Virtual 4-H Quarantine Professional Development

May 26, 2020 News
Join UMaine 4-H staff for a variety of virtual workshops designed to support those working directly with youth. Workshops will be a blend of online and independent (offline) work. Join one workshop or all four. Certificates for contact hours will be provided to attendees.  In order to view workshop visual aids, joining with video capability is preferred. Registration is required at least 24-hours in advance. Register online!
All online workshops will take place in Eastern Standard Time.

Making & Tinkering

May 27, 2020 – 9:00 – 11:30 am
This will be an introduction to creative problem solving through the concepts of education through making. Participants will discuss making through education and have an opportunity to explore a DIY, hands-on making and tinkering challenge that could be replicated with youth. Skills built through making and tinkering include open-ended problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and innovation. (2.5 contact hours)

Supporting Social and Emotional Learning

June 1 & 3, 2020 – 12:00 – 1:00 pm (individuals must attend both sessions)
Effective staff need to be fluent in the concepts and language of social and emotional learning. This training will provide activities that can enhance staff knowledge of their own social and emotional skills and those of youth. This three-hour session (one hour of asynchronous work) is an introduction to the Ways of Being Model, a flexible way to explain and explore social-emotional learning. You will be asked to learn about this model and think about how it applies to your work with young people.  Participants will expand their understanding of SEL and learn some strategies which can easily be implemented within their programs. (3 contact hours)

Observing the Natural World

June 4, 2020 – 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Using and Exploration Routine from the BEETLES Project, participants will practice and learn a useful tool to teach and model observation skills. This learning process helps students develop a mindset of curiosity, and provides language tools to actively and directly engage with the natural world. This simple routine can help students get beyond seeing nature as a “green blur,” and lead them to never be bored in nature again. (2 contact hours)

Creative Problem Solving – The Wizard of Oz

June 11, 2020 – 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
This two-hour professional development offering will use the metaphor of The Wizard of Oz to go through the creative problem solving process. Participants will consider ‘problems’ or challenges and travel the Yellow Brick Road to discover the strengths they hold and opportunities to support innovative solutions. Limited to the first 60 registrants. (2 contact hours)