Thirty Years Exploring Continued from page 1 an article declaring Reggio Emilia the best early childhood program in the world. In the spring of 1992, Jan Phillips along with four educators and a parent from TCS, participated in a study tour of the Reggio Emilia schools led by Brenda Fyfe of Webster University. The group was so impressed with what they saw that Jan returned to St. Louis and wrote a grant proposal to
the Danforth Foundation to provide three years of funding to help TCS implement the approach, conduct action research, and mentor other schools through networking and workshops. Jan noted that “[t]he thing I found particularly interesting was the way the teachers helped children see more deeply and think more in-depth when doing their artwork and writing.” The grant was funded, and Louise Cadwell was hired as a preschool teacher at TCS. She also served as a consultant to help incorporate the Reggio Approach into early childhood programs at five area schools, including TCS. Louise was an intern in the Reggio Emilia preschools the previous year and had met Jan and the others from TCS when they toured Italy. During the second year of the grant program, Louise moved into the newly-created atelierista position, and TCS became the demonstration site for educators from other schools. Eight additional schools joined the St. Louis network, and both educators and parents worked hard to get the Reggio-inspired program off the ground. TCS teachers redesigned the early childhood space with the help of parent/architects Gay and Frank Lorberbaum. St. Louis became a leader in the United States for Reggio-inspired work. Notable educators from Reggio Emilia spent time at TCS and other St. Louis schools involved in the grant. Their presence and guidance, while at times tough, were a great boost to the program. After the grant was completed, The St. Louis Reggio Collaborative was formed with The College School, Clayton Family Center, and The St. Michael School
Page 6 | Spring 2022
of Clayton. In 1997, Reggio Children’s Foundation worked with the Collaborative during a two-day conference “Adapting the Reggio Emilia Approach in U.S. Contexts.” One reason the Reggio Approach worked so well at TCS was its compatibility with experiential education and the common influence of the educational philosophies of Dewey, Piaget, and Vygotsky. “At their core, our Reggio-inspired spaces are experiential by nature. Hands-on, playbased learning is learning by doing, by having rich and meaningful first-hand experiences with a wide variety of unique learning materials, creative mediums, and social interactions,” notes Sarah Hassing, the TCS atelierista. “An important benefit of this approach is that it helps children learn to learn, to be inquisitive, curious, collaborative, and eager to explore the world around them. When we view children as protagonists of their own learning, we are acknowledging their competency in intellectually engaging with others and with the larger world.” Sarah Hassing believes TCS draws its biggest inspiration from the Reggio Approach’s image of the child. “As in Reggio Emilia, Italy, we at TCS hold a strong image of children as competent learners that bring their own experiences, knowledge, and expertise to our classrooms. We believe that our youngest learners are citizens of today whose voices are vital components of our community, here at school, and within the larger ones in Webster Groves and St. Lou-
is, as well. You will see this in our classrooms through how we engage children with respect, trust, and admiration.” Over the years, TCS educators have continued to seek professional development in the Reggio Approach through on-site visits to Reggio Emilia preschools and schools around the country that have successful Reggio-inspired programs. We have also hosted many visiting educators seeking inspiration for their programs. During the pandemic, we’ve taken advantage of online and digital programs through the Reggio Children organization. In addition, two of our early childhood teachers are working on their master’s degrees through a program with ties to the Reggio Approach. The early childhood program at TCS is staffed with loving, passionate educators who are committed to carrying on the Reggio tradition and respecting each child. Our goals include ongoing professional learning inside and outside of the classroom and sharing those insights with colleagues, families, and the broader education community, utilizing a variety of tools for documentation of student thinking and experiences, making time for dialogue among colleagues to process and further the work within the program, and rebuilding a local network of Reggio practitioners in the St. Louis area. The vision, commitment, and hard work that have brought us to this point will continue to support our early childhood program going forward.
Two current TCS teachers are in the University of Colorado - Denver Masters in Innovative Early Childhood Education program that emphasizes the Reggio Approach Sarah Hassing, Atelierista - “I chose to enter the Masters in Innovative Early Childhood Education to continue my learning and growth as an educator who is inspired by the values and practices found within the municipal preschools in Reggio, Emilia, Italy. Like the children I teach, I view myself as a lifelong learner, as well as an advocate for young children. This program has supported my learning in so many ways. Currently, I am engaged in a deep study of the classroom and school environments and how they impact, inform, and support learning. The partnerships and friendships I have forged with instructors and peers have been vital to building a network of Reggio-inspired colleagues who will continue to learn and grow from one another long after this program has ended.” Uchenna Ogu, Kindergarten Teacher - “I applied to the program because I am constantly seeking innovative, research-based, best practices that I can apply in my work with the Kindergarten children. As a lifelong learner, the opportunity to earn my Masters in Innovative Early Childhood Education with an emphasis on the Reggio Approach was exciting to me. I have a passion for creating joyful, high-quality curricula with and for children. Through my graduate program, I have gained a deeper understanding of how to facilitate learning within the context of relationships among people, environment, community, culture, etc. I want our students to leave Kindergarten knowing that they can have a meaningful impact on our school community and beyond, no matter their age.”
