The Case Western Reserve University Schubert Center for Child Studies and the Cleveland Botanical Garden will present “Year of Play: The Science of Play-Based Education Symposium” on Friday, May 17, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Cleveland Botanical Garden.
The morning session, 9 a.m.–noon, will feature David Sobel and his keynote lecture, “Place-Based Education: Test scores and going beyond test scores,” and a local panel featuring:
- Terrence Allan, health commissioner, Cuyahoga County Board of Health
- James Bader, director of the Gelfand STEM Center, CWRU
- Eric S. Gordon, chief executive officer, Cleveland Metropolitan School District
- Sharon L. Graper, manager of academic services, The Holden Arboretum
- Billie Osborne-Fears, executive director, Starting Point
- Sandra Russ, professor of psychology, CWRU
- Gabriella Celeste, child policy director, Schubert Center for Child Studies
The afternoon session, noon–4:30 p.m., includes lunch and workshops:
- “The Magic of Childhood: The Hershey Children’s Garden as a Learning Space”
- “Applying the Small Worlds Principle in Curriculum Development In Childhood and Nature: Design Principles for Educators,” presented by Sobel
The morning symposium is free and open to the public.
Full-day participation, including lunch, parking and materials, is $35 for garden members, $42 for non-members.
The first 150 registrants will receive a free copy of Childhood and Nature.
Pre-registration is required. Pre-register by calling 216.721.1600, ext. 100
For more information, visit the Schubert Center website.