Welcome to the IPA USA 2024 Conference, The Right to Play, RIGHT NOW! To ensure ease in registration, here are a few tricks.
Once you have purchased your ticket for the conference, you will be directed to a Registration Form. This form is not just a document; it’s a key part of our planning process, and your participation is highly valued. Please complete it to help us track attendees for each of the special events.
To add the T-shirt or the Saturday Evening Celebration to your registration, click on the ’Reserve Tickets’ button and select the option/s you want to add on.
If you want to attend the Pre-Conference, please follow the link below to register.
PreConference Session – Wednesday, September 25 – 9:30-2:30 pm Connecting Children with Nature: A Practical Workshop for Educators Follow this link to register for the preconference——https://events.humanitix.com/connecting-children-workshop
Our individual worldviews encompass beliefs that are instrumental in providing meaning for and interpreting life. Values inherent in our worldviews frame our goals and actions, serving as a compass for our lives. An ecocentric worldview emphasizes the importance of all living and non-living things in our environment. Playfully ponder how an ecocentric worldview frames fostering play in and with nature. Engage in dialogue based on ecocentric provocations that acknowledge a sustainability ethic and a strong value on the importance of play in nature.
Dr. Victoria Carr, Professor of Early Education and Executive Director for the Arlitt Center for Education, Research, and Sustainability at the University of Cincinnati studies play and learning environments, teacher pedagogies, children’s experiences in nature, and education for... Read More →
Claire Underwood (MEEd) is a Doctoral Student at the University of Cincinnati, where she is the Editorial Assistant for the Children, Youth, Environments Journal and conducts research with the Arlitt Center for Education, Research, & Sustainability. Since 2021, Claire has researched... Read More →
This history of the play will be examined. Participants will be involved in an interactive session that will take them from the first studies of play to current scholarship. Upon leaving this session, participants should have a deeper understanding of how the past world views of play have shaped current perspectives. This information can be used to inform advocacy efforts.
Dorothy Sluss has spent a lifetime studying how young children grow and develop through play. She began as a teacher in the preschools and primary schools of southwest Virginia for over a decade and worked with the governor’s office to pilot the first publicly funded program for... Read More →
Our session will focus on the role of environments and materials in playful inquiry. Building on the natural curiosities and propensities of children we will unpack various “intelligent materials” and their curation in creating interesting playscapes, or invitations for play. Highlighting the importance of observation and documentation as a means to supporting children’s play, the session invites adults into the child’s innate drive for play as a way of making meaning in and enjoying their world.
"Reagan Fulton stands at the forefront of redefining play as a universally essential element for both children and adults. As the visionary leader of Playful Acre, she's committed to the mission of nurturing holistic development through play at every stage of life. With a rich background... Read More →
"Bridging the gap between formal and informal education is what many of us work towards in our organization and exactly what teachers and students need to thrive as 21st century thinkers, learners, and doers. But quality outdoor play has its obstacles, the most challenging being the disconnect many educators feel between play, nature, and academic learning. Increase your capacity to produce sustained commitment to trusting in play with the natural world and ensure mastery of state objectives. Join us for rich dialogue and immersive experiences on how to design professional development for teachers and spark the fire in their hearts for allowing students to learn in its most authentic form, outside through PLAY!"
Tessa Baden is a nature and play advocate who shares her personal transformation story to inspire reflection, connection and evolution in others. She started her career at Camp C.A.M.P. and preschools. Tessa has spent 15 + years journeying through public and private spaces exploring... Read More →
Amanda McMickle is a nature based school leader, doctoral candidate and is the founding leader the Tall Oaks School. She has 13 years of experience in public education as a PK and 1st grade teacher. She was involved in PK4SA's foundational year and was involved in the origination... Read More →
Sensory related disabilities are the fastest growing disability category among children today. In this presentation we will define this spectrum of childhood disabilities that is much broader than autism. Design strategies will be presented on how to create play spaces so that these children and their families can successfully GET there, PLAY there and STAY there and have tons of fun. Concepts will be wrapped together in a real life case study.
