University of Colorado Denver.
October 19th, 2021 @ 6:00PM
Designing Your Classroom Environment
6:00-7:30 PM
At the Creative Resource Center
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Have you ever considered whether your classroom's physical environment supports you as a teacher? How it impacts your your students behaviors and development?
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In this workshop we will discuss the importance of the classroom environment, from the impact of lighting, to ways of making the space more welcoming and inviting for families. We will look at photos of classrooms across the country to pull inspiration for our own work.
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For the “Messing About” portion of the evening we will redesign the sample classroom environments in the Resource Center and create individual inspiration boards for you to bring back to your classroom for ideas.
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MASKS REQUIRED
FREE for early childhood teachers, directors, administrators, and early childhood intervention specialists working in New Bedford MA.
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Recommended donation of $15 for all other participants. Donations can be made at: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=PK3XX4A5A37H8
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PD Certificate (1.5 hours) provided after completion
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Presenter: Marissa Fay Martin, early childhood teacher and executive director of New Bedford Children. Marissa has a BFA degree in art education from UMass Dartmouth and a masters degree in education and human development from the University of Colorado Denver. Designing learning environments is her greatest passion.
Part of New Bedford children's mission involves offering free professional development opportunities to early childhood professionals here in New Bedford. We also host community wide events as a way to collaborate with our community. Events range from hands-on workshops to lectures by guest speakers. See below for more details.
November 24th, 2020 @ 6:00PM
Introduction to Loose Parts: Reimagining Potentials for Play in the Early Childhood Classroom
6:00-7:30 PM via Zoom
Presenter: Mary Geisser
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Recycled, found and uncommon objects provide rich opportunities for creative and imaginative play at low cost with high educational benefits. In this workshop, we will break down what loose parts are and how to bring them into your classroom. We will also explore the many ways of using loose parts with young children and the developmental benefits.
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Includes a free loose parts kit for your classroom!
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About Mary Geisser:
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Mary is an Early Childhood Educator, an Art Educator and a visual artist. She served as a tenured professor at Bunker Hill Community College where she was the Chair of the Early Childhood Education Department. She has worked as an adjunct faculty member at Lesley University, Endicott College, UMass Dartmouth and Fisher College. Mary has served on the boards of The RI Art Education Association and the Massachusetts Art Education Association as the first Early Childhood Education Representative in both states. As a board member for the Boston Area Reggio Inspired Group for 5 years, she expanded diversity and access of the programs. Mary has worked as a college professor, a classroom teacher, a teaching artist, and consultant in the field of Early Childhood Education. Mary is currently a preschool teacher at Learning Brooke Early Childhood Center in RI and is writing for Davis Educational publications.
July 17, 2021 from 9 AM to 5 PM
Creative Resource Center Grand Opening
Kilburn Mill, Suite 291
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Come join us all day for food, drinks, music, raffle prizes and to "Mess About" in the creative learning space we've made for artists and early childhood educators. Acknowledgements, raffle drawing, and ribbon cutting at 3 pm.
This Creative Resource Center was established on the belief that our New Bedford community possesses all the resources needed to support and enrich our cities early childhood sys tem. We know that when we pool together our materials and talents, we have the power to transform our schools for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. We can raise up teachers, support families, and give our children the very best start at life possible.
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This center is made possible by New Bedford Creative who awarded New Bedford Children a 2021 "Art is Everywhere" Grant. This grant is funded by MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) and the Barr Foundation.
