* Master of Arts in Teaching, 2008
Columbia College, Chicago
Commencement Speaker, 2008
Follett Fellowship Recipient, 2006-07
* Illinois Teacher License Type 03
Kindergarten to Grade 9
Special Endorsements for Middle School: General Science, Speech, Theatre Arts / Drama
* Faculty, 2017-2020, Columbia College Chicago
Early Childhood Program: Infants, Toddlers, and 2-Year Olds: Methods and Programming
Field Supervision: Early Childhood Student Teacher candidate (in partnership with Christopher House, Logan Square)
* Loris Malaguzzi International Centre, Reggio Emilia, Italy
Online course work through Reggio Children, ongoing annually
“In-Depth Study Group”, 2019
One-week focus in Reggio Emilia, Italy regarding the roles of the Pedagogista, Atelierista, and Teacher, this intensive study group was opened to individuals meeting criteria including Reggio practice, prior attendance, community service commitments.
“Professors and Students Tour”, 2018
One-week focus in Reggio Emilia, Italy regarding the history, implementation, current work and future goals of the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching and learning in an Italian context.
Learning Together in a Special Place, Professional Development Workshop for Leadership, June 2023 (Mercatello, Italy featuring the leadership of Angela Ferrario and Susan MacDonald)
Connection to BARIN (Boston Area Reggio Inspired Network) established, Autumn 2023
* Kukulcan Language School, Cuernavaca, Mexico
60 hours, Español Principiante II, 2008
This program featured Spanish language classes, cultural day trips and tours, teaching in public and private schools in Mexico, and a full-immersion approach with a host family.
* 15+ annual hours of continued professional development
2008 - present
Areas of continued education have included nature-based curriculum, Reggio Emilia workshops, mentoring for student teachers, Project Learning Tree educator training, and museum resources for the classroom.
* Mentor Teacher for Student Teacher Candidates + Interns
2013 - present
We regularly opened our classroom at Cortland Preschool to student teachers and teachers-in-training. We have hosted student teacher candidates from Columbia College Chicago, DePaul University, and Erikson Institute. I currently work as a coordinator with DePaul University to host undergrad and graduate level education student and Italian language interns at Scuola Italiana, Enrico Fermi
* 2010 - present, Harris Collection at the Field Museum, member
I continue to use hands-on learning materials curated by the Harris Collection at the Field Museum of Natural History in my classrooms.
* 2010 - present, Infant / Child CPR and First Aid Certified
* 2017 Winner, Chicago Excellence in Gardening Award, Educational Gardens, Cortland Preschool’s Maxine Koss Memorial Garden
Keep alive your, "...inborn sense of wonder."
In 2009, I formed Cortland Preschool, a Reggio Emilia inspired, constructivist preschool for children ages 3-6. I wanted to work in a place that was clean and chemical free, quiet, and safe for preschoolers. I wanted to provide an environment where children could become a bigger part of their neighborhood community, and keep Cortland Preschool available to middle-to-low income families. With the help of my family, friends, and colleagues, I designed, built, licensed, and opened Cortland Preschool. We enjoyed ten years as a community leader in progressive early childhood education, informed by research, Reggio Emilia precepts, and good common sense.
What made Cortland Preschool unique?
--Reggio Emilia approach to teaching and learning, North American Reggio Emilia Alliance (NAREA) and Chicago Crossroads for Learning member
--gentle separation process through a series of free playdates to help families grow in trust, understanding, and partnership with their Cortland community; school should feel like a safe and comfortable extension of the home before official enrollment begins
--nature-based field trips and hands-on explorations
--highly trained and qualified teaching staff with low student-teacher ratios (ages 3-4 the ratio is 1:4, ages 4-5 the ratio is 1:5)
--seasonal focus with explorations of light and dark, natural life cycles and rhythms, and a heavy emphasis on organic gardening
--world music and instruments study
--special events including Cortland Community Book Club, Spring Pageant, All-School Reunion Picnic, and Parent / Teacher Conferences
--community outreach and connections including field trips, Earth Day Clean and Green, Parkway Greening Initiative
--times for student-led play and exploration, including full documentation of these important and powerful times
--uniquely developed Earned Tuition Credit program for families who need to reduce tuition through professional service hours at professional service rates
--M+M Scholarship Program which has awarded between $5,000 - $10,000 annually to families with financial need
--Employee wages, benefits, sick, and vacation pay that is fair, ethical, and protects our teachers; our students deserve happy and healthy teachers
--Open information sharing with staff, families, community that includes research-based articles, parent-written articles, teaching and learning seminars, and other valuable forums. Our knowledge is meant to be shared.
How can I see more? Read more? Learn more?
Please visit us on Facebook for many valuable photos and resources.
