In this episode we’ll hear from three local community leaders about their experiences responding to the COVID-19 crisis.  Bellevue School District Superintendent Ivan Duran shares what it was like facing so many unknowns when the school district went remote in March and the new systems the district has developed to make sure all kids have access to education from home.

Tina Vincent, District Director of Youth and Family Programs with the YMCA of Greater Seattle, and Nicole Jackson, Director of Program Operations at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bellevue share how their teams leapt into action. Within days of the school closures their teams had developed programs ensuring families had childcare, and kids of working parents had support in online learning. These organizations rely on each other and other community partnerships to continue providing services. Nobody can do this work alone! We are all in this together.

KidsQuest is a proud partner of the Bellevue School District, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bellevue and, The YMCA of Greater Seattle. We have also been working around the clock to continue providing our awesome programs to families at home in creative new ways.

We are so proud to have this incredible group of guests on the podcast. The work they have done for kids and families during these challenging times is truly lifesaving! If you’d like to learn more about any of the programs you hear about on the episode today, I encourage you to check out their websites below:

https://bsd405.org/

https://www.seattleymca.org/

http://www.bgcbellevue.org/

Did you know we have an entire team of educators working behind the scenes to create the KidsQuest programming you love? Meet Jenn Boesenberg, Chris Cunningham and AJ Curde! In this episode we’ll learn about the special way they develop curriculum to encourage curiosity, spark conversation, and build confidence in discovery.

We just kicked off a new class schedule and continue to find fun, creative ways to bring the magic of KidsQuest into your home.

Take a listen to hear Education Manager AJ unbox one of our new, sensory Kid Kits! Sign up for a subscription and a curated box containing some of our favorite sensory materials will be delivered to you each month.

Check out the KidsQuest website for more information on classes and upcoming programming!

https://www.kidsquestmuseum.org

We’re really excited to introduce you to some of the work KidsQuest does on a community-level. KidsQuest is proud to be a partner in the Eastside Pathways network! Their work unites over 60 organizations to set common goals and strategies that shape new systems to support every child in our community from cradle to career.

In this episode we’ll talk with Sandy Nathan, a Community Impact Manager at Eastside Pathways. She shares how the Eastside Pathways partnership utilizes the Collective Impact framework to develop new systems that benefit all kids. It is difficult for individual organizations­­ to tackle systemic problems on their own. But when we all set goals together and bring our diverse skills to the table, we can build new solutions together.

Our President and CEO, Putter Bert has been an active member on the Board of Directors at Eastside Pathways since the very beginning in 2011. We’ll hear from her about an awesome project KidsQuest and Eastside Pathways members created to help support learning while at home due to COVID-19.

Check out the Eastside Pathways website for more information!

http://eastsidepathways.org/

KidsQuest wants a future in which all kids can see themselves reflected in the pages of their books. In this episode of the Love of Learning podcast we’ll introduce you to We Need Diverse Books, an awesome grassroots organization advocating for change in the children’s book publishing industry. Let’s produce and promote literature that reflects and honors all young people! Project Director, Caroline Tung Richmond recommends WNDB’s free online app called OurStory. They aim to help families and educators easily find books with diverse content and by content creators from marginalized communities. Link to the OurStory App below!

Our local King Country children’s librarian, Robin Howe catches us up on all the new, innovative digital programs KCLS has been working on this summer. They’re doing incredible work to make sure everyone in our community has access to all the reading and educational materials they need to succeed. Visit their K-12 Education, Caregiver, and Student Support page and you’ll find great ebook recommendations supporting conversations about race and social justice.

Copy this link to check out the MyStory App on the We Need Diverse Book’s Website:

https://bit.ly/2Ge7bUb

Copy this link to check out the KCLS K-12 Educator, Parent and Caregiver Support Page:

https://bit.ly/32AIQiO

Copy this link to check out the KCLS story time companion tool, Tell Me A Story:

https://bit.ly/2GdWe4Y

Rudine Sims Bishop, The Ohio State University. “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors” originally appeared in Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom. Vo. 6, no. 3 Summer 1990.

Audio Postcard From KidsQuest To You!

Invite your kids to listen in on this fun, participatory segment.  Each episode we’ll hear a surprise message from someone in our community. Who will it be this week?