Thursdays @ 6:00 PM
Teacher Talk Nights
6:00-8:00PM via Zoom
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Facilitated by New Bedford Children
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Select Thursdays from 6:00-8:00
Upcoming dates: December 3rd, December 17th
These recurring events are a space for early childhood professionals to come together to chat and receive support. It's a safe space for open dialogue and for sharing struggles and triumphs from inside the classroom. It's a great space to share tips and ask questions about teaching during COVID-19
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No registration required
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Zoom Link and Information:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89844900694?pwd=WnpQNWYvWVByT1BCL0llRmtoempPUT09
Meeting ID: 898 4490 0694
Passcode: NewBedford
December 1, 2020 @ 6:00 PM
Exploring Beautiful Stuff from Nature
6:00-7:30 PM via Zoom
Guest Speakers: Lella Gandini, and Cathy Weisman Topal
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World renowned educators Cathy and Lella join us to share stories from their new book Beautiful Stuff from Nature. Coming from schools and teachers across North America, these stories tell of children and teachers exploring nature together. Each features local environments, natural materials and ordinary experience made extraordinary through images quotes and reflections.
"Through their explorations, collections, creations, displays, and stories, children discover the beauty and variety in their own small piece of the planet."
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November 24th, 2020 @ 6:00PM
Introduction to Loose Parts: Reimagining Potentials for Play in the Early Childhood Classroom
6:00-7:30 PM via Zoom
Presenter: Mary Geisser
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Recycled, found and uncommon objects provide rich opportunities for creative and imaginative play at low cost with high educational benefits. In this workshop, we will break down what loose parts are and how to bring them into your classroom. We will also explore the many ways of using loose parts with young children and the developmental benefits.
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Includes a free loose parts kit for your classroom!
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About Mary Geisser:
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Mary is an Early Childhood Educator, an Art Educator and a visual artist. She served as a tenured professor at Bunker Hill Community College where she was the Chair of the Early Childhood Education Department. She has worked as an adjunct faculty member at Lesley University, Endicott College, UMass Dartmouth and Fisher College. Mary has served on the boards of The RI Art Education Association and the Massachusetts Art Education Association as the first Early Childhood Education Representative in both states. As a board member for the Boston Area Reggio Inspired Group for 5 years, she expanded diversity and access of the programs. Mary has worked as a college professor, a classroom teacher, a teaching artist, and consultant in the field of Early Childhood Education. Mary is currently a preschool teacher at Learning Brooke Early Childhood Center in RI and is writing for Davis Educational publications.
November 21, 2020 @ 3:00 PM
Coming Together as a City that Loves Its Children
3:00 PM via Zoom
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Join us for an event celebrating the weaving together of our community's voices to reimagine early childhood education in New Bedford. Hosted by New Bedford Children.
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June 30, 2020
Anti-Racism as an Act of Love in the Early Childhood Classroom
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During this workshop, we will focus on our roles as anti-racist early childhood practitioners and discuss practical strategies for creating welcoming schools and classroom spaces for young children and families here in New Bedford, MA. We will also explore:
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How can we engage in anti-racist work with young children?
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How do our classroom environments reflect our community? Do we offer "mirrors" (see self) and "windows" (see others)?
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What do our books and materials reflect?
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How is anti-racism an act of love?
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How can observation and documentation be used as tools for anti-racism in the classroom?
About Presenter:
Desiree Ivey is the Executive Director of Teacher Training Center at Shady Hill School, a pre-k to 8 progressive independent elementary school in Cambridge, MA. As Executive Director of the Center, she leads a school within a school that recruits, trains, and cultivates culturally fluent educators in independent and public schools. Desiree is a teacher-mentor learning alongside her colleagues while focused on the child.
June 23, 2020
A Vision for Reopening: Perspectives form Boulder Journey School
Join us for a discussion about reopening with two pedagogical leaders from Boulder Journey School: Alex Morgan and Lauren Weatherly. Boulder Journey School is a world-renowned school for children ages 8 weeks to 6 years of age located in Boulder, Colorado. After closing for 10 weeks due to COVID-19, the Boulder Journey School reopened to families on May 11th. During this talk, they will share with us their process for reopening including: a “social story” that was shared with families before returning, the preparation of the classroom environments by teachers, and stories and ideas from inside the reopened classrooms. After the presentation there will be time for discussions of how we can transfer these ideas to our own contexts here in New Bedford.
