APA & SFF to Launch PLATO Network
May 2009 The American Philosophical Association’s Committee on Pre-College Instruction in conjuntction with the Squire Family Foundation will soon launch Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization (PLATO) a national network for teachers interested in pre-college philosophy.
APA 2011 - Call for Papers
The Pacific Division of the American Philosophical Association will hold its 2011 conference in San Diego, CA. A mini-conference on Philosophy for Children will take place in conjunction with the regular meeting. For information on submitting a paper click here.

To learn more about the mini-conference click here.


Meetings of the Committee for Pre-College
Instruction in Philosophy - 2009-2010

Eastern Division Meeting
December 27-30, 2009
New York Marriott Marquis, New York, NY

Models for Teaching Philosophy in the Pre-College Environment
December 28, 2009 - 9:00-11:00 a.m.

Speakers:Michael Burroughs (University of Memphis)
Setting 'Philosophical Horizons': Introducing Philosophy to Memphis City Schools  Read this paper
Paul Thomson (Columbia Secondary School for Science, Technology, and Engineering-New York)
Philosophy and Integrating the Disciplines in Middle School
Wendy C. Turgeon (St. Joseph's College-Long Island)
Preparing Teachers for Philosophical Inquiry: Maintaining Integrity  Read this paper
Chair: Rory Kraft (York College)
For more information: www.apaonline.org/divisions/eastern


Central Division Meeting:
February 17-20, 2010
Palmer House Hilton Hotel, Chicago, IL

Approaches to Philosophy in the High School Classroom
February 20, 2010
3:15 pm - 6:15 pm

Speakers:Kevin Barry (Evanston Township High School) and student
Challenges in Developing a High School Philosophy Curriculum
Clayton Duba (Adlai Stevenson High School) and student
Teaching Texts and Using Blogs in High School Philosophy
Christopher Freiler (Hinsdale Central High School) and student
Using Thought Experiments to Teach High School Philosophy
Discussant: David Hilbert (University of Illinois at Chicago)
Suggestions for Training High School Students to Think Philosophically
Chair: Steven Goldberg (Oak Park and River Forest High School)
For more information: www.apaonline.org/divisions/central


Pacific Division Meeting
March 31 - April 4, 2010
Westin St. Francis, San Francisco, CA

From the University to the K-12 Classroom:
Introducing Philosophy to Young People

April 1, 2010 - 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Speakers: Michael Burroughs (Philosophical Horizons, University of Memphis)
Philosophy with Children and the Academy: Benefits and Challenges
Joshua Cottrell (Teacher, Philosophy/Honors Humanities/American Literature, Westview High School, San Diego) and Riley Keating (High school student, Westview High School, San Diego)
Bringing Philosophy to the Public High School Classroom
Susan Gardner (Vancouver Institute of Philosophy for Children, Capilano University)
Ethics with Young People
Chair: Jana Mohr Lone (Northwest Center for Philosophy for Children, University of Washington)
For more information: www.apaonline.org/divisions/pacific


PAST APA CONFERENCE PANELS
December 2008: SFF sponsored a panel entitled "High School Bioethics: A Gateway to Philosophy" at the APA Eastern Division Meeting in Philadelphia, PA. The session was organized Craig B. Merow of Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, PA), and featured the presentation of essays by Joeylyn Yockey and Tim McAleer, both seniors at Germantown Academy. The session and essays have led to the creation of a new porgram at SFF, Student Voices.
March 2008: APA's Committee on Pre-College Instruction in Philosophy sponsored a panel entitled "Writing Philosophy for Youth and Teens" at the Pacific Division Meeting in Pasadena, CA. Panelists included David Boersema of Pacific University as Chair and speakers Sharon Kaye of John Carroll University, Claudia Mills of University of Colorado–Boulder, Michael Pritchard of Western Michigan University, and David A. Shapiro of Cascadia Community College.

December 2007: SFF sponsored a panel entitled "Innovative Approaches to Teaching Ethics to Students at the Pre-College Level" at the American Philosophical Association Eastern Division Meeting in Baltimore, MD.