Creativity, Play, and Experiential Learning with Janella Watson (EP154)

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Janella Watson is an international speaker and educational consultant. Drawing on more than 20 years of work as a researcher and practitioner in children’s museums and science centers, she is renowned for creating curricula and play experiences that center equity and spark joy, learning, and whole-family engagement. As founder and CEO of Watson Creative Consulting, she leads a multi-hyphenate team in the development of culturally responsive children’s content, curricula, and storytelling for clients including Nickelodeon, Spin Master Entertainment, and Sesame Workshop.

Janella deepens her commitment to arts education and connection to the community by serving as board chair for AS220, a grassroots arts organization in the heart of Providence, Rhode Island where she lives, works, and plays with her husband and curious and kind kid.

My Why

My heart’s passion is sharing curiosity and a sense of wonder – fostering the creativity of the youngest learners among us.

What it was like growing up/school experience

I grew up in the foothills of Oakland, CA, and have known Barbara and her family since I was four years old. I played with her son, Andrew, and his neighbor, Nick in her backyard.

I spent my early years immersed in nature, science, creativity, and learning by doing. While I was an engaged student, my key learning and fondest childhood memories were exploring the natural world around me and learning at the feet of the caring adults in my life. My grandpa Peter Klemchuk was my science hero. He was a chemist and self-taught photographer, classical music aficionado, and master gardener, with a true zeal for exploring the world. He and my grandmother Helen, a special education teacher, embraced curiosity and play as lifelong pursuits. The two of them had an indelible impact, not only on my childhood but on my life’s work, centering learning and play as drivers of community connection and well-being.

What does healthy play look like?

My truest Whys in the work that I wonder and wander through are threefold:

What I learned as a museum educator: Throughout my twenty years in museums, I found a passion for creating sensory-rich experiences that invite families to tinker, create, and play together.

Raising my own curious and kind kiddo has taught me the power of following a child’s lead and honoring his unique perspective of the world. Being curious about their interests and fascinations, and using them as a tool to contextualize what they need to learn and practice helps children build voice, confidence, and agency.

Brushes with Social Service and Social Justice: My work with a social service-rooted museum, experiences supporting play for incarcerated parents and their kids, and learning from the inspiring social justice work of AS220, transformed my teaching practice, and made me a passionate advocate. These experiences cemented my commitment to assuring all our children see themselves reflected and respected in the lessons, experiences, and content we create.

In 2019, my work began to make an organic shift from the programmatic spaces of museums, into children’s media, addressing representation gaps on screen and behind the scenes to better support kids and their families. I view the deep parasocial relationships that many kids develop with their favorite characters as key developmental resources. Do kids see themselves and their families in those character relationships? Who is consistently left out? 

If racial justice is the work of each of us, it is the work of every Muppet.

Watson Creative Consulting

As founder and CEO of Watson Creative Consulting, I lead a diverse team of writers, researchers and educators in the development of culturally responsive children’s content, curricula, and storytelling: 

• As educational consultants for the creators of Paw Patrol, we facilitate in-depth learning sessions focused on Authentic Inclusive Representation for Spin Master Entertainment’s executive and creative teams, supporting them in telling more authentic inclusive stories and deepening their commitment to DEI through the development of culturally responsive content strategy.

• As advisors and writers, we are helping Nickelodeon redefine how they interact with global audiences through their pro-social initiatives and have authored more than 50 family-facing resources for NickHelps.com.

• We guide senior executives at Sesame Workshop in creating a culture-building working group that supports their racial justice initiative, Coming Together. We have contributed to the academic and strategic thinking behind their new racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse Muppets, including  Ji-Young and T.J, and developed the strategy for on-air and social media heritage and cultural celebrations.

These are all our children, learning side-by-side.

What’s next? 

I’ve made a life-long commitment to wander and wonder in the work, while rooted in my guiding values: to lead with compassion, strategy, and integrity, and to privilege play, spark joy, and perpetually show reverence and respect for all our kids.

Janella’s Contact Information

Website: https://watsoncreativeconsulting.com
Email: janella@watsoncreativeconsulting.com
LinkedIn: janella-watson-educational-consultant/
Facebook: janella.watson
Twitter (X): STEMintheMaking

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I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Janella Watson on my virtual porch. It was so much fun going down memory lane with Janella who I’ve known since she was four. Connecting again after all these years, it was wonderful to catch up and learn how she is making a difference for children around the world.  I know that you will be more than pleased that you listened to her story and checked out the post about Janella’s amazing journey. Please share this podcast and the post with your friends.

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