Programs for Educators

PLATO Professional Development Program

Description

PLATO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

PLATO offers an online professional development program in philosophy for children for educators. The program includes three components:

  • The Introductory Course is an interactive synchronous course in philosophical pedagogy that focuses on developing the knowledge and skills needed to facilitate communities of philosophical inquiry in K-12 classrooms. Participants come from around the world and meet weekly each spring for 11 weeks. The course includes topics such as fostering a community of philosophical inquiry, choosing prompts, the nature of philosophical questioning, philosophical sensitivity, epistemic injustice, and philosophical recognition of young people. See the Introductory Course tab for more details.

  • The Advanced Course is is an interactive synchronous course that is offered to educators in any country who have training and experience in philosophy in schools. The course further develops the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully lead philosophy sessions with young people. Participants do not need to have completed the Introductory Course in order to enroll in the Advanced Course, but must have completed training in philosophy for children run by PLATO or another organization offering comparable programs. See the Advanced Course tab for more details.

  • The Certificate of Mastery is offered to educators who are enrolled in or have completed the Advanced Course. Certificate candidates meet with mentors monthly, from September through June, at mutually convenient times, to evaluate and refine each participant’s developing facilitation skills. Candidates must have regular access to a group of young people to hold philosophy sessions, either online or in person, in classrooms or other settings, and be able to record some of these sessions for evaluation and discussion. See the Certificate of Mastery tab for more details.

Introductory Course

Introductory Professional Development Course

PLATO’s Introductory Course is an interactive synchronous course in philosophical pedagogy that focuses on developing the knowledge and skills needed to facilitate communities of philosophical inquiry in K-12 classrooms. The course runs each spring for 11 weeks and includes such topics as fostering a community of philosophical inquiry, choosing prompts, the nature of philosophical questioning, philosophical sensitivity, epistemic injustice, and philosophical recognition of young people.
The course is designed to be relevant for all levels of K-12 education. 

Introductory Course participants will leave the course with the following:

  • An understanding of the founding principles of P4C practice
  • A beginning awareness of how to recognize and ways to cultivate philosophical thinking in children
  • The ability to identify a philosophical question versus a non-philosophical question
  • Experience participating in a community of philosophical inquiry, modeled by experts in the field, and an understanding of how to form and maintain such a community
  • Basic skills in choosing appropriate philosophical prompts for the classroom
  • Experience formulating a philosophical lesson plan
  • Connection to a cohort of other practitioners

After the course, PLATO provides ongoing resources and mentorship for all participants. 

This course is interactive and collaborative, requiring attention and participation of all students. Participants must have working computers and should do their best to have their cameras on during class sessions, as visual presence both enhances a sense of community and increases accessibility for all participants.

Schedule
The Introductory Course involves synchronous 2.5-hour weekly Zoom meetings (with a 15-minute break in the middle) on Wednesdays from 6:30-9 pm ET, beginning March 11 and ending May 20. There is an asynchronous forum for further interaction among participants and an online Capstone event at the course’s conclusion on May 20. 

The course involves 25 hours of professional development training. At the conclusion of the Introductory Course, participants receive a Certificate of Completion for 25 hours of professional development. Certificates may be submitted for a school’s or district’s approval towards professional development credits, the requirements for which vary by state. It is the participant’s responsibility to ensure that they are meeting the requirements of their school, organization, and/or state.

Fees
The cost for the 2026 Introductory Course is $1,800.00 US for PLATO members, $2,200 US for non-members (donate to become a member here).
PLATO has a generous scholarship policy. We offer financial assistance upon request. See the Registration & Payment tab for more details.

Registration
Register for the 2026 Introductory Course using the form to the right (below on mobile). See the Registration & Payment tab for more details.

Faculty
The 2026 Introductory Course will be led by Drs. Jana Mohr Lone and Karen S. Emmerman.

Dr. Jana Mohr Lone is the Executive Director of PLATO and holds affiliate faculty positions in philosophy at the University of Washington and the University of Maine. She is the author of the books Seen and Not Heard (2021) and The Philosophical Child (2012); co-author of the textbook Philosophy in Education: Questioning and Dialogue in Schools (2016); co-editor of Philosophy and Education: Introducing Philosophy to Young People (2012); author of dozens of articles about children’s philosophical thinking; and, most recently, author of a series of six picture books – entitled What Would You Do? – focusing on moral issues facing children. Since 1995 Jana has leading philosophy sessions with students from preschool to college, as well as working with educators, administrators, and parents around the world. 