Please visit our blog archive, SeedLinG, for valuable articles and resources.
Join the mailing list at Reggio Chicago so you can hear about workshops, events, & even book and product launches!
2019 - present
I am currently the Director of Scuola Italiana, Enrico Fermi (SIEF) International School (Wicker Park, Chicago)
Scuola Italiana is bilingual Italian and English with a mission to grow up through 8th grade. Family, community, and joy light the way at this Reggio Emilia focused scuola—a true gem in Chicago and the only Italian bilingual PreK-1st grade school in Chicago.
siefchicago.org for info
Higher Education:
I am formerly teaching at Columbia College Chicago; Infants, Toddlers, and Two-year Olds, Programming and Methods
Columbia's Early Childhood Department featured a wide-array of courses designed to compliment and augment any discipline, and deepen understandings as parents or caregivers.
Consultant Work:
Please contact me at Reggio Chicago for consulting work. I would love to talk with you in person about what you may need and how we might journey together.
Areas of focus include:
-Incorporating the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching and learning within a North American context; discussion, Q&A, and general overview of progressive education
-Developing wholesome learning environments (environments as teachers)
-Incorporating a Reggio Emilia approach into your curricular goals
-Teacher-curated Materials: Explorations and Classroom Building (natural materials, instruments that encourage ear-training, materials selection for maximum cognitive development)
-Pedagogical observations and school visits to help your team embrace and stay true to a Reggio Emilia focus
2018-Present, Workshops Offered:
Keep It Clean--A Natural Approach to Healthy Classroom Environments
Reggio Emilia: A Respectful Introduction
Urban Gardening 101--How to Implement a Hands-On Garden Focus
Early Reading Routines--How to Establish, Maintain, and Grow Your Early Literacy Routines at School and Home
Reggio Inspired Documentation--How to Use Photography, Technology, Creativity, and Your Community to Build Meaningful Documentation
Maplewood & Lucy Flower Parks Advisory Council (MLFPAC)
The Maplewood & Lucy Flower Park Advisory Council (or MLFPAC) acts as West Bucktown, Chicago's, volunteer liaison between the community and the Chicago Park District. In addition to spearheading gardening, landscaping, and clean-up efforts, MLFPAC also acts as the "eyes and ears" for the Parks District. They report graffiti, submit maintenance requests, promote Park District programs at Maplewood, and keep a close eye on gang activity in the area. Members also attend semi-annual Park District budget hearings to lobby on behalf of Maplewood and Lucy Flower, and they conduct fundraising throughout the year to cover additional expenses, such as scholarships for area children. Read more here: maplewoodandlucyflowerparks.org
Current Role: Past President, active member from 2010-2020
Current Projects: Chicago Cubs Cares Baseball Field Renovation, Ribbon Cutting Spring/Summer of 2019. This $75,000 grant was recently awarded, and will renovate Maplewood Park's baseball field from a flooded, unusable mudhole, to a functioning field for outdoor activities, such as t-ball, baseball, kickball leagues, etc. This provides area youth with free and low-cost outdoor classes through the Chicago Park District.
Maplewood Park Field House Expansion and Renovation Project, in process, ribbing cutting scheduled for spring/summer 2019. Please visit the Park Advisory Council website to learn more about this exciting project; we just completed fundraising the $100,000 community portion in one year. This completes the 1.5 million needed to build Maplewood Park a new and functioning field house.
Past Projects
3 years, Chicago Cares Volunteer Initiative: This project includes coordination with Chicago Cares, planning for materials / supplies deliveries, hosting 20-100+ adult volunteers for a one-day community event that includes pruning, landscaping, mulching, weeding, mural painting, and installation of garden furniture or bird houses. Follow up photos and report submission required.
6 years, Grantwriting: My grantwriting experience includes six total awards from Community Gardens in the Parks, Friends of the Parks, NeighborSpace, and Openlands. Awards are typically between $200-$500 to help grow and develop the gardens and garden programs. Grants are written, materials purchased, items installed, budgets maintained, and final reports submitted, all by yours truly.
--Panel Speaker, Chicago Parks Foundation Grantwriting Workshop, July 2017
--Award Winner, Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards, 2016-17, Educational Gardens for Children, Maxine Koss Memorial Parkway
—Nominee, Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards, 2017-18, Educational Gardens for Children, Lucy Flower Park
6 years, Fundraising: Fundraisers have included Naveen's Cuisine Raffle and Dinner, FlowerPower Bulbs, Midnight Circus in the Parks, Spikeball, Pinot’s Palette, and the Annual Community Yard Sale. Fundraisers include working with a small group of colleagues to plan and implement a full event, with online ticket sales, online marketing through social media, local business in-person interactions to collect raffle donations or work together on future events, event execution including set-up, clean-up, and follow-up items.
