Philosophy for Children (P4C): Cultivating Inquiry, Dialogue, and Collaborative Civic Space 
Date: Monday, November 18, 2019
Time: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Location: The Hanahau’oli School Professional Development Center

Philosophy for Children (P4C) is a worldwide movement that aims to transform the schooling experience of children by engaging them in the activity of philosophy. Locally, the University of Hawai‘i Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education is the home of philosophy for children Hawai‘i (p4c Hawai‘i). The p4c Hawai‘i approach aids students and teachers in converting traditional classrooms into intellectually safe communities of inquiry. Together, they develop their ability to think for themselves in responsible ways by exploring “big questions” that arise from their interests, experiences, and learning contexts. When practiced with fidelity, p4c Hawai‘i cultivates and nurtures a collaborative civic space in classrooms where individuals “experience of dialoguing with others as equals, [and] participating in shared public inquiry [so] that they [are] able to eventually take an active role in the shaping of a democratic society’ (Sharp 1993: 343). In this workshop, participants will learn about p4c Hawai‘i from Uehiro Academy faculty and become a part of an intellectually safe professional community of inquiry. They will engage in a number of p4c Hawai‘i’s hallmark activities and reflect on ways to apply the classroom strategies to their diverse teaching contexts.

This workshop is designed for K-12 educators, higher education faculty, and community educators who are interested in exploring how p4c Hawai‘i can be applied to contexts outside of the regular classroom setting. It is also designed for teachers who are interested in interdisciplinary and integrated approaches to education, as well as teachers who want to apply the practice to traditional subject areas and coursework.