UW Play Institute Attracts Early Childhood Educators from Across Wyoming

Close to 180 early childhood educators from across Wyoming shared and gained insights into how to effectively incorporate play into their programs during a conference at the University of Wyoming.

The new Center for Early Learning in the UW's College of Education hosted a Play Institute June 29-30 at the UW Conference Center in Laramie. Attendees included 48 preschool teachers, 52 kindergarten teachers, 25 first- and second-grade teachers, 23 school administrators, 10 special educators and 22 educators who work across ages and classrooms.

Educators attended from Afton, Albin, Arapahoe, Bar Nunn, Big Horn, Buffalo, Burns, Casper, Cheyenne, Cokeville, Cody, Dubois, Encampment, Evanston, Green River, Jackson, Lander, Laramie, Lovell, Lyman, Meeteetse, Mountain View, Powell, Rawlins, Riverton, Rock Springs, Saratoga, Sheridan, Thayne, Tongue River, Torrington, Upton, Wheatland and Worland.

Presentations included keynote addresses by the CEO of the National Institute for Play, Mia Sundstrom; breakout sessions led by UW faculty members and teachers from across the state; poster presentations by UW play practitioner grant recipients; and a "play lab" sponsored by UW's Wyoming Early Childhood Professional Learning Collaborative.

"Early childhood education is central to Wyoming's long-term economic development and prosperity. When we invest in young children and the educators who support them, we are investing in the future workforce, families and communities of our state," says Jenna Shim, the John A. "Jack" Ellbogen Dean of UW's College of Education. "Through the UW Center for Early Learning and initiatives such as the Play Institute, the College of Education is proud to help strengthen early learning across Wyoming in ways that are research-informed and practical."

The Wyoming Play Practitioner Grant Program, funded by the UW Trustees Education Initiative, pairs kindergarten teachers with experienced play practitioner mentors to deepen play-based instructional strategies in early childhood education.

Playful learning describes a learning context in which children learn content while playing freely, with teacher guidance or in structured games. By harnessing children's natural curiosity and their desire to experiment, explore, solve problems and stay engaged in meaningful activities, teachers maximize learning while individualizing learning goals.

"The Play Institute demonstrates the growing interest from schools across Wyoming in harnessing the power of play-based pedagogy to enrich early learning environments," says Nikki Baldwin, the director of UW's Center for Early Learning. "Seeing educators and administrators come together to share insights shows how deeply our communities value joyful, meaningful instruction. Through the Center for Early Learning, we are thrilled to support teachers with the tools and mentorship they need to maximize children's natural curiosity and build strong educational foundations across the state."

UW faculty members who presented at the event were Lauren Carlisle, Amy Encinger, Jennifer Geringer, Alison Mercier and Mary Todd. Amy Reyes-Hauff, of the Wyoming Department of Education, also was among the presenters.

Listed by hometown, Wyoming Early Childhood Professional Learning Collaborative team members who presented and led the institute are:

Bear River -- Char Norris.

Lander -- Kelce Eckhardt.

Laramie -- Taylor Dory.

Powell -- Tyler Gonzalez.

Sheridan -- Kara Cossel.

Play practitioners and others who presented at the conference, listed by hometown, are:

Afton -- Angela Burton.

Albin -- Kendra Redding.

Buffalo -- Jessica Kavitz.

Cheyenne - Melanie Hornbeck and Abbey Winkler.

Green River -- Yolanda Crowder, Janelle Huber and Kylee Lewis.

Jackson -- Alex Goe.

Rawlins -- Emily Claycomb, Theresa Herrera and Tanya Wall.

Torrington -- Sarah Speckner.

Worland -- Joanna Hostetter.