Here is a summary of my trip to the town of Reggio Emilia, Italy and the Study Tour at The Loris Malaguzzi International Centre. Very difficult to summarize the emotions this experience evoked but I will try…
“Listen with your ears, your eyes, your heart”. This opening piece of advice came from the president of Reggio Children, Cristian Fabbi, as he gave us an introduction to the program of the study group. No truer words were spoken. It is impossible to attend this experience and not feel deeply impacted.
Over the course of the week, we would attend sessions in the auditorium, where we would learn about the history of the Reggio Emilia town, schools and community; all very intertwined and connected. We listened to stories from the pedagogistas and aterleristas, in Italian then translated by very talented and charming translators. We watched video documentation, bringing their stories to life and tears to my eyes.
One afternoon, after they closed for the day, I visited an infant-toddler centre named Sole, and the next afternoon a preschool named Gulliver. We were warmly welcomed, with beautiful food and beverages and given the opportunity to poke around and make notes, unfortunately no photos indoors to protect their privacy. At both children’s centres I visited, I was completely inspired and thrilled, yes, tears again. The care and attention to provoking children’s curiosities and supporting and co-constructing knowledge is evident in every corner of both the infant toddler and preschool. I also was struck by many similarities to our program at Childgarden Preschool and filled with pride! We concluded our visit sitting together with the staff, who graciously answered our questions and wonderings and I made many notes to share with our team to help keep this memory permanent.
Alongside the learning, and thinking together, were cultural events too, such as a walking tour of Reggio Emilia, a Reception to greet us at the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre, and a Balsamic Tour and Dinner. It goes without saying, some amazing food and gelato too!
The later half of the week, was spent learning about the creative recycling centre called ReMida; a cultural and sustainability project, that is a relationship with the Municipality who pays for the building, and is run mostly by volunteers, and materials donated by 150 businesses that is then used as loose parts in the schools. They ask: “What questions do these materials pose? We invite you to look at this with new eyes”. Amazing ecological thinking! The name ReMida comes from King Midas and Reggio and Recycle; The king not happy with his richness, transformed everything he touches into gold, but learns this is a negative gift, as not everything that is gold is precious. How true!
As we toured ReMida we were struck by the beauty, care and attention to detail the recyclables were organized and displayed for choosing. Oh, how I wished for a suitcase to fill and for our community to share this vision!
I was able to have some hands on experiences as well in ‘The Citizens Ateliers’ in The Languages of Gears. The thinking that was generated made us consider gears as a mechanical device that brings connection, or to get together and going in same direction. Harmony. Materials are organized in terms of context and aterleristas from the International Centre run the workshops, and I worked in a team of 4. Our task was to slow the movement on an incline ramp. Our team got to work thinking about these terms; gravity, angles, textures, contrast, design, connect(ions), resistance, friction. We combined theories, experimented and had fun while learning and working cooperatively together!
The stories that we listened to about Covid and the effects of the Pandemic on this Italian town, of storytelling and narrating, and difficult themes such as war and peace, were illustrated so beautifully by the poetic language that the educators, and the children use. Such beautiful images become visual in our hearts, our ears and our eyes. Impossible not to be deeply moved!
I understand now why educators from all over the world return again and again to be re-inspired. Truly a dream come true for me!
