Educational and Fun Project-Based Learning

Utilize project-based learning (PBL) to engage youth in meaningful, fun, and academically rigorous experiences.

Full Course Description

Transform your classroom with our Educational and Fun Project-Based Learning (PBL) online course. This 1.5-hour course is designed for educators, CBO staff, and youth workers to create engaging, youth-led learning experiences aligned with academic standards. You’ll learn to design PBL activities that foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and student-centered learning. The course guides you through planning, implementing, and assessing PBL projects that are both educational and fun. Enroll today to inspire your students with meaningful, hands-on learning that meets academic goals.

This course will take approximately 1.5 hours to complete.

This course satisfies these child care training requirements:

Standards for Quality Afterschool Programs

1. Administration and Organization
2. Program Management and Staff
3. Communication and Interaction
4. Program Structure and Activities
6. Program Environment

Department of Children and Families (Annual In-Service Training)

19. Age-appropriate lesson planning
22. Developing special interest centers/spaces and environments

Child Care Core of Knowledge

1. Child Development

Out-of-School Time Program Quality Standards

Administrative Quality Standards
Program Quality Standards

Program Quality Standards

I. Youth Program Climate

Administrative Quality Standards

I. Youth Program Design and Accountability
III. Health, Safety and Program Space
IV. Youth Program Staffing and Professional Development

Child Care Training Regulations

1. Child Development
5. Curriculum development policies and responsibilities
6. Supervision of children
21. Providing developmentally appropriate activities and experiences for children

Guidelines for Afterschool, Summer, and Youth Development Programs

3. Programming and Activities
4. Youth Leadership and Engagement
6. Cultural Competency, Responsiveness, and Inclusion
7. Assessment, Planning, and Program Improvement
8. Staff and Professional Development

ECE Competencies

1. Child Development and Learning
2. Culture, Diversity and Equity
8. Learning Environments and Curriculum

Quality Standards for Expanded Learning

1. Safe and Supportive Environment
2. Active and Engaged Learning
3. Skill Building
10. Continuous Quality Improvement

Core Knowledge Areas from the Michigan Core Knowledge and Core Competencies for the Early Care and Education Workforce

1. Child development and learning
5. Teaching and learning
7. Interactions and guidance

MOST (Michigan Out-of-School Time) Standards of Quality

1. Health, Safety
4. Indoor and Outdoor Environments
5. Program Activities

Teachers of Early Childhood Education Subject Matter Standards

1. Child Development and Learning
2. Developmentally appropriate learning experiences
4. Assessment, evaluation, and individualization

Ignite Afterschool

1. Intentional Program Design

Early Care and Education Professional Competency Goals for Staff

1. Child development, including discipline, guidance, nutrition, injury control and safety

Afterschool & Youth Development Standards

1. Programming & Youth Development
3. Environment & Climate
6. Staffing & Professional Development
7. Organizational Practices

Core Competencies for Early Childhood Practitioners

1. Child growth and development
5. Learning environments and curriculum
6. Interactions with children
7. Program planning, development and evaluation

Afterschool Network Best Practices

1. Prepared Staff
2. Intentional Programming
4. Promotion of Varied Youth Engagement
7. Sustained Student Attendance and Access

All Staff Annual Training

1. Child growth and development
2. Social and Emotional Development

Director Annual Training

1. Curriculum
3. Special Needs
4. Child Guidance

Afterschool Alliance Best Practices

1. Prepared Staff
2. Intentional Programming
3. Alignment with School Day
4. Promotion of Varied Youth Engagement

Early Learning Staff Professional Development Areas

All Staff Annual Training
Director Annual Training

Department of Social Services, Child Care Services (CCS): Pathway to Professional Development

1. Child growth and development
10. Cultural diversity
11. Learning environments
12. Age-appropriate activities and planning
15. Inclusion of all children

Workforce Knowledge and Competencies

1. Child Growth and Development (CGD)
2. Alignment with CDELS
2. Learning Environment and Curriculum (LEC)

Standards for Quality Afterschool Programs

2. Ongoing Training and Staff Development
4. Positive Youth Development

Department of Human Services Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education Child Care Licensing Unit

14. Nutrition and physical activities

Competencies for Early Childhood Educators and Administrators

1. Child growth and development, and learning or courses that align with the competency domains of child growth and development
6. Professional development and leadership
7. Program planning and development
8. Teaching practices

OST Quality Guidelines

3. Human Relationships
6. Youth Development and Engagement

Early Childhood Education and Care Department

1. Child growth, development, and learning
4. Developmentally appropriate content
5. Learning environment and curriculum implementation

Out-of-School Time (NMOST) Guiding Principles

1. Environmental Safety
2. Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity
6. Programming
8. Staffing and Professional Development

