Pre-Conference Day of Learning

Sparking Awe: Building a Culture of Curiosity

Using the Chihuly Glass Sculpture Garden as the ultimate provocation, this immersive day of learning invites educators and leaders to explore how awe, beauty, and intentional design can inspire deeper inquiry and engagement. Through observation, reflection, and collaborative dialogue, participants will examine how environments communicate values, shape culture, and ignite learners’ natural curiosity.

Together, we will consider how classrooms and schools can become spaces that nurture exploration, empathy, and meaning-making. Drawing on principles of inquiry-based learning, reflective practice, and child-centered pedagogy, participants will investigate how educators intentionally create conditions that encourage children and adults to ask questions, pursue ideas, and develop a sense of agency in their learning.

Transition from observer to learner

As participants move from observation to learning, curated questions serve as a bridge between the experience of awe and the intentional work of building cultures of inquiry, empathy, and exploration. The goal is not to arrive at a single interpretation, but to practice the habits of noticing, wondering, reflecting, and meaning-making that we hope to cultivate in children and adults alike.

Breakout Sessions/Roundtables:

• How does curiosity-driven reflective supervision guide the practice of classroom observation?
• How does curiosity serve as a bridge between school and institutional collaboration?
• What are the key components of building a school culture of curiosity? How does this translate into compensation guidelines that feel equitable?
• *Chihuly Garden & Glass Entrance Fee, transportation, lunch, program materials, snacks, and new friendships included!

Registration will take place during the conference registration process and will be an ‘add-on’ you can select when you register.

LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE

January 20, 2027
9:00 am – 3:00 pm PT

Pricing
$172 ECE-RJ Member
$200 Non ECE-RJ Member

Arrival Information
When booking your flight to Seattle, please plan to arrive on Tuesday, January 19th, to be ready for the ECE-RJ Pre-Conference programming, which begins at 9 am on Wednesday, January 20, 2027.

*Details will be updated as plans are confirmed.