Early Childhood Courses

Due to covid restrictions, our courses will be held online in this summer.

This summer we are offering two courses for Waldorf Early Childhood Educators.

Unbornness

The body developed out of us,
Not us out of the body.
We are bees
And our body is a honeycomb
We made the body
Cell by cell, we made it.
—Rumi

with Louise deForest

July 5th to 7, 2021

Schedule: Monday, July 5th from 9:00 to 10:30am, and 11:00am to 12:30pm
Tuesday, July 6th from 9:00 to 10:30am
Wednesday, July 7th from 9:00 to 10:30am
All times are Pacific Time

In our modern times, embryology often looks at the step by step physical development, from zygote to viable baby. But is this all there is to it? The above poem hints at another perspective.

In this course we will focus not so much on the physical development of an embryo but, rather, on the conditions and circumstances that led to a decision to become a human being, living a life on earth. Where were we before conception and who were we?

Rudolf Steiner tells us that we will never truly understand the whole human being until we are able to take into account and understand the terms “unbornness” and “immortality”:

Life after death –
Life before birth;
Only by knowing both
Do we know eternity.
—Rudolf Steiner

One week intensive course, open to practicing Waldorf teachers.

Cost: $100 CDN

Click Here to Register

Downloadable PDF Poster

emybryo photo (edited) credit: lunar caustic flickr (cc by 2.0)

Including Children’s Voices

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice with the Persona Doll Approach

with Debbie Laurin

July 19 to 23, 2021

Schedule: Monday through Friday, 11:00am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 3:00pm
All times are Pacific Time

Pioneering this new antibias approach to Waldorf early childhood education, participants will acquire skills to address antibias education with young children. The 10 classes are offered July 19-23, 2021. The aim of the intensive is:

• Understand how a Persona Doll is used
• Identify and plan uses for a Persona Doll in your setting
• Create and tell stories related to the Doll’s Persona
• Work with the concept of Windows and Mirrors to support inclusion and belonging.
• Explore antibias education through the principles of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

Persona Dolls are life-like, culturally appropriate dolls made of natural materials used by the adult to actively build inclusivity and to create the conditions for belonging with young children.

Not a puppet, the adult relays to the children through storytelling the Persona Doll’s interests, celebrations, and fears. Grounded in a developmental approach the adult responds to children’s specific interests and concerns. Children have ideas about how to help the Doll resolve a problem and the approach gives voice to children’s ideas. The children relate to the Dolls as ‘friends’, who may differ from them in language, culture and/or disability. The approach engages children imaginatively through their hearts and minds. Persona Dolls facilitate the powerful blossoming of empathy in children to imagine into the Doll’s experience and to perceive similarities and differences in each other. Windows and Mirrors describe an approach for supporting children’s emerging identity where seeing commonalities, and a representation of self creates a sense of belonging.

One week intensive course, open to practicing Waldorf teachers.

Cost: $250 CDN

Click Here to Register

Downloadable PDF Poster

Other Courses & Workshops

This summer we are also offering current Waldorf class teachers the opportunity to join our Grades Teacher Training Program to audit Curriculum Courses, and offering workshops open to everyone. All courses and workshops will be held online this summer.

The West Coast Institute, a WECAN Full Member teacher training institute, located in British Columbia, Canada, offers differing courses each summer for anyone who wishes to learn more about Anthroposophy and Waldorf Education. Summer courses are held on Vancouver Island, or online if necessary.