Wendy Beltzner-Pitts knows all too well the challenges that face area employers. As a community college workforce trainer, she\u2019s been delivering leadership and interpersonal skills training to area companies for 20 years.\u00a0 So when she saw children who visited her family\u2019s ice cream shop struggle with the same issues, she decided to do something about it. The Ice Cream Lab Inc., owned by Wendy and husband Tim, has become well known not only for ice cream, but also for educational field trips strategically focused on collaboration and problem solving. Now, the small Walnutport business, which has hosted over 20,000 children, is expanding their educational solution into a larger concept called Imagi Nation; an entire city built for and run by kids that will be located in the Dorneyville Shopping Center, opening daily in early October.<\/p>\n
![\"icl-field-trip\"](\"http:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/ICL-Field-Trip-150x150.jpg\")
According to Beltzner-Pitts, \u201cChildren today are immersed in technology, which is a requirement for them to be competitive. However, what parents, educators and employers all agree on, is the decline in social skills as a result. Our field trips have addressed that need with curriculum that encourages children to use their ingenuity and most importantly, work with and lead others. This purposeful blend of education, entertainment and social skills awareness hits the mark with adults and children alike, many of whom return year after year. Imagi Nation will allow us to expand our programming beyond ice cream to an integrated city and accommodate even larger groups.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new interactive experience, designed for ages 3-12, provides over 40 different role- play opportunities within a bank, market, post office, manufacturing center, health\/ dental clinic, creation station, media center, fire\/police station, and ice cream flavor lab. Activities are facilitated by a dedicated team of educators called Imagi Nation Ambassadors and children are introduced to financial literacy by being paid with Biznis Bucks for the work they perform.\u00a0 Within Imagi Nation, they can pay for entertainment opportunities or choose to save or donate their Biznis Bucks to a charity of their choice. The 5,120 sq. ft. indoor metropolis is comprised of enterprises that will eventually be branded with sponsorships from leading Lehigh Valley organizations, providing an even more authentic experience for visitors.<\/p>\n
Imagi Nation is the Lehigh Valley\u2019s first educational entertainment experience for children with an emphasis on social skill development. Imagi Nation specializes in imaginative play, school field trips, birthday parties, private events, special family events and corporate team building sessions. Visit http:\/\/www.imaginationexp.com <\/u><\/a>for more information. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Imagi Nation – A Little World for Big Thinkers Wendy Beltzner-Pitts knows all too well the challenges that face area employers. As a community college workforce trainer, she\u2019s been … Continue reading Imagi Nation – New Children\u2019s Attraction Encourages Play with a Purpose<\/span>
\nA Little World for Big Thinkers \u00a9.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nWendy Pitts<\/div>\n