The Journey Project: Introducing Science to Early Learners through Guided Pretend Play is an immersive, hands-on, constructivist methodology that deeply engages early learners through tactile simulations of real science phenomenon. Developed at CentroNía by Elizabeth Bruce, the Journey Project is designed to nurture creativity, critical thinking, language and socio-emotional development, and science knowledge by casting young children as skilled science problem solvers. It follows improvisational theatre's mantra: "Yes AND" vs "Yes, BUT." There are no wrong answers in a Journey workshop!

The Theatrical Journey Playbook by Elizabeth Bruce--available in English and Spanish--details the principles, methodology, techniques, warmups, materials, rubrics, evaluation, and 23 scripts addressing such science challenges as healing the sick teddy bear, finding the rain, and replenishing nitrogen in the soil. The Journey Project and Playbook have been developed with support from the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, the McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation, and the Improving Lives Program of the Inter-American Development Bank, as well as CentroNía colleagues and educational institutions in Ghana and Colombia. Professional development workshops are available in English or Spanish.

Journey Project Instructional Videos