For all who work with and care for young children — early educators, human service professionals, health care providers, early intervention specialists, and parents.

Growing Together is an eight-week, online master class designed to deepen professional understanding of child development through exploratory practice — a reflective, inquiry-based approach to learning from one’s own experiences. Participants will engage in meaningful self-study and shared inquiry to collectively explore essential questions about children, families, and their own professional identities.

Trainers: Dr. Jennifer Kampmann & Dr. Andrew Stremmel
Format: 8 weeks, online with live Zoom sessions on the evenings of March 2, 9 & 23 and April 13 & 27 (6:30-8:00 p.m. CST). All Zoom sessions will be recorded and available for master class participants to view later if they are unable to attend the live sessions.
Office Hours: Available alternating weeks for individualized support. Tentatively scheduled March 16, 26 & 30 and April 9, 23 & 30 (6:30-8pm CST).
Capstone Seminar: 1-day seminar and final presentations on May 8, 2026 at USD Sioux Falls (travel expenses provided).
Cost for Course: Free for accepted participants. See application details below.

Course Experience

Participants will:

• Develop their own question of practice — a personal inquiry into an aspect of their work with children and/or families
• Engage in reflective, creative, and artistic methods (storying, journaling, observation, conversation)
• Gain confidence as reflective practitioners who continually learn from experience
• Present their inquiry projects and insights during a collaborative one-day, in-person capstone seminar at USD Sioux Falls. (A stipend will be provided for successfully completing the course and participating in the capstone seminar.)

By the end of this master class, participants will:

• Understand themselves and their practice in new ways
• Cultivate habits of curiosity, reflection, and professional inquiry
• Design a sustainable framework for lifelong learning and development
• Build a community of practice with others dedicated to children’s growth and well-being

Course Participation

To get the most from the experience, participants are expected to:

• Engage in all 8 weeks of the course through a mix of asynchronous learning and live Zoom sessions (every other week)
• Attend at least 3 of 4 live Zoom meetings and participate in discussions and reflection activities
• Join one online office-hour session (optional but highly encouraged) for individualized guidance
• Complete weekly readings and reflections in the online learning portal (approximately 2–3 hours per week)
• Develop and carry out a personal inquiry project, exploring a self-selected question of practice
• Present findings at the final in-person seminar at USD Sioux Falls

Who Should Apply

This course is designed for any professional who works with or cares for young children, including:

• Early childhood and elementary educators
• Social workers, home visitors, and family support specialists
• Health care and behavioral health providers
• Early intervention and special education professionals
• Program administrators and parent leaders

No prior research or graduate-level experience is required—just curiosity, reflection, and a desire to grow.

How to Apply

Enrollment in the Growing Together: Master Class in Child Development Professional Inquiry is limited to 30 participants to ensure a rich, interactive learning experience. We welcome applications from all professionals who work with or care for young children — including educators, health and human service providers, early intervention specialists, program leaders, and parents.

Application Deadline

Applications are due Jan. 2, 2026
Accepted participants will be notified by Feb. 2, 2026

Selection Criteria

Participants will be selected based on:

• Demonstrated commitment to children’s growth and well-being
• Interest in reflective, inquiry-based professional learning
• Representation across disciplines and settings (to ensure a diverse cohort)
• Ability to attend the online sessions and final seminar at USD Sioux Falls

Application Format

Applicants should submit their responses in one of the following formats:

• Online form submission (preferred). If you apply using this online form, we recommend you prepare answers to the application questions before beginning the form
• OR emailed Word or PDF document to [email protected] and put Growing Together Master Class Application in the subject line

Meet the Instructors

Andrew Stremmel is Professor Emeritus in the School of Education, Counseling, and Human Development and former department head in Teaching, Learning and Leadership in the College of Education and Human Sciences at South Dakota State University. Prior to that he was department head of Human Development in the former college of Family and Consumer Sciences. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees from Purdue University in Early Childhood Education and Child Development and earned a B.A. in Psychology from the Pennsylvania State University. His research and writing are in the areas of early child development, teacher education, and inquiry-based approaches to curriculum and pedagogy. He has published over 60 refereed journal articles and book chapters and has co-edited three books and co-authored two books. His book, Teaching as Inquiry: Rethinking Curriculum in Early Childhood Education (2005, Allyn & Bacon), is the first comprehensive early childhood education text provoked and inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach. His most recent co-edited book, Seven Crucial Conversations in Early Childhood Education (2024, Teachers College Press) is a critical dialogue among distinguished experts in early childhood and child development on the past, present, and future of early childhood education. He is an executive editor of Voices of Practitioners, the leading journal of early childhood practitioner research. In 2016 he received the Distinguished Research Award by the Association of Teacher Education for this co-authored article, Countering the Essentialized Discourse of Teacher Education.

Jennifer Kampmann is the assistant director and professional development specialist for SD Birth to Three. Prior to that she was an assistant professor of early childhood education and assistant department head of Human Development at South Dakota State University. Dr Kampmann received her Ed.D. from the University of South Dakota in Curriculum & Instruction and an. M.S. and B.S. from South Dakota State University in Human Development, Child and Family Studies with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. She has held certificates in early childhood/early childhood education and kindergarten teaching. Jennifer’s research and writing are in the areas of early child development, teacher education, and inquiry-based approaches to curriculum, and child assessment. Her teaching expertise are in child development, early childhood curriculum and pedagogy, child assessment and family engagement. She has published in several early childhood journals including Young Children and Voices of Practioners. Dr. Kampmann was awarded the South Dakota Association for Colleges of Teacher Education Leadership Award in 2017.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,366,231 with 0 percent financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by USD, HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.