Department of Children, Youth & Families: Child Care Provider Training Requirements

1. Child/adolescent growth and development
2. Learning environment and curriculum
9. Cultural competency and responsiveness

School's Out Washington Quality Improvement Standards

3. Participating in activities that encourage self-expression and inspire them to discover their passions
4. Engaging in learning opportunities that build academic, life, and career skills
5. Having a common language and shared expectations that are aligned with research and best practices for positive youth development and social emotional learning

Standards of Early Learning and Development

1. Childhood Development

Afterschool Quality Standards

2. Staff and Youth Relationships
3. Youth Participation, Learning, and Engagement
5. Programming and Alignment with Regular School Day Learning
6. Administration and Organizational Development
7. Staffing and Professional Development

Department of Early Learning and Care: Training

1. Diversity
5. Learning Environments and Curriculum
7. Personal, Professional & Leadership Development

Early Learning and Development Standards

1. Early Childhood Education and Child Development

After School Network

3. Environment
4. Activities and Programming
6. Staffing/Professional Development
7. Administration/Organization

Afterschool Program Quality Institute

1. Environment
3. Programming
4. Youth Participation and Engagement

Early Childhood - Continuing Education

6. Learning Activities

Afterschool Network Quality Standards

1. Environment
4. Programming

Early Childhood Professional Learning Categories

1. Learning Communities
3. Resources
5. Learning Designs
6. Implementation

Network for Youth Success Quality Self-Assessment (QSA) Tool

1. Environment & Climate
4. Staffing & Professional Development
5. Programming & Activities
7. Youth Participation & Engagement to Care

NYC DYCD Core Competencies for Youth Work Professionals

1. Knowledge of the principles and practices of child and youth development and ability to use this knowledge to achieve the goals of the program.
4. Ability to foster academic and non-academic skills and broaden participant horizons.
5. Ability to effectively implement curricula and program activities.

School Age Child Care

3. Child Day Care Program Development

After School Program Quality Standards and Indicators

1. Health, Safety and the Environment
3. Programming and Activities
4. Staffing and Professional Development

Early Learning and Development Standards

2. Social and Emotional Development
4. Literacy
5. Cognitive Development
6. Mathematics
7. Science
8. Social Studies
9. Creative Arts

Statewide Afterschool Quality Standards

1. Indoor and Outdoor Environments
4. Professional Development and Qualifications
6. Youth Development, Programming, and Activities

B-3 Continuum

5. Joint Professional Development
6. Aligned Curriculum and Instruction

Building Blocks for Out-of-School Time Quality

1. Intentional Program Design
2. Supportive Relationships & Environments
3. Youth Voice, Leadership, and Engagement
5. Community, School and Family Engagement
7. Ongoing Staff Support and Volunteer Development

Early Learning eGuidelines Competencies

1. Introduction to Inclusive Child Care
2. Understanding Child Development in Relation to Disabilities
4. Preparing for and Including Young Children in the Child Care Setting
5. Community Services for Young Children with Disabilities (including Early Intervention services)
a. Introduction to Inclusive Child Care
d. Preparing for and Including Young Children in the Child Care Setting
e. Community Services for Young Children with Disabilities (including Early Intervention services)

Program Quality Practices

1. Physical Environment, Curriculum, and Program Activities
2. Assessment, Planning, and Improvement
4. Child and Youth Engagement
8. Professional Development

Child Growth and Development

1. Programming and Curriculum
2. Children with special needs
4. Program Environment
6. Social/emotional development
7. Challenging behaviors

Child Growth and Development

1. Programming and Curriculum
2. Children with special needs
4. Program Environment
6. Social/emotional development
7. Challenging behaviors

Career Development

6. Strategic leadership and planning

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services: Child Care Center Professional Development Training Topics

Career Development
Child Growth and Development

Quality Guidelines for Ohio's Afterschool Programs

Child Growth and Development

Quality Afterschool Guidelines

1. Quality Environments
2. Supporting Children and Youth
4. Safe Environments
5. Commitment to Quality
6. Quality Staff

Hawaii OST Quality Guidelines

1c. Pilina (Relationships) between program and ʻāina & place
1d. Pilina (Relationships) between Program and Families
1e. Pilina (Relationships) between Programs and Schools
1f. Pilina (Relationships) between Program and Community
2b. Staff Professional Development and Leadership
3a. Program Administration for Staff
3b. Policies and Procedures

Goals for Program Management and Delivery

1. Safe, Healthy, and Orderly Environment
2. Qualified and Diverse Staff
3. Opportunities to Learn in Diverse Environments

