Professional Development

Group Visits 

For schools that would like to bring a group of educators or administrators to tour the school, Newtowne can arrange specific plans and tailor the visit and tour to meet the goals of the visiting educators. Costs will vary based on the size of the group and what schools are seeking. To plan a visit, contact director@newtowneschool.org. 

Educator Companion Experience 

Experience Newtowne’s unique approach to teaching and learning by spending the morning as an Educator Companion. This opportunity invites visiting educators to spend a morning paired with a Newtowne teacher in their classroom, followed by dedicated non-contact time to dialogue about their observations, goals, and/or research questions over lunch. Companion Experiences can be scheduled weekday mornings and cost $125/teacher or $200 per teaching team (limit 2 companions per classroom per morning); lunch is included. Reach out to director@newtowneschool.org to schedule a date. 

Workshops & Trainings 

Newtowne School offers workshops on a variety of topics including Reggio Emilia-inspired practices, emergent and project-based curriculum, teaching and learning environment design, democracy & social justice in early childhood, and early childhood leadership. Fees for workshops vary based on length of workshop, preparation needed, and (for workshops held offsite), travel time. In line with other Boston-area professional development charges, standard fees for a workshop are $250/hour with an additional $100/hour of preparation time. Preparation costs may be waived for workshops that have previously been presented and are being repeated from previous events/workshops. New or

customized workshops can be developed and may require additional preparation time. For travel outside of the greater Boston Area, additional fees may be added to cover the presenter(s) travel expenses. 

Examples of recent workshops by Newtowne faculty are listed below: 

● Seeing-Thinking-Wondering about Reggio-Inspired Practice 

● Applying Reggio Principles to Support Neurodiverse Learners in the Classroom 

● From ‘Overwhelmed’ to ‘Optimistic’: How a playful workshop can shift an educator mindset and inspire joy ● Observation and Reflection to Interpret Children’s Learning 

● Using Loose Parts to Approach Learning Goals Playfully 

● Teaching and Learning in the Tech Era: Exploring Digital Environments in Classrooms ● Playful Patterns, Powerful Learning: Understanding the Role of Schema in the Early Childhood Classroom ● Engaging with Who Was Here Before Us: The Secret Forest and Lessons from Australia 

Higher and Continuing Education Partnerships 

Newtowne educators have experience hosting student educators in secondary or college-level coursework. Interested higher education departments and internship programs may reach out to director@newtowneschool.org to coordinate. 

Previous partnerships have included: 

● Anti-bias communities in Early Childhood (Lesley University) 

● Contemporary Art in Early Childhood Education (Harvard Graduate School of Education) ● Field Education placements (Harvard Divinity School) 

● Child Development Associates Internship (City of Cambridge Office of Early Childhood) ● EEC Practicum placement (Rindge High School of Technical Arts) 

● Pre-practicum & Practicum placements (Lesley University, BU, UMass Boston) 

Newtowne School is committed to social justice in all areas of education, including teacher development. We are open to adjusting fees for programs based on their professional development budgets; programs in need of subsidized rates should reach out to director@newtowneschool.org.