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.

REGISTRATION FOR THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW CLOSED.