History of Interest and Evolution of Reggio-Inspired Work in New Mexico
Interest in the Reggio Emilia approach has been growing since the mid-1990s. Starting in 1993, several NM early childhood educators saw the exhibit in various parts of the U.S. or went to Reggio-inspired workshops at national conferences. A group which was soon called The New Mexico Reggio Emilia Exchange came together in Santa Fe in 1995 to invite "The Hundred Languages of Children" to New Mexico.
The exhibit, in Santa Fe for two months in 1997, along with educational events preceding, during and after, sparked a great deal of interest in this educational approach. Baji Rankin, part of the organizing group in NM, gave introductions to the Reggio Emilia approach in a number of different communities around the state in the year preceding the exhibit. Lella Gandini and Rebecca New who came before and during the exhibit, also provided educational workshops. Beginning at the opening conference, an undergraduate and a graduate course were offered through a local college and university. These were all wonderful opportunities to bring people together across the state who were interested in promoting early childhood education and promoting stronger and more sustained supports for educational innovations in NM. All these efforts provided lasting impacts on many individuals and groups.
The New Mexico Reggio Emilia Exchange continued after the exhibit. Some years' meetings were held monthly; other years' meetings were organized quarterly. Many events and activities were organized:
Students and faculty at New Mexico State University have monthly discussions and study about Reggio-inspired work. They have built a new center with Reggio-inspired classrooms.
These events and activities provided spaces and places for deep reflection and discussion about education and learning; participants were often teachers working to put into practice Reggio-inspired principles who brought insight and important questions to the discussion and who then took ideas and activities back into their classrooms.
In March 2007, Baji Rankin attended a conference, "In the Spirit of the Studio," in Tucson, Arizona, organized by the Tucson Children's Project (TCP). Immediately after the conference, as the clean-up had finished at the conference site, Baji had a conversation with Paula McPheeters and Pauline Baker of the TCP about two possibilities: The TCP coming to NM to present their "Hopes and Dreams" work and a collaborative study group to Reggio Emilia. Both these events came to life within the next year.
The six people from the TCP came to Albuquerque for an inspiring two-day "Hopes and Dreams" conference in October 2007. This was a moving experience for all involved and also laid the foundation for inviting and opening the possibility of a NM group participating in the five-state study delegation to Reggio Emilia in May 08.
Some of the people who joined the May 08 Study Delegation to Reggio Emilia had participated in events organized by the NM Reggio Exchange; others had become interested and stirred by Reggio's experience from reading, visits to Reggio-inspired schools, and national conferences.
NM joined four other states & regions (Arizona, Southern CA, Chicago, and St. Louis) to build a collaborative before, during and after the week's study delegation in Reggio.
Currently, in Albuquerque, many of the people who participated in the Five-State Study delegation and others are meeting monthly to discuss work in classrooms, articles, and events. The participants in these study groups are classroom teachers, trainers and educators of teachers, directors of early childhood programs and a principal in the public schools, and advocates.
Past Events
Here is a brief description of some of the past NMREX and other Reggio-related events in our area:
NMREX Booth at the NMAEYC Annual Conference Sensory Exhibit Hall, Albuquerque, NM, March 2009
NMREX hosted a booth in the Sensory Exhibit Hall of the NMAEYC Annual Conference at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Visitors to the booth were able to check out a number of resources on Reggio-inspired practice, explore with light and soil, pick up free NMREX bookmarks, and sign up for the NMREX mailing list.
Karen Haigh's Session at the NMAEYC Annual Conference, Albuquerque, NM, March 2009
Karen Haigh, from the Early Childhood Education faculty at Columbia College, presented at the NMAEYC Annual Conference at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Her workshop was both about applying Reggio principles in low-income settings and about documenting children's studies.
Karen Haigh at the NMAEYC Preconference, Albuquerque, NM, March 2009
Karen Haigh, from the Early Childhood Education faculty at Columbia College, presented at the NMAEYC preconference at A Child's Garden in Albuquerque, NM. Her all-day presentation was entitled "Reggio Inspired Programs in Chicago/Building Capacity for Change in New Mexico"
To join in the post-seminar discussion, visit our Discussion Board.
- Read about what people learned from this workshop here.
- Read some of the questions people had following this workshop here.
- Read some of the things people wanted to learn following this workshop here.
- Read some of the suggestions people had for the workshop here.
- Read some of the additional comments after the workshop here.
An Evening with Lella Gandini, Albuquerque, NM, November 2008
Lella Gandini, Reggio Emilia Children Liason to the US conducted free workshops at A Child's Garden in Albuquerque, NM. The large group public event was entitled "The Meaning of Listening: Stories of Teachers, Children, and Parents Learning and Transitioning Together. Experiences from the Schools of Early Childhood in Reggio Emilia, Italy."
