What Happens When Educators Are Invited to Play Again
Plus: An Exclusive Preschool STEM Institute Discount Code
Every year after the Preschool STEM Institute ends, I find myself thinking about how rare it is to be in a professional learning space where educators and their experiences are truly honored. Too often, educators enter professional learning spaces only to be told what they should be doing differently instead of having their existing wisdom, creativity, and experiences valued.
At the Preschool STEM Institute, educators arrive exactly as they are. They bring questions from their classrooms, stories from their children, creative ideas, uncertainty, curiosity, and years of lived experience.
The Preschool STEM Institute is interactive, playful, reflective, hands-on, and deeply practical. We laugh together. We test ideas together. We move, create, build, wonder, and problem solve together. Check out the instrument Melissa created during the PSI last year!
I think something powerful happens when educators are invited to play again.
When adults are given space to wonder, experiment, create, move, and take risks without fear of “doing it wrong,” we begin reconnecting with the same curiosity we hope to nurture in children. And from there, meaningful change begins to happen! Not through pressure or perfection, but through joy, reflection, and shared learning.
Some of my favorite moments happen when educators begin exchanging stories from their own classrooms and suddenly the entire space shifts from “professional development” into genuine community learning. And somehow, all of this happens online! We believe online professional learning does not mean you have to be disconnected from joy :)
I cannot talk about the Preschool STEM Institute without mentioning one of the best parts: the kits.
Before the event, participants receive a package filled with materials and surprises that we use throughout the Institute together. I love imagining educators opening their boxes and discovering invitations to explore, experiment, and play. There is something special about having tangible materials in your hands while learning alongside educators from different places, programs, and teaching contexts.
And this year’s theme feels especially meaningful to me.
This year, we are exploring movement.
Young children learn through their bodies first. They roll, climb, dance, carry, spin, balance, jump, throw, crawl, and build their understanding of the world through movement and sensory experience. During this year’s Institute, we will explore how movement connects to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in joyful and meaningful ways.
Throughout the Institute, we will explore topics like:
force, motion, and physical science through playful investigation
early coding and engineering through movement and creativity
physical literacy and classrooms where all learners belong
risky play and outdoor STEM exploration
classroom examples shared directly by educators
collaborative breakout spaces where participants apply ideas to their own teaching contexts
And perhaps most importantly, the Institute is designed for ideas to travel outward.
Participants leave with practical strategies, materials, and action plans they can immediately bring back to their classrooms and share with coworkers, teams, and communities. The learning does not stop when the Institute ends. Watching educators leave feeling inspired and then go on to inspire other educators is one of the most meaningful parts of this work.
I think so many educators are hungry for professional learning that feels inspiring again.
Not performative or rigid.
Not disconnected from real children and real classrooms.
Just meaningful, creative learning that reminds us why we entered this field in the first place!
If you have been wanting professional learning that feels energizing, practical, and welcoming, I truly hope you will join us for this year’s Preschool STEM Institute.
And as a thank you for being part of this Substack community, I wanted to share a special discount code with you:
iheartstem2026
This code gives you $50 off the cost of the Institute when you register for the July 9–10 event.
Learn More:
https://www.ecstemlab.com/preschool-stem-institute.html
I would absolutely love to learn alongside you this summer 💛
~*~ Amie, EC STEM Lab Assistant Director