Professional Development Division Workshops
Professional Development Division
Since 1972, The Children's Center at Caltech (CCC) has been offering high quality child care and education for children ages six month to six years. In 2000, our research lead us to adopt STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) curricula as a focus of our early childhood program. As leaders in STEM Early Childhood education, we launched ECSTEM in 2011, and host an annual conference bringing together educators, policy makers, researchers and other vested community stakeholders to address the needs of our youngest citizens.
Due to the overwhelming demand for tours of our facilities, and requests for professional growth workshops, we have formed a Professional Development Division (PDD) that arranges tours, on-site visits and workshops at the CCC.
Workshops at The Children's Center at Caltech
Look Closer! Observe, Draw, and Discover
Saturday, March 28th, 2026 (9-12pm)
Presenter: Melissa Samples, STEM Curriculum Coordinator
Young children naturally observe the world with curiosity, but they benefit from guidance in learning how to look closely and with purpose. This workshop explores ways to help children record their observations and how these practices support creativity, attention, fine-motor development, and early scientific thinking. When we slow down, we give children the time they need to truly see the world around them.
From Pages to Play: Scale and Structure
Saturday, April 18th, 2026 (9-12pm)
Presenter: Marlene Garcia, Lead Teacher
This workshop explores how the curriculum concept of scale and structure can be meaningfully introduced to three-year-olds through literacy-based experiences. Participants will engage in a mix of brief presentation and hands-on activity examples that demonstrate how books, storytelling, and intentional language support young children's understanding of size, shape, balance, and construction.
How-To: Exploring the Form and Function of Materials with Toddlers
Saturday, May 30th, 2026 (9-12pm)
Presenter: Linh Phu, Lead Teacher
See how a group of toddlers used familiar, everyday materials to develop practical life skills they will carry with them as they grow. Through working with these materials, the children learned about form and function and gained confidence in navigating their world. Discover how it all begins through the eyes of a toddler.
Register: Professional Development | Children's Center at Caltech
If interested in an Educator Tour of The Children's Center at Caltech, please call the office at 626.395.6860 to schedule your visit, then please fill out the educator tour form and mail to us at the address below.
For questions regarding Educator Tours or the PDD Workshop Series, please call 626.395.6860 or email [email protected]
Please complete the registration form and mail along with payment to: The Children's Center at Caltech, 1200 E. California Blvd. MC 1-133, Pasadena, CA 91125; Attention: PDD