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“By intentionally respecting not just the needs, but also the strengths of young learners, we can help to foster the intellectual skills of creativity, curiosity, and bravery in the face of ambiguity — skills which will help them succeed, not just in preschool or kindergarten, but throughout their lives,” says Caitlin (Cat) Lynch, in the article accompanying the newest Out of the Box training, “Nurturing Creativity in Children.” Connecting creativity to curiosity and even bravery, Lynch invites us to elevate the things we do to foster creative expression by articulating our beliefs about children, learning, and creativity and then directly applying those beliefs to the activities and materials we offer for children's creative explorations. She states, “How we work with children... is just as important as why. ‘How’ is where the philosophy of ‘why’ meets the constraints of reality.”

Lynch’s approach is grounded in the belief that children are “strong, independent individuals capable of amazingly creative and complex thinking,” and thus her practice involves validating children’s different uses of the same materials. The new Out of the Box training invites you to explore Lynch’s approach so that even when faced with constraints beyond our control, we follow a clear thread from why to how, ensuring the activities and materials we offer children for creative expression are rich with meaning and possibilities.

In acknowledgment of Black History Month and the power of creative expression, here's a wonderful story of a creative quilt artist's impactful work.

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