KidsQuest would love to receive an audio postcard from your family! Here’s how you and your kids can send one to us:

Use the audio memo app on your cell phone to record a short message to KidsQuest. Hold the phone about four inches away from the speaker’s mouth, with the front of the phone facing the ceiling, as if they were talking on speaker phone. You can use your name or name or keep it anonymous.

What is a message you’d like to share with KidsQuest? Do you miss playing there while the building is closed? What is a happy memory you have from a time you visited? Remember: postcards are short and sweet so keep the recordings to one minute or less.  Submissions will be shared on the next episode!

Email your recordings to host, Allie Cheroutes at [email protected]

In this episode we’ll hear from three early learning professionals about supporting our kids in their social emotional development.

Nick Terrones and Mike Brown from Hilltop Children’s Center in Seattle point out that it’s not just about the kids. As adults we should be challenging ourselves to examine our own lifelong learning process. They produce their own incredible podcast called Napcast. Check out Hilltop’s website for more information on the Reggio Emelia approach discussed at the beginning of the episode. They also have a great blog post about of social emotional learning (SEL) activities for families to do together.

Ray Soriano, MSW, is an early childhood and school-age trainer, parent educator, program consultant, college instructor, teaching musician, and drumming event facilitator. A relentless advocate for children, Ray draws from 30 years of service to children and families. He joins us in this episode to talk about fostering compassion within each other. He performs a song for us called, “We’ve Been Waiting for You” originally by Bev Bos, Tom Hunter and Michael Leeman.

Audio Postcard From KidsQuest to You!

Invite your kids to listen in on this fun, participatory segment.  Each episode we’ll hear a surprise message from someone in our community. Who will it be this week?

KidsQuest would love to receive an audio postcard from your family! Here’s how you and your kids can send one to us:

Use the audio memo app on your cell phone to record a short message to KidsQuest. Hold the phone about four inches away from the speaker’s mouth, with the front of the phone facing the ceiling, as if they were talking on speaker phone. You can use your name or name or keep it anonymous.

What is a message you’d like to share with KidsQuest? Do you miss playing there while the building is closed? What is a happy memory you have from a time you visited? Remember: postcards are short and sweet so keep the recordings to one minute or less.  Submissions will be shared on the next episode!

Email your recordings to host, Allie Cheroutes at [email protected]

Links from the episode:

Copy this link to check out Napcast: https://bit.ly/3fxDhGf 

Copy this link to check out HIlltop's SEL blog post: https://bit.ly/2PyV5WR

Copy this link to visit Ray Soriano's website: https://bit.ly/3frSxEE

Copy this link to purchase the KidsQuest Summer Activity Book: https://bit.ly/32cBUtx

KidsQuest’s Director of Education, Jamie Bonnett discusses the intentional design behind the museum’s galleries. Each exhibit was built for multidimensional play, taking into account a wide range of ages, abilities and engagement levels. Jamie and her team have created a series of educator-led videos that bring some of our favorite programming right to your dining room table.

Autumn Young, Director of Community Engagement at Imagination Playground talks with us about their blue block mobile playscapes (a KidsQuest favorite!) and the value of focusing on process rather than outcome while engaging in play. She gives some great tips for families and educators to help us encourage child-directed play through our language and actions.

Audio Postcard From KidsQuest to You!

Invite your kids to listen in on this fun, participatory segment.  Each episode we’ll hear a surprise message from someone in our community. Who will it be this week?

KidsQuest would love to receive an audio postcard from your family! Here’s how you and your kids can send one to us:

Use the audio memo app on your cell phone to record a short message to KidsQuest. Hold the phone about four inches away from the speaker’s mouth, with the front of the phone facing the ceiling, as if they were talking on speaker phone. You can use your name or name or keep it anonymous.

What is a message you’d like to share with KidsQuest? Do you miss playing there while the building is closed? What is a happy memory you have from a time you visited? Remember: postcards are short and sweet so keep the recordings to one minute or less.  Submissions will be shared on the next episode!

Email your recordings to host, Allie Cheroutes at [email protected]

Links from the episode: 

KidsQuest Children's Museum HomeQuest videos: https://bit.ly/32bRJkk

KidsQuest Children's Museum Remote Learning kits: https://bit.ly/32cBUtx

Imagination Playground Learning Library: https://bit.ly/2DDX5dY

KidsQuest Children's Museum is excited to announce that we're launching our own podcast! Each episode features interviews with educators and community partners who share great resources and tips to keep families connected through the power of play. Keep an eye out for the first episode coming soon!