In conjunction with our efforts to promote the benefits of Pre-College Instruction of Philosophy, The Outreach is working to develop workshops for students, teachers, and administrators. Our workshops for students can be catered to the schools wishes and are aimed, among other things, to provide an introduction to thinking philosophically, and can be used to jumpstart philosophy clubs or classes in schools, or in conjunction with currently existing clubs or classes. We believe this workshop would be a beneficial addition to any school or class, as it promotes dialogue and the use of metacognitive skills. While this work is inspired by our conviction in the importance of philosophical texts and dialogue, and their influence on the history of ideas, it is also largely modeled on relevant research on effort-praise and conflict resolution.
Our workshops for teachers and Administrators are aimed at improving teacher effectiveness through the dynamic use of dialogue. In these workshops, we will demonstrate how to incorporate dialogue and philosophical texts in any classroom environment, as well as how to lead text-based discussion. As expressed in our mission, we are firmly convinced philosophy is the language of education, and that philosophical dialogue can be a valuable part of any lesson plan. Furthermore, our method is valuable for any teacher looking to be more effective, dynamic, and engaging.