Dr. Karen S. Emmerman is PLATO’s Education Director. She has worked as the Philosopher-in-Residence at John Muir Elementary School in Seattle since 2013. Karen has taught a high school philosophy class and facilitated teacher trainings about K-12 philosophy for many years. Karen is part-time faculty in the philosophy department at the University of Washington and writes in ecofeminism, animal ethics, and philosophy for children as well as serving as senior associate editor of PLATO’s journal Precollege Philosophy and Public Practice. Her book Defending Animals, Disappointing People will be published by Bloomsbury in 2026.

“PLATO’s classes have enriched my teaching repertoire and my personal intellectual life.
In the classroom, I’ve become a more skilled facilitator and my class discussions, whether we are explicitly discussing philosophy or not, have become deeper and more focused but also much more creative.”
— 2023 Introductory Course Participant


Questions? Please contact Education Director Karen S. Emmerman at karen@philosophy-plato.org.

Advanced Course

Advanced Professional Development Course

Description. PLATO’s Advanced Course is an interactive synchronous course, involving two-hour monthly Zoom meetings, offered to educators from any country who have training and experience in philosophy in schools. The course entails advanced training in developing the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully lead philosophy sessions with young people in K-12 classrooms and in other contexts, and it includes discussions of theoretical and pedagogical readings and the use of prompts appropriate for K-12 classrooms.

Eligibility. Participants do not need to have completed PLATO’s Introductory Professional Development Course in order to enroll in the Advanced Course but must have completed training in philosophy for children run by PLATO or another organization offering comparable programs.

This course is interactive and collaborative, requiring attention and participation of all students. Participants must have working computers and should do their best to have their cameras on during class sessions, as visual presence both enhances a sense of community and increases accessibility for all participants.

Introduction to Philosophy. For practitioners without a university degree or other training in philosophy, there is an optional additional 60-minute meeting each month offering an introduction to philosophical topics and theories, at no additional cost. This Introduction to Philosophy course will meet on the first Tuesday of each month from September through June, from 7-8pm ET, except that the first session will take place on September 9 instead of September 2. Sessions are as follows:

September 9: Reading philosophy/logic and critical thinking
Instructor: Karen Emmerman, Ph.D.

October 7: Normative Ethics
Instructor: Rachel Fredericks, Ph.D.

November 4: Social and Political Philosophy
Instructor: Brian Collins, Ph.D.

December 2: Applied Ethics
Instructor: John Torrey, Ph.D.

January 6: Philosophy of Law
Instructor: Ariel Liberman, Ph.D.

February 3: Existentialism/Free Will
Instructor: Stephen Miller

March 3: Epistemology
Instructor: Ian Schnee, Ph.D.

April 7: Philosophy of Science
Instructor: Melissa Jacquart, Ph.D.

May 5: Metaphysics
Instructor: Julia Jurati, Ph.D.

June 2: Aesthetics
Instructor: Wendy Turgeon, Ph.D.

Certificate of Completion. The Advanced Course runs from August through May and involves 20 hours of professional development training (30 hours for students who complete the optional introductory philosophy course). At the conclusion of the course, participants receive Certificates of Completion. Certificates may be submitted for a school’s or district’s approval towards professional development credits, the requirements for which vary by state. It is the participant’s responsibility to ensure that they are meeting the requirements of their school, organization, and/or state. 

Advanced Course Participants leave the course with the following:

  • An understanding of some of the deeper theoretical and pedagogical challenges of P4C practice
  • Familiarity with the primary fields of philosophy, including aesthetics, ethics, epistemology, logic, metaphysics, philosophy of science, and social/political philosophy
  • Confidence in navigating the practical challenges that emerge in P4C facilitation
  • Increased skills and experience in philosophical lesson planning
  • The ability to model the cognitive and social moves expected of the students
  • Skill in identifying and modeling the philosophical moves that enhance progress in a community of philosophical inquiry (when to ask questions, how to make connections and challenge assumptions, etc.)
  • The ability to recognize and tease out the philosophical content of student questions and comments

After the course, PLATO provides ongoing resources and mentorship for all participants. 

Schedule
The Advanced Course involves synchronous 2-hour monthly Zoom meetings (with a break in the middle) on the third Tuesday of each month from August through May, from 7-9pm ET. The 2025-2026 Advanced Course will begin on August 19.
PLEASE NOTE: The September 2025 Advanced Course session will take place on September 30 instead of September 16.

