Family Creative Learning is a series of four sessions which are two hours long spanning four consecutive weeks. The PBS KIDS Scratch Jr program is designed for families with children ages 5-8 however; siblings of all ages are welcome. The PBS KIDS Scratch Jr app is a free app that introduces coding to children by giving them a chance to create their own animated stories using PBS KIDS characters.

The workshops’ content and structure are designed to support and foster collaboration, communication, creativity, and problem-solving skills within the families while also empowering their self-perceived potential to be involved in the STEM subjects. The workshops are designed to be in a familiar setting and have a routine structure:

  • Eat provides dinner for the families so they don’t have to worry about making dinner, and can focus on family bonding.  It also gives families the chance to build a sense of community with one another.
  • Explore during each session includes an opportunity for hands-on exploration of the core goals of the series; it is a time to ask questions and continue to build comfort and trust amongst participants.
  • Make is when families work together on their own interest-based projects on the PBS KIDS ScratchJr app.
  • Share lets families learn from one another, share ideas, build confidence, develop vocabulary to discuss their projects and process, and continue to build a sense of community.

Facilitators are available to support the experience by discussing and pointing out the STEM learning as it happens while providing caregivers the experiences and tools that they can use to support their child’s learning throughout the workshops and beyond.

This Family Creative Learning workshop features four sessions:

Session 1: What is a maker?

Session 2: What is coding?

Session 3: What is the design engineering process?

Session 4: Celebrating families.