Listen to Lella speak at the PITC 20th Anniversary Celebration
- Read about what people learned from this workshop here.
- Read some of the questions people had following this workshop here.
- Read some of the things people wanted to learn following this workshop here.
- Read some of the suggestions people had for the workshop here.
- Read some of the additional comments after the workshop here.
The Wonder of Learning - The Hundred Languages of Children Exhibit, Denver, Colorado, Fall 2008
The Wonder of Learning exhibit was at the Denver Public Library during the fall of 2008. This free exhibit, now continuing it's tour of the US, allows visitors to explore the research that continues between the children and teachers at the municipal early childhood schools of Reggio Emilia. This installment of the exhibit contained the Ray of Light section which was absent from the installment in Boulder, Colorado.
Wonder of Learning - The Hundred Languages of Children Exhibit, Boulder Colorado, Summer 2008
The Wonder of Learning exhibit had its North American unveiling in Boulder, Colorado in the Summer of 2008. This version of the exhibit from Reggio Emilia, Italy, which continues to tour the United States, had to be broken into two parts, housed in separate locations and did not contain the Ray of Light section.
The Fourth Annual NAREA Summer Conference in Boulder, Colorado, Summer 2008
The Fourth Annual NAREA Summer Conference to place in Boulder, Colorado in the Summer of 2008 in conjunction with the unveiling of the new Wonder of Learning Exhibit.
Five State Study Group, Reggio Emilia, Italy, May 2008
In May of 2008, the NMREX led a group of about 20 individuals from New Mexico as a delegation to Reggio Emilia, Italy as part of the Five-State Study Group. These individuals has studied together for several months in preparation for the week-long conference and school visitations that took place. They came back fired up and inspired, ready to bring Reggio principles to their work in New Mexico.
Rebroadcast of the Conference at the 92nd St Y, JCC Albuquerque, NM, December 2007
In December of 2007, a Reggio Conference was held at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. The keynote speeches were rebroadcast to the JCC in Albuquerque, NM where attendees were able to learn much from their words. Local Reggio-inspired educators were also present to share their experiences and answer questions.
Hopes and Dreams Conference
In March 2007, Baji Rankin attended a conference, "In the Spirit of the Studio," in Tucson, Arizona, organized by the Tucson Children's Project (TCP). Immediately after the conference, as the clean-up had finished at the conference site, Baji had a conversation with Paula McPheeters and Pauline Baker of the TCP about two possibilities: The TCP coming to NM to present their "Hopes and Dreams" work and a collaborative study group to Reggio Emilia. Both these events came to life within the next year. The six people from the TCP came to Albuquerque for an inspiring two-day "Hopes and Dreams" conference in October 2007. This was a moving experience for all involved and also laid the foundation for inviting and opening the possibility of a NM group participating in the five-state study delegation to Reggio Emilia in May 08.
The 1998 Wemagination Project
In 1998, 58 teachers from 23 schools across New Mexico working with children ages 6 months to 5th grade participated in a Reggio-inspired professional development project with the Wemagination Center. They were provided all-expense paid scholarships for a two day training on skills to initiate open-ended projects and document them to be shared with children and parents, books, supplies, a site visit, a copy of the final report and a display of their work. The teachers then initiated and developed a creative project using open-ended materials, documented that project, shared the documentation with the children and parents, and created a display to be shared through a report and exhibit at the Wemagination Center. Results and documentation from the project can be found in the publication "The Wemagination Project: Making Children's Intelligence Visible," available at the Wemagination Center.
Sonja Shoptaugh Presents as Keynote Speaker
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Sonja Shoptaugh keynote speaker at a conference in Albuquerque in 1999 that presented theory and Reggio-inspired practice and hands-on work with clay and wire. |
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The Hundred Languages of Children Exhibit
In 1997, The Hundred Languages of Children Exhibit came to Santa Fe, NM. The exhibit, in Santa Fe for two months in 1997, along with educational events preceding, during and after, sparked a great deal of interest in this educational approach. Baji Rankin, part of the organizing group in NM, gave introductions to the Reggio Emilia approach in a number of different communities around the state in the year preceding the exhibit. Lella Gandini and Rebecca New who came before and during the exhibit, also provided educational workshops. Beginning at the opening conference, an undergraduate and a graduate course were offered through a local college and university. These were all wonderful opportunities to bring people together across the state who were interested in promoting early childhood education and promoting stronger and more sustained supports for educational innovations in NM. All these efforts provided lasting impacts on many individuals and groups.