From the beginning, we have developed Simple Interactions as a set of open and freely accessible tools and resources for anyone to adapt and re-invent in their relational practice settings. The development over the years has been enriched by the creativity and investment of collaborators and partner organizations. In this issue, we want to introduce you to a long-time collaborator in the Simple Interactions work, who, along with colleagues at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, brings us a wonderful “Simple Interactions Toolkit” for designing and facilitating professional learning.

Annie White, Ph.D. began her career as an educator in out-of-school time programs. She has been a close collaborator and colleague in Simple Interactions work since 2014. She first began to work with Tom Akiva on adapting Simple Interactions as a staff and leadership development in out-of-school time programs. As the Director of Research and Evaluation at the Fred Rogers Institute, she worked closely with Dana Winters on a range of Simple Interactions projects. Her ongoing research work (linked to publications here and here) continues to inform all of us about the implementation and impact of Simple Interactions. At the Fred Rogers Institute, she continues to lead and contribute to ongoing research and professional learning efforts. Annie works with educators to support their everyday interactions with children, families, and communities. She has facilitated Simple Interactions workshops and conducted research focusing on both adult-child and adult-adult interactions across developmental contexts, including out-of-school learning, early childhood education, K-12 school, and more.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, all of us who have known and worked with Dr. White have been enriched by her creativity, collegiality, and passion for supporting adults’ learning. She brings joyful enthusiasm to even the most tedious or mundane aspects of our collaboration (e.g., revising a manuscript for what seems like the 100th time).

With a generous grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Fred Rogers Institute and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh continued the work of Simple Interactions in informal learning institutions. We engaged with three organizations in Western Pennsylvania - Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden, Allegheny County Library Association, and Westmoreland Museum of Art. ​Staff participated in Simple Interactions workshops and did a deep dive into their own practice through “try-it-out” projects (Akiva et al., 2022).

This Toolkit was developed through the work of this IMLS grant and is a step-by-step walk-through of the Simple Interactions series that informal learning organizations engaged in during the project.

The Toolkit is designed to be flexible. It can be a standalone "workbook" or you can print off a few pages at a time. All activities are structured for depth and close examination, but there are suggestions for shortening them if time, learning styles, or preferences make a different approach necessary. Our main goal in creating the toolkit is that it can be used in whatever way helps people to reflect on and appreciate the depth of the simple interactions all around them.

In the next issue of the newsletter, we will release and discuss the 2024 edition of the Simple Interactions Tool and the small, but important changes we are making!

We want to know more about what you do! We continue to collect share stories and help others to learn more ways to use Simple Interactions. This will also help us design and create resources and opportunities to better support you!

If you are interested, would you mind filling out a simple questionnaire (less than 5 minutes)? We will reach out to you to learn more!