The Introduction to Philosophy course will meet on the first Tuesday of each month from September through June, from 7-8pm PT.
PLEASE NOTE: The first session of the Introduction to Philosophy course will take place on September 9 instead of September 2.

Fees
The cost for the 2025-2026 Advanced Course is $1,200.00 US for PLATO members, $1,400 US for non-members (donate to become a member here). 
PLATO has a generous scholarship policy. We offer financial assistance upon request. See the Registration & Payment tab for more details.

Registration
See the Registration & Payment tab. Registration for the 2025-26 Advanced Course is now closed.

Faculty
The 2025-2026 Advanced Course will be led by Dr. Jana Mohr Lone. Jana is the Executive Director of PLATO and Affiliate Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Washington. She is the author of the books Seen and Not Heard (2021) and The Philosophical Child (2012); co-author of the textbook Philosophy in Education: Questioning and Dialogue in Schools (2016); co-editor of Philosophy and Education: Introducing Philosophy to Young People (2012); author of dozens of articles about children’s philosophical thinking; and, most recently, author of a series of six picture books – entitled What Would You Do? – focusing on moral issues facing children. Since 1995 Jana has leading philosophy sessions with students from preschool to college, as well as working with educators, administrators, and parents around the United States and internationally. She is the founding editor-in-chief of PLATO’s journal Questions: Philosophy for Young People.

Questions? Please contact Executive Director Jana Mohr Lone at jana@plato-philosophy.org.

Certificate of Mastery

Certificate of Mastery

PLATO offers a Certificate of Mastery Program to educators who are enrolled in or have completed the Advanced Course. Certificate candidates meet with mentors for 90 minutes each month, from September through June, at mutually convenient times, to evaluate and refine each participant’s developing facilitation skills. This might include a variety of settings, such as videos or audio recordings of you teaching in a live K-12 classroom or in an online class for young people. Participants must have regular access to a group of young people to hold philosophy sessions, either online or in person, in classrooms or other settings, and be able to record some of these sessions. Monthly mentor meetings will be scheduled by the participants and mentors at times convenient to them.

To earn the Certificate of Mastery, participants must document a minimum of 40 hours in K-12 classrooms, online settings, or other settings serving young people, in which participants have observed, assisted with, and/or facilitated philosophy sessions. At least 20 of the 40 hours should involve facilitating philosophy sessions as the lead instructor, and a reasonable number of these sessions recorded (video or audio) for use at the mentor meetings.

Upon fulfillment of all of the above requirements, the participant’s skills and progress are evaluated by the mentor. The mentor determines if the participant has reached a mastery skill level and is now equipped to lead philosophy sessions independently with young people, entitling the participant to the PLATO Certificate of Mastery. The Certificate confirms the participant’s expertise and completion of a total of 100 hours of combined training and classroom experience. Participants are not required to complete the Certificate requirements or to have reached a mastery skill level by the end of the regular mentorship sessions in June. Mentors and participants can at that point create a plan for future meetings and evaluations necessary for earning the Certificate.

Participants completing the Certificate of Mastery Program will leave the program with the following:

  • Expertise in facilitating K-12 philosophy sessions 
  • Skill in following a philosophical discussion and asking questions that lead to progress in the inquiry
  • The ability to cultivate a philosophically curious approach in students
  • Skill in creating an environment that encourages philosophical collaboration and civil disagreement
  • Personalized feedback from mentors in identifying and working through problems of practice specific to each participant’s teaching and learning context
  • Expertise in identifying age-appropriate prompts and developing age-appropriate lesson plans
  • A certificate confirming that the participant has reached a mastery skill level and is now fully equipped to lead philosophy sessions independently with young people

Fees
The cost for the 2025-2026 Certificate of Mastery Program is $750.00 US for PLATO members, $850 US for non-members (donate to become a member here). 
PLATO has a generous scholarship policy. We offer financial assistance upon request. See the Registration & Payment tab for more details.

Registration
See the Registration & Payment tab. The deadline for registration for the 2025-2026 Certificate of Mastery Program is September 15, 2025.

“Thank you for making this space feel safe, welcoming, and open to different voices and ideas. That kind of space is rare.”
— 2024-25 Advanced Course Participant

Questions? Please contact Executive Director Jana Mohr Lone at jana@plato-philosophy.org.

Registration & Payment

Introductory Professional Development Course
The cost for the 2026 Introductory Course is $1,800.00 US for PLATO members, $2,200 US for non-members (donate to become a member here).
Registration for the 2026 Introductory Course is now closed.

