Certificate in Play-Based Learning

for Early Childhood Educators

In the newly released book, The Way of Play (co-written with Dr. Tina Payne Bryson, NY Times bestselling author of The Whole-Brain Child), renowned play expert Georgie Wisen-Vincent presents the latest scientific research—with a special emphasis on neurodiversity, the power of play, and the developing brain—in a way that’s clear, interesting, and immediately practical for educators. The focus is on better understanding the role of play and what it does for the mind, brain, and relationships, with focused attention on rethinking challenging behaviors in early childhood and how connection and play can change behaviors, meet students’ diverse needs, and accelerate learning.

Georgie and her colleagues, Olivia Martinez-Hauge and Jennifer Shim Lovers, will provide didactic and creative strategies which combine brain science and innovative play techniques to cultivate deeper learning, cognitive ability, self-awareness empathy, and more. They will show you, through a variety of activities, stories, and reflective discussion, how to transform everyday classroom moments into powerful opportunities for growth in learning. At the end of this remarkable training experience, attendees will have a new framework for understanding their students and their own work, along with seven new strategies to help young children move into deeper, more meaningful cognitive, social and emotional development.

Course Overview

The Play-Based Learning Certificate Series for Educators is intended for a diverse audience of those passionate about play and education, including:

• Teachers
• Administrators
• One-to-one support staff
• Educational leaders

from all levels interested in incorporating play into their classrooms, especially those looking to promote play-based learning initiatives in the early childhood and elementary ages.

How this course improves your teaching practice

• You'll gain many strategies and techniques for dealing with difficult situations, like when behaviors arise in the classroom, and how to transform those challenging moments into energized, meaningful learning.
• You'll see and experience the powerful role of play in early and elementary education, and gain knowledge of the research and science behind play to deepen your interactions and relationships between students, peers, and teachers.
• We expose the hidden language of play, which cognitive, physical, social and emotional skills kids are really developing when they play, and how to transform those signals into intellectual capacity, focus, curiosity, stronger language and communication,and real educational progress.
• We offer many tools for engaging and amplifying developmental learning through direct practice along a play-based continuum.
• We uncover tried, tested, and proven strategies that help kids feel safe and super-engaged in your interactions and teaching, so they can't wait to fully invest in their own intelligent, meaningful, and purposeful play-based learning.
• We unlock joy and confidence that your play-based work is making a difference. You'll be able to recognize when results unfold right in front of you, and know exactly how to translate those successful strategies to parents and families, school leaders, and everywhere else children are cared for.

Meet the Faculty

• Georgie Wisen-Vincent, LMFT RPT-S

  Georgie is the Managing Director and Lead Faculty for The Center for Connection Play Strong Institute, a clinical and training institute focused on helping children and families connect and thrive with play therapy. Georgie completed advanced postgraduate study in Child-Centered Play Therapy at the University of Roehampton, England, Intensive Play Therapy Supervision at the University of North Texas Center for Play Therapy, and her Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy at Chapman University. Georgie helped create and coordinate the Loma Linda University Play Therapy Program where she also teaches and supervises graduate students as an adjunct faculty member. Georgie is a frequent speaker for parents and professional groups interested in learning about her Play Strong model for trauma resilience, and other topics related to trauma-informed care and the neurobiology of play and relationships.

• Olivia Martinez-Hauge, LMFT, OTR/L

  Drawing on both clinical as well as lived experience as the parent of a neurodivergent child, Olivia Martinez-Hauge will speak from her vast experience as a dual trained occupational therapist and licensed mental health clinician, and explain the concepts of neurodiversity, ableism, and neurodivergence. Using powerful activities, she will highlight the qualities of a neurodiversity affirming clinician that will encourage you to design strategies for more equitable and just engagement with neurodivergent clients and their families.

• Jennifer Shim Lovers, LMFT RPT

  Jennifer is a Play Therapy Supervisor at The Center for Connection Play Strong Institute. Jennifer received a Master of Science in Marital & Family Therapy from Fuller Theological Seminary School of Psychology and a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. Jennifer focuses on attachment relationships and multicultural perspectives in her work with individuals, couples, children and families. She specializes in parenting consultation and perinatal and fertility support for families. Jennifer is the lead supervisor of graduate trainees in school-based counseling at Aveson and Odyssey Charter Schools in Altadena, California and she maintains a private practice at The Center for Connection in Pasadena, California.