Goals for Program Connections

6. Consistent Participant Attendance

Goals for Program Participants

7. Greater Personal Responsibility
8. Improved Academics Achievement
9. Greater Creativity and Well-Being

Child Care Facilities: Staff Development Topics

a. Planning a safe, healthy learning environment
b. Steps to advance children's physical and intellectual development
c. Positive ways to support children's social and emotional development
i. Learning activities that promote inclusion of children with special needs

North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs (NCCAP)

Goals for Program Connections
Goals for Program Management and Delivery
Goals for Program Participants

Guiding Principles for Quality OST Programs

2. Active & Engaged Learning
3. Skill Building
7. Inclusion & Access
9. Quality Staff

Early Care and Education Knowledge Base

4. Teaching and engagement
5. Curriculum and learning environment

Core Knowledge and Competencies for Early Childhood Professionals

2. Child and youth development

West Virginia Afterschool Program Quality Standards

2. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
5. Indoor and Outdoor Environments
8. Activities

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Training

2. Child growth and development
4. Planning learning activities

Early Childhood Educator Requirements: Birth to Second Grade

2. Developmental curriculum planning/ environment and curriculum

Afterschool & Out-of-School Time Professional Network

2. Healthy Behaviors: Nutrition and Physical Activity
4. Indoor and Outdoor Environment
5. Programming and Activities

Department of Children & Families: Staff Training Requirements for Childcare Centers

i. Child growth and development
ii. Positive guidance and discipline
v. Program planning and development
vi. Creating a classroom environment

Afterschool Standards

2. Indoor and Outdoor Environments
3. Programming and Activities

Core Knowledge and Competencies

4. Learning Environment and Curriculum

Afterschool Network Quality Standards

2. Offer a blend of academic and developmental skill-building activities
4. Promote high levels of student engagement
5. Provide appropriate levels of structure as well as opportunities for autonomy and choice

Early Childhood: Child Care Center Training Topics

7. Principles of child growth and development, including brain development

Department of Early Education & Care Standards

2. Planning Programs and Environments for Young Children
4. Child and Classroom Management
10. Supervision or Staff Development in Early Childhood Education

Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool Youth Development Network (PSAYDN) Statement of Quality in Afterschool

2. Positive Connections
4. Activities

Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators (PA PSCECE)

Standard 1: Child Development and Learning in Context
Standard 4: Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically Appropriate Teaching Practices
Standard 5: Knowledge, Application, and Integration of Academic Content in the Early Childhood Curriculum

Afterschool Program Quality Guidelines

2. Programming

Virginia Partnership for Out-of-School Time Quality Standards

2. Staffing, Volunteers & Professional Development
5. Active & Engaged Learning
8. Environment (Indoor & Outdoor Spaces)

Child Care VA Standards

10. Inclusion of All Children
13. Foundations of Child Development and Approaches to Learning

Afterschool Alliance's Quality Standards

2. Steps to advance children’s physical and intellectual development
3. Positive ways to support children’s social and emotional development
8. Principles of child growth and development

Child Care Centers Professional Growth and Development Training Requirements

2. Steps to advance children’s physical and intellectual development
3. Positive ways to support children’s social and emotional development (includes guidance and discipline)
8. Principles of child growth and development

Childcare Program: Continuing Education

3. Caring for children with exceptionalities
6. Indoor and outdoor learning environments
7. Behavior guidance

Core Competencies for Early Childhood Professionals

3. Learning Environments
5. Cognitive Learning
7. Creative Learning
9. Social Development
10. Guidance

Texas Partnership for Out-of-School Time (TXPOST) Standards of High Quality

3. Programming and Activities
7. School Linkages

Early Childhood Education: Professional Development Areas

Annual Training (1) Child growth and development
Annual Training (3) Age-appropriate curriculum
In-Service 3. Understanding early childhood brain development.
Pre-Service 2. Age-appropriate activities for children
Pre-Service 4. Fostering children’s self-esteem
Pre-Service 6. Positive interaction with children

Quality Standards for OST Programs

3: Youth-Centered Program Design
4: Leadership and Management

Early Care & Education Professional Development Content Areas

4. Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically Appropriate Teaching Practices
5. Knowledge, Application, and Integration of Academics Content in the Early Childhood Curriculum
6. Professionalism as an Early Childhood Educator

Afterschool Network

5. Curriculum and activities
6. Learning environment
7. Program planning and evaluation

Child Care Training & Education

Standard 1: Learning Environment/Developmentally Appropriate Practice

Department of Education: Standards for Professional Development

a. Child development and learning
f. Strategies for working with children with disabilities
g. Classroom management, which must include, without limitation, positive discipline and guidance and social, emotional, and academic development
i. Play theory and creativity

Quality Standards for Nevada OST Programs