Advanced Professional Development Course
The cost for the 2025-2026 Advanced Course is $1,200.00 US for PLATO members, $1,400 US for non-members (donate to become a member here). Participants do not need to have completed PLATO’s Introductory Professional Development Course in order to enroll in the Advanced Course but must have completed training in philosophy for children run by PLATO or another organization offering comparable programs.
Registration for the 2025-26 Advanced Course is now closed.

Certificate of Mastery Program
The cost for the Certificate of Mastery Program is $750.00 US for PLATO members, $850 US for non-members (donate to become a member here).
Registration for the 2025-2026 Certificate of Mastery Program is now closed. 

Financial Assistance
PLATO values the experience and expertise of its instructors and is committed to compensating them for their work.
PLATO has a generous scholarship policy. If you require financial assistance, before you register please send an email detailing your request, including the amount of assistance you will need, to info@plato-philosophy.org.

Questions? Please contact Executive Director Jana Mohr Lone at jana@plato-philosophy.org.

Workshops

Description

Discussion Guidelines
JUNE 2026 WORKSHOP


PHILOSOPHY IN SCHOOLS: PEDAGOGY AND PRACTICE

For the first time since 2022, PLATO is running a two-day in-person workshop at the University of Washington, Seattle. The workshop will be held on Tuesday June 23 and Wednesday June 24, from 9:30 am—4 pm each day. We welcome those new to doing philosophy with young people as well as more experienced practitioners.

The workshop will focus on developing and deepening the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary to successfully lead philosophy sessions with young people in K-12 classrooms and in other contexts. We will engage in philosophical discussions on topics such as: “What can we know? What makes something right or wrong? Are we free? What is a mind? How do we define happiness?”

We anticipate that the workshop will be approved for 10 clock hours for Washington State teachers. At the conclusion of the workshop, participants from other states will receive a Certificate of Completion. Certificates may be submitted for a school’s or district’s approval towards professional development credits, the requirements for which vary by state. It is the participant’s responsibility to ensure that they are meeting the requirements of their school, organization, and/or state.

The workshop will be led by Jana Mohr Lone, Karen Emmerman, and Sara Goering.

Workshop Facilitators

Dr. Jana Mohr Lone is the Executive Director of PLATO and holds affiliate faculty positions in philosophy at the University of Washington and the University of Maine. She is the author of the books Seen and Not Heard (2021) and The Philosophical Child (2012); co-author of the textbook Philosophy in Education: Questioning and Dialogue in Schools (2016); co-editor of Philosophy and Education: Introducing Philosophy to Young People (2012); author of dozens of articles about children’s philosophical thinking; and, most recently, author of a series of six picture books – entitled What Would You Do? – focusing on moral issues facing children. Since 1995 Jana has leading philosophy sessions with students from preschool to college, as well as working with educators, administrators, and parents around the world.

Dr. Karen S. Emmerman is PLATO’s Education Director. She has worked as the Philosopher-in-Residence at John Muir Elementary School in Seattle since 2013. Karen has taught a high school philosophy class and facilitated teacher trainings about K-12 philosophy for many years. Karen is part-time faculty in the philosophy department at the University of Washington and writes in ecofeminism, animal ethics, and philosophy for children as well as serving as senior associate editor of PLATO’s journal Precollege Philosophy and Public Practice. Her book Defending Animals, Disappointing People will be published by Bloomsbury in 2026.

Dr. Sara Goering is Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Washington, Seattle. She has worked for many years with young people from kindergarten through high school, in weekly philosophy discussions in school, all-day philosophy classes through outreach programs, philosophy summer camps, and middle and high school ethics bowls. Sara is a member of PLATO’s Academic Advisory Board.

 

PLATO regularly hosts workshops, in person and online, that offer training and education about philosophical inquiry with young people. Workshops are open to teachers, graduate students, educators of all kinds, and others interested in exploring how introducing philosophy can enrich the lives of young people.

“I can’t say enough about how fabuous this workshop was. Really, it was life changing for me.”
— 2025 Workshop Participant

“What an educational and engaging P4C workshop! Ariel and Aaron shared an incredible wealth of tools and knowledge about dialogue facilitation and philosophical inquiry. Thank you for offering this amazing course by these skilled facilitators!”
— 2024 Workshop Participant

“One of the most mind-bending, practical, and inspiring workshops of my professional career!”
— 2023 Workshop Participant

“The workshop allowed me to be part of a real community of inquiry in philosophy.”
— 2023 Workshop Participant

“I felt as though I learned so much from each teacher but also from the participants themselves… left feeling very inspired and ready to take on this school year.”
— 2022 Workshop Participant

Questions? Please contact Education Director Karen Emmerman at karen@philosophy-plato.org.

