Summer Seminars at UMass Downtown

Description

UMass Downtown and the UMass Amherst Graduate School invite you to the Summer Seminar Series, a new public speaker series connecting campus research with the community. Each Wednesday evening, UMass graduate student presenters will share their research, ideas, and work in an engaging and approachable format designed to spark conversation, curiosity, and connection. Each session offers a chance to hear directly from emerging scholars doing meaningful work across disciplines, with opportunities for discussion and community engagement.

Wednesdays | June 17–August 5 6:00–7:30 PM
Free and open to the public

July 29 | Kathleen Mahoney Playing is Naturally Scientific: A Case Study of Outdoor Play-Based Science Experiences in Early Childhood Education This case study examines how early childhood educators perceive and support outdoor play-based science experiences (PBS), and how those experiences are intentionally—or unintentionally—aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The study also explores how educators use a sociocultural approach to establish intentional and explicit connections between play principles, scientific inquiry, and concept development.