January 22, 2024 Introduction to Young Thinkers: Encouraging Imagination and Innovation First Up and The PA Keys invites early childhood educators to this virtual Introduction to Young Thinkers professional development opportunity. First Up’s training for January and February will bring high-quality, live training for staff members on relevant topics with practical ideas that can go from the screen directly to your classrooms. Event Details When: February 1 | 1 – 3 p.m. Where: Virtual Cost: $20 Registration: Register today! About Course In the 21st century, creativity is viewed as a crucial and valuable skill in the workplace. However, opportunities for creativity have been overshadowed by academics and/or removed from schools altogether. We aim to get creativity back in the classroom and encourage children to use and treasure their imagination. Other 21st-century skills include innovation, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration. This course offers participants the opportunity to examine the importance of these skills and how to effectively and appropriately encourage them in the early childhood classroom, using developmentally appropriate practice. Through self-reflection, discussion, brainstorming, and other collaborative opportunities, participants will create a plan for encouraging these skills in their classroom. Additional Information If you have a special situation such as registering your entire staff for training or wanting a staff member to attend several of the trainings, please reach out to nancy.nicewonger@firstup.org directly. You can find the listings on the PD Registry training calendar. Please keep this in mind as a way to meet your needs for new staff, training for STARS, or if you want to supplement training for a few staff members.