Course Format

This highly impactful program for early and elementary educators is offered to school teams as a series:

• Full Day Summit: Can be provided as a full day, two half days, or four 2 hour training segments.
• Play-Based Workshops: Five 2-hour workshops focused on practice and implementation, offered as in-person or virtual sessions.
• Classroom Observations: Several classroom observations at your school(s) are organized to help your teachers and staff learn to observe and attune to play-based teacher-student interactions.
• Expert Consultation (Optional): Spend more time with our trainers to discuss direct application and adaptation to students with individual differences

Curriculum

The scope and sequence of PBL content areas are provided for each program component, organized in steps:

Step 1: Full Day Summit

Join us for opening remarks and a broad introduction to Play Strong in Education, a unique approach to play-based learning that will revolutionize the way you observe and support children’s play, development, and behavior in your classroom and school. This initial training for educators and school leaders will course out the entire program so attendees can anticipate programmatic requirements toward the certificate (i.e. minimum attendance, logistical needs, observations, ongoing assessment). You’ll gain exposure to the key strategies that will be reviewed throughout the program as well as the research behind the importance of play-based learning. Opportunities for hands-on learning and experimentation will mirror the process of implementing these developmental strategies with your students, so you will walk away with highly practical tools and new ideas for engaging playful, confident, and effective learners across a diverse array of student needs and abilities. It will truly be a kick-off event to remember!

Step 2: Play Strong Workshops

Deepen practical skills and connections within a vibrant community of educators, researchers, and advocates who share a profound passion for the impact of play.

Workshop #1:

Play Strong Strategies 1-2 Mastering Reflection

Learn the “why” and the “how” of playful engagement with students to make them stronger in their attentional, intellectual and emotional balance, so they can learn to observe their own thinking and voice their ideas and intentions calmly and in ways that matter for stronger learning outcomes.

Workshop #2:

Play Strong Strategies 3-4 Managing Intensity

You’ll discover desirable and proven techniques to handle the intensity that emerges in play – fears, frustration, fragmented attention, frazzled peer interactions, and more. Gain new ideas to shift challenging behavior and create win-win situations where everyone learns in the process of play.

Workshop #3:

Play Strong Strategy 5 Harnessing Emotions

Play switches on emotions and gives children real opportunities to build emotion regulation – but how? Learn new ways to leverage dramatic play to deal with conflict and allow children to act out emotions safely, so they can practice handling them better when it’s “just pretend” and in real life situations when it really matters.

Workshop #4:

Play Strong Strategy 6 Scaffolding Skills

We’ve all heard it – play is a primary driver of early learning. But still many of us don’t exactly know how open-ended play can be scaffolded to build children up in their proximal zone. This workshop will help you meet students at any level of play and see where you can stretch their developing skills toward greater resilience.

Workshop #5:

Play Strong Strategy 7 Elevating Meaning

Storytelling ties together our experiences, develops our empathy, and teaches powerful lessons about humanity. Kids need to absorb knowledge and find deeper meaning in it if they are to be successful in school. Here you’ll learn to elevate the meaning of play and give your students lasting lessons for life.

Step 3: Classroom Observations

Five classroom-based observation experiences will be designed to amplify the impact of your Play Strong workshop sessions. For each lab, participants will visit a different member cohort school and practice observing the Play Strong strategies in action. Following each lab, a dynamic debrief will provide an immersive, play-based learning encounter rooted in the core principles of the workshops.

Step 4: Expert Consultation (Optional)

Take advantage of some extra time with our experts at any stage of the training. You’ll be able to arrange for us to visit your school and talk with us about emerging and specific needs in your classroom community. Discover how planning and structuring for Play-Based Learning can inspire innovation, collaboration, and a sense of wonder in both educators and learners.

Get input from an occupational therapist and school-based therapist with years of experience innovating sensory solutions and supporting developmental delays/students with IEPs. We’ll share valuable resources and tips on creating an inclusive, neurodiversity affirming environment to support sensory, motor and cognitive integration and incorporate student challenges with learning, development, and behavior. Unleash your imagination as we create calmer, more accessible spaces for students to thrive.

Register your Team

To request a full course prospectus and inquire about pricing, contact Play Strong Institute Director, Georgie Wisen-Vincent, by completing the interest form.

Register Your Team