A Project Zero Evening at Imagination Stage: Making the Most of Children's Imagination

How do we make the most of children’s imagination?

Join educators, parents, artists and others on Tuesday, April 30, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. and hear from researchers and practitioners about ways to nurture creativity in children.

Hosted by Imagination Stage at its headquarters in downtown Bethesda, MD, this special evening will feature talks by noted Harvard Project Zero researchers Veronica Boix Mansilla, Mara Krechevsky and Ben Mardell. Local educators will demonstrate tools they are using to engage the imagination of children of all ages.

This event has been organized by Imagination Stage, Project Zero, the Washington International School, and DC-PZ. To register, follow the link:

http://community.imaginationstage.org/a-project-zero-evening--making-the-most-of-childrens-imagination

Imagination Stage (IS) is the largest multi-disciplinary theatre arts organization for young people in the Mid-Atlantic region. A leader in its field, IS offers a year-round season of professional shows (adult actors performing for families and classes), after-school programs and summer camps for ages 1-18, and arts-integration professional development training for teachers, students, schools and families. All of the programs are informed by the core belief in making the arts inclusive and accessible to all children, regardless of their physical, cognitive, or financial status.

For nearly 50 years, Project Zero (PZ) has put arts education at the center of all it does. Founded by Harvard professor and philosopher Nelson Goodman, PZ is an educational research group at the Harvard Graduate School of Education composed of multiple, independently-sponsored research projects. Since 1967, Project Zero has examined the development of learning processes in children, adults and organizations. Today, Project Zero’s work includes investigations into the nature of intelligence, understanding, thinking, creativity, ethics and other essential aspects of human learning. Their mission is to understand and enhance high-level thinking and learning across disciplines and cultures and in a range of contexts, including schools, businesses, museums and digital environments.

The Washington International School (WIS), founded in 1966, is a pre-kindergarten through grade 12 independent school located on two beautiful campuses in DC—the Primary School is in north Georgetown and the Middle School and Upper School are housed on the Tregaron estate in Cleveland Park. WIS has been deeply involved with Project Zero ideas for over a decade now and in 2010 co-hosted with the National Gallery of Art the first-ever Project Zero conference off the Harvard University campus. WIS’s mission is to provide a demanding international education that will challenge students to become responsible and effective world citizens.

DC-PZ is composed of over 100 local educators who are passionately pursuing Project Zero ideas in their practice. DC-PZ offers professional development gatherings throughout the year. Members of the group come from public, charter, independent and parochial schools in the DC metropolitan area.

Schedule for the Evening:

5:30-6:00 pm   Welcome reception (snacks provided)

6:00-7:00 pm   Opening talk by Mara Krechevsky and Ben Mardell of Project Zero

Challenging Assumptions About Creativity: Expanding Our View of the Possible 

The Municipal Preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, are arguably the most powerful experiment in early childhood education of the last 50 years. These schools have drawn international attention to the extraordinary capacities of children as individual and group learners, the potential of dedicated teachers, and the role of education in a democratic society. In this session, researchers Mara Krechevsky and Ben Mardell explore two key components of the Reggio approach to fostering children's creativity: the power of the group as a learning environment and documentation as a way to shape and make visible how and what we learn. Making learning visible gives children, educators, and the community a basis for discussion and reflection about children's ways of learning and living, expanding our view of the possible.

7:00-7:40 pm   Break-out sessions led by local educators (see descriptions below)

7:45-8:30 pm   Closing talk by Veronica Boix Mansilla of Project Zero

Purposeful, Grounded, and “Voiceful” Inquiries:  Unleashing Creativity and Innovation in Our Youth

In a world characterized by fundamental societal transformations, ranging from globalization to the digital revolution and pursuit of sustainable solutions, nurturing a generation of creative individuals able to find novel solutions to the challenges of their time becomes imperative. What constitutes creativity among our youth? What barriers do young people confront in thinking and behaving creatively? How can we nurture creative minds?  In this session, we will examine an example of student learning up-close in order to reflect about the nature of creativity and the conditions that might promote it. We will investigate the role that a meaningful sense of purpose, grounding in established knowledge, and a strong personal stance may have in creative expression. 

Break-Out Sessions (Attendees will choose one to attend)

Creative Voices in the Classroom

When children are encouraged to make and build connections, creativity thrives. Fifth grade teacher Vaijayanti Wagle will show ways she has used Project Zero tools and frameworks to help children extend their thinking and thereby deepen their understanding of topics being studied.

Presenter: Vaijayanti Wagle, Grade 5 Teacher, Washington International School

Perspective-Taking with Picasso

Visual art is fertile ground for nurturing creativity. Explore Picasso's Family of Saltimbanques using Thinking Routines that encourage careful observation and perspective-taking.

Presenter: Heidi Hinish, Head of Teacher, School and Family Programs, National Gallery of Art

The “Creativity Through Theatre Curriculum” at Imagination Stage

Learn about the evolution of Imagination Stage’s new Creativity through Theatre Curriculum.  Beginning with the four elements of creativity identified by E. Paul Torrance—Fluency, Originality, Flexibility and Elaboration—Janet Stanford will demonstrate how drama exercises can instill a creative habit of mind.  Participants will have the chance to experiment briefly with a couple of creativity skill building games.

Presenter: Janet Stanford, Artistic Director, Imagination Stage

Thinking Routines: Unleashing Creative Thinking

Experience Thinking Routines first-hand in this session with literature teacher Carole Geneix. In a series of activities initially used in a classroom setting, participants will use their imagination in order to uncover complexity.

Presenter: Carole Geneix, Upper School French Teacher, Washington International School

The Torrance Test of Creative Thinking

Take a sample test from the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking –a series of tests designed by E. Paul Torrance, inspired by the work of J.P. Guilford. These tests are highly reliable and can be administered to children and adults.

Presenters: Imagination Stage Staff

Wading in the Water: Teacher Decision-Making Within a Project

Participants will use a learning protocol to view documentation from Alysia Scofield's 2012 kindergarten classroom project, "Wading in the Water: The Anacostia River Project," as a lens for identifying the teacher’s role within a project. In particular, participants will examine ways that documentation of learning might inform the way a teacher pursues or lets go of an idea.

Presenters: Alysia Scofield, Grade 1 teacher, and John Burst, principal, School Within School@Logan Annex