profile

Center for Playful Inquiry

Care for Living, Care for Freedom

Published 4 months ago • 1 min read

Dear Reader,

Earlier this month, Matt and I had the tremendous privilege of visiting Children First in Durham, NC. We got to spend a beautiful day alongside the children and teachers and facilitate a workshop with local folks who we've gotten to know through The Studio. I left some reflections over on Substack - and invite you to take a look!

in solidarity and with appreciation,

Early Registration is Open

Join us in 26-27

You are invited to join a small global cohort dedicated to constructing pathways for playful inquiry to grow joy, meaning, and courage.

WATCHING, LISTENING, READING

Good things:

I felt like I was in conversation with Suzanne Axelsson after writing my recent post on Substack and then reading hers​

Matt and I were both moved by this essay by aja monet and put it right to use in our workshop at Children First

Alfie Kohn bringing the good questions, as usual

Prentiss Hemphill on children​

If you want a visit to Children First - pick up a copy of Donna King's book, Pursuing Bad Guys​

“when is it ever not time for poetry?”

— aja monet

3950 NW St. Helens Rd. , Portland, OR 97210
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​

Center for Playful Inquiry

Pedagogical partnership inspiring courage, community, change.

Susan Harris MacKay and Matt Karlsen provide consulting, coaching, and mentorship to educators who are seeking companionship and community in creating and sustaining inquiry-based, aesthetically rich, democratic learning environments and experiences for young children and themselves. Former directors of Opal School in Portland, Oregon. Author: Story Workshop: New Possibilities for Young Writers (Heinemann, 2021). Membership is open at the Studio for Playful Inquiry.

Read more from Center for Playful Inquiry

Dear Reader, Today in The Studio, Matt wrote: On a deep level, we recognize - we treasure - that we live in dependence. And yet, in our work, this almost comes across as pejorative. I've often seen schools highlighting their success in raising independent children. Can you imagine a school advertising its achievement in supporting children to celebrate their dependence? In conversation on another post, Miriam Beloglovsky invited a shift: Perhaps the question is not, "How do we help children...

3 days ago • 3 min read

Dear Reader, As I was wandering bookstores this weekend, I was pretty excited to notice Mac Barnett's new book, Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children on the front page of the Indie Next flyer - listed as this month's "#1 Great Read" - and yes, I mean on the issue they publish for adult readers! I was excited because I have read this book - and in my opinion, it is one of the best declarations of what it means to hold a strong image of the child that I have ever encountered. That wasn't...

about 1 month ago • 4 min read

Dear Reader, Last weekend I had the privilege to sit alongside a beloved childcare center and support their process of saying goodbye to the work they've done for over 30 years in service to families in our local community. What a sorrowful gathering it was. What a joyful gathering it was. No one but the corporation that owned their property was ready for them to end their program - no one asked for their input or perspective or inquired about the impact the closure would have on those who...

2 months ago • 3 min read