Registration

The registration fee for the June 2026 workshop at the University of Washington is $400 for non-members and $300 for PLATO members (become a member here). The fee includes morning coffee/tea/muffins and lunches both days.

Registration closes Friday, June 12, 2026 at 5pm PT.

No refunds will be given after June 12, 2026.

Financial assistance is available if needed. If you require financial assistance, please send an email to info@plato-philosophy.org indicating your reason(s) for the request and the extent of financial assistance you need.

Please register for the workshop using the form on the right (or below on mobile) [REGISTRATION FORM COMING SOON]

Gerler Fellowships

Description

In 2013, a fellowship program for graduate students involved in introducing philosophy into K-12 schools was established at the University of Washington. In 2024 PLATO expanded the program to create national fellowships, open to US graduate students.

This year the program has been renamed the Gerler Fellowship Program, to honor Dan Gerler, cherished friend and steadfast PLATO champion, who died on April 15, 2024, from pancreatic cancer. Dan’s substantial bequest to PLATO will support philosophy education for years to come. 

During his life, Dan enthusiastically advocated for bringing philosophy into young people’s lives. He believed wholeheartedly in the power of philosophy to cultivate critical thinking, curiosity, and openness in the youngest among us. A longtime donor, Dan served as an Advisory Board member of the Center for Philosophy for Children before it merged with PLATO in 2022, and as a PLATO Program Committee member until his diagnosis in 2023. He supported the fellowship program from its inception.

Dan judging the Washington State High School Ethics Bowl

“Dan was a treasure — a person of integrity and substance, modest and thoughtful, and with a great sense of humor. I miss him and his counsel, and I hope his legacy can live on through this gift and what it will make possible for thousands of students over the years.” 
Jana Mohr Lone, PLATO Executive Director

We are deeply grateful for Dan’s generosity and commitment to PLATO’s work, and honored to remember him through the Gerler Fellowships.

Fellow Responsibilities

Fellowships are open to any graduate student at a US college or university who is working with a program to bring philosophy into schools. 

Gerler Fellows are expected to play a significant role in helping to develop and/or support the philosophy in the schools program in their communities. 

Gerler Fellows are required to attend online monthly meetings to discuss and support their programs, and are encouraged to attend PLATO’s monthly community of practice meetings of fellows and philosophers-in-residence around the country. Fellows are also required to submit written reports to PLATO in December and May of the fellowship year, detailing the work in which they have been involved.

Other specific responsibilities are determined by the program and the fellow.

For academic year 2025-2026, each Gerler Fellowship is $5,000.

Questions? Please contact Education Director Karen Emmerman at karen@philosophy-plato.org.

Application Information

The Gerler Fellowship application process consists of the following:

  1. Statement of Interest. Please submit a statement of no more than 500 words describing your interest in becoming a PLATO Graduate Fellow, including your experience and/or interest in bringing philosophy into K-12 schools. (Limit 500 words)

  2. Description of Intent. Please describe the philosophy in the schools program with which you work. How would the fellowship help to expand or support the work you and/or the program are already doing in the schools? (Limit 500 words)

  3. Letter of Support. Please attach one letter of support from someone who runs or is involved in the philosophy in the schools program at your institution who can describe how this fellowship would enhance the program’s work and the role you have played or will play in the program. 

Deadline
All application materials must be submitted electronically by April 30, 2025. SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED. 
Please submit your materials using the form to the right (below on mobile).

Present & Past Fellows

FELLOWS 2025-2026

Alexandra Chang

Alex Chang is a PhD student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her research interests sit at the intersection of philosophy of education and teacher education. Before coming to Harvard, Alex taught middle school English Language Arts and Social Studies for six years, first in the Boston Public Schools and then in a range of educational settings in Michigan. She holds an M.Ed. from the Boston Teacher Residency and a BA in philosophy from Carleton College. Alex has been developing curricula and facilitating philosophical discussions with young people since 2015, most recently as an organizer of the New England Middle School Ethics Bowl.

Maria Genova

Maria Genova is a third year PhD student in Philosophy at the University of Connecticut. Her previous work in pre-college philosophy has included the facilitation of a Philosophy for Kids (P4K) program for elementary and middle school aged children in northeastern Ohio as well as the Connecticut Ethics Bowl for high schoolers across the state. She also contributed to the 2020 edition of Take a Stand!, a textbook dedicated to teaching philosophy in grades 9-12. Most recently, she developed and taught a course on critical thinking and philosophy for the Upward Bound Math and Science pre-college program at the University of Connecticut. She is passionate about broadening engagement with philosophy for younger and underserved audiences. Her other academic interests include social and political philosophy as well as feminist philosophy of language.