Lucy Flower Children's Garden Club, Chicago
Conception: When I moved to my West Bucktown, Chicago, neighborhood, I was looking for a nearby playground for Cortland Preschool to have access to. Lucy Flower Park and Playlot is one block away from Cortland Preschool, but from 2009 - 2011, the playground features fell into such disrepair that, as a community, we had to come together to renovate the playground.
From 2009 - 2020, I led a complimentary, hands-on gardening club for neighborhood children. The Lucy Flower Garden Club is a free event where children learn about planting, maintaining, harvesting, and seed saving. We compost and prune, harvest and share, with the hopes that we can take a little piece of Lucy Flower to our own home gardens or city parkways.
What's Growing On?
My What's Growing On? series helps children to assess the overall garden space, determine the greatest needs for the day's workload, and plan to assess those needs. For example, when the lavender is in full bloom, we harvest the lavender, tie the stems into bundles, and send the bundles home with anyone playing at the park for their use and enjoyment. A small amount is reserved for an annual fundraiser, where we feature "Lucy Flower Lavender Shortbread Cookies." When the dill is in seed, children save and dry seed heads, harvest and packet the seeds, and share with the entire area as a Halloween trick or treat gift. Dill is great for pollinators, and we encourage children to sprinkle the seeds in the city parkways. These are just two examples of the many exciting little events that neighborhood children gain pride and skills from.
What kind of gardens did you have?
Every year was different! We featured our “fairytale rose garden”, our permaculture garden, a "Peter Rabbit" vegetable garden with cherry tomatoes, beans, peas, beets, squash, cantaloupe, and rhubarb, a blackberry patch, a wandering path “An Invitation to Wander” in the hedgerow, and an sensory herb garden, including dill, nasturtiums, basil, and sage.
We focused on formally registering our gardens with the North American Butterfly Association this year, providing milkweed and other butterfly-supporting plants. We also focused on beneficial pollinators, adding a mason bee home, and purchasing a bat box.
How did you receive funding?
My grantwriting provided funding and neighbors like me lent a hand. We've received grants for seeds, perennials, fencing, etc. We've written grants to gain a compost tumbler, and two small fruit trees. And our biggest project, the Lucy Flower Renovation, received funding from neighbors, businesses, and our Alderman, Joe Moreno. Detailed info about the renovation can be found here: http://www.westbucktown.org/lucy-flower-renovation.html
Why volunteer your time?
I sincerely believe that it is my generation's responsibility to make sure the coming generations understand how to grow their own food sources, especially in urban environments. There is a focus on seed saving, so that children understand the FULL life cycle, and so that they aren't dependent upon companies and corporations to provide their sustenance. There is also a focus on composting, so that children understand how to regenerate the soil, which is a very precious, and often over-looked, natural resource. Sustainable thinking is key and hands-on learning is powerful!
Next Gen Council Member, 2014 - 2020
What is ELPC:
(From elpc.org) The Environmental Law & Policy Center is the Midwest’s leading public interest environmental legal advocacy and eco-business innovation organization, and among the nation’s leaders. We develop and lead successful strategic advocacy campaigns to improve environmental quality and protect our natural resources. We are public interest environmental entrepreneurs who engage in creative business dealmaking with diverse interests to put into practice our belief that environmental progress and economic development can be achieved together. ELPC’s multidisciplinary staff of talented and experienced public interest attorneys, environmental business specialists, public policy advocates and communications specialists brings a strong and effective combination of skills to solve environmental problems.
ELPC’s vision embraces both smart, persuasive advocacy and sustainable development principles to win the most important environmental cases and create positive solutions to protect the environment. ELPC’s teamwork approach uses legal, economic, scientific and public policy analysis, and communications advocacy tools to produce successes. ELPC’s strategic advocacy and business dealmaking involves proposing solutions when we oppose threats to the Midwest environment. We say “yes” to better solutions; we don’t just say “no.”
ELPC was founded in 1993 after a year-long strategic planning process sponsored by seven major foundations. We have achieved a strong track record of successes on both national and regional clean energy development and pollution reduction, transportation and land use reform, and natural resources protection issues. ELPC brings a new form of creative public advocacy effectively linking environmental progress and economic development that improves the quality of life in our Midwest communities. http://www.elpc.org
Next Gen goals: ELPC’s Next Generation Advisory Council of early- to mid-career professionals acts as ELPC ambassadors and supporters. Members are interested in sustainability and renewable energy development and in gaining access to substantive professional and networking opportunities. ELPC’s Next Gen Advisory Council meets quarterly for strategic policy briefings, networking receptions and fundraising events.