Shoshana McIntosh 

Shoshana McIntosh is a PhD student and Teaching Fellow in the Philosophy and Religion department at the University of North Texas. Currently in the dissertation writing phase, her research explores liberatory posthuman pedagogies and education for justice-oriented multi-species co-existence. Shoshana is also a K-12 educator and has been doing philosophy with young people in North Texas since 2018. With the support of a Gerler graduate fellowship and in collaboration with fellow UNT students, she plans to further develop and expand her department’s environmental philosophy program for public school students during the 2025-2026 school year.


PAST FELLOWS

2024-2025
Marina Perez del Valle
Alaina Gostomski
Shoshana McIntosh

2022-2023
Melissa Diamond
Rotem Landesman
Brian Tauzel

2021-2022
Erica Bigelow
Melissa Diamond

2019-2020
Elina Castellano
Ari Hock
Nic Jones

2018-2019
Natalie Janson
Nic Jones
Jordan Sherry-Wagner
Christina Zaccagnino

2017-2018
Natalie Janson
Jordan Sherry-Wagner
Christina Zaccagnino

2016-2017
Bridget DuRuz
Darcy McCusker
David Phelps

2015-2016
Bridget DuRuz
Joey Miller
Dustin Schmidt
Debi Talukdar

2014-2015
Di’ Anna Duran
Janice Moskalik
Debi Talukdar

2013-2014
Janice Moskalik
Alain Sykes

Customized Programs

Description

PLATO offers customized programs around the world for schools, organizations, teachers, administrators, parents and families, and other adults interested in facilitating philosophical inquiry with young people, including one-on-one coaching and training, workshops, public presentations, consulting, demonstration philosophy sessions in K-12 classrooms and other forums, and mentoring.

Programs are developed to fit the needs of each group or individual, and include whole school programs, individual teacher coaching, and a range of support and resources for the development of philosophy programs. PLATO also serves as an ongoing resource for educators, schools, and organizations interested in building a philosophical culture.

Past programs have included all or some of the following:

  • Workshops for up to 16 teachers for anywhere from 3-15 hours

  • Individualized coaching programs for teachers or groups of teachers

  • Consultating sessions with individuals and schools

  • Information evening for teachers and/or parents

  • Public lecture (one hour plus, including Q&A)

  • Demonstration classes (two, in different grades or age groups)

  • Ongoing year-long mentorship for a school or organization (10 months), including unlimited email messages and a monthly online seminar for up to 16 participants

Consulting

Have the forces of political polarization in our country made you nervous about allowing your students to explore controversial issues in the classroom? Are you someone who would like to guide your students through challenging conversations, but you’re not sure where to start? Are you looking for professional development workshops for your school focused on dialogue? PLATO’s one-on-one consulting services can help.

We offer consulting services designed to fit your needs, as well as day-long, in-person professional development workshops that include observations and one-on-one feedback.

Curriculum Design & Development — create new lesson material that meet your students’ interests and needs, or integrate philosophy into a pre-existing curriculum. 

Coaching & Mentorship — advance your philosophy practice with observations and feedback, custom-tailored training exercises, and/or model demonstrations for individual teachers or school-based teams. This can take place either in person or virtually.

Assemblies & Events — curated content for one-off events for students of any ages, based on a particular theme that can be executed by our trainers or by someone on your staff. This is a great way to refresh monthly programming that focuses on student interests and enhances student engagement.

Staff Workshops — introduce the philosophical inquiry techniques at the heart of PLATO’s approach into your organizational context to help tackle big questions and create opportunities for team bonding and dialogue.

Sample Public Lecture

Philosophical Children

Children and youth frequently ask big questions — Can you be happy and sad at the same time? Why do people die? Are thoughts real? Encouraging young people to articulate and discuss their questions opens spaces for them to think critically for themselves about their own experiences and encourages deep and well-reasoned reflection about some of life’s essential questions.

This talk will examine the importance of philosophical thinking in children and consider how adults can help cultivate young people’s wondering and questioning. The talk will also explore ways that children’s literature can be the perfect vehicle for stimulating discussion and critical thinking about the philosophical questions on young people’s minds.

Contact

Please contact us at info@plato-philosophy.org for more information about options and fees for these programs.