Speakers from Reggio Emilia, Italy

Bruna Elena Giacopini (L) and Anna Orlandini (R) will be presenting the municipal 0-6 education project by sharing experiences and perspectives

Bruna Elena Giacopini

Bruna Elena Giacopini, Pedagogista, lives in Reggio Emilia and works for the Preschools and Infant-Toddler Centers, Istituzione of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia. A Ph.D. in Pedagogy has given sense and meaning to her own professionalism in the continuous dialogue and exchange with different educational experiences at the national and international level.

From 1977 to 1986, Elena worked as a teacher at the Allende Infant-Toddler Center and the Allende Preschool. From 1996 to 1999, she coordinated the Convention between the Municipality of Reggio Emilia and the Ministry of Education, Preschool Service, with the aim of realizing a three-year program to improve the quality of Italian preschools. From 1986 to the present,Elena has been a pedagogista in the pedagogical coordinating team of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia. Since 2000, she has been responsible for pedagogical coordination with a focus on matters related to the daily educational project with reference to the experimentation of new educational strategies. In collaboration with the pedagogical coordination, Elena designs and develops professional development experiences for the staff of the educational services of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia. Since 2004, she has been a member of the Pedagogical Coordination Board of the Reggio Emilia district (CPP). Since 2005, Elena has been a member of the committee of the National Infant-Toddler Centers group (GNNI), founded in Reggio Emilia by Loris Malaguzzi in 1980. She is currently responsible for the educational network and for pedagogical coordination. Elena also coordinates the Remida Creative Recycling Center, which was opened in Reggio Emilia in 1996, where creativity and sustainability co-exist and are based on an idea of respect for objects, environment and mankind.

From 1998 to 2001, Elena coordinated the European research project CAB, Construction Kits Made of Atom & Bits, on the theme of robotics, together with three municipal preschools and a primary school in Reggio Emilia, LEGO (the Institute of Educational Didactics of Genova) and the Institute of Communication in Sweden. From 2000 to 2002, she collaborated on the European Project Cennect "Revived Objects," in order to create an international network of REMIDA DAY involving Blois e Sète in France, Laht and Valkeakosky in Finland, and Naples, Turin and Reggio Emilia in Italy. From 2002 to 2004, Elena collaborated in the European project eLearning "E3 e-contests, e-technologies, early-learning" involving two municipal preschools, a comprehensive school of Reggio Emilia, a Swedish school, the Reggio Emilia Institutet of Stockholm, the Computer Technology Institute and the Hellenic Open University of Patrasso.

Elena coordinates professional development projects at the national and international level, and has lead conferences on early childhood education in Italy and different countries of the world. She has written several chapters published in national and international books. Elena has also presented at several professional development events in connection with the presence of the exhibition, "The Hundred Languages of Children" in Italy and abroad.

Anna Orlandini

Anna Orlandini was born in Reggio Emilia and earned a degree in Fine Arts (ceramic). Following a collaboration with an elementary school in the province of Emilia Romagna as a "clay expert," she has been working as an atelierista for the Preschools and Infant-Toddler Centers, Istituzione of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia since January 1994. For the first six months, Anna worked at the Villa San Giusto Infant-Toddler Center and Preschool in Reggio Emilia; then she worked at Gulliver Preschool. Since September 2010, Anna has been working at Neruda Preschool.

Anna carries out both theoretical and hands-on professional development for the staff of the preschools and infant-toddler centers of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, focusing on different topics related to the different expressive languages, like clay, drawing, paper and light. During her experience, Anna has been part of several cultural and didactic projects that led her to collaborate with Reggio Children on projects at municipal, regional and national levels. In particular, she participated in study seminars connected to the presentation of the exhibition, "The Hundred Languages of Children" in several places in Italy.

In recent years, Anna has collaborated on the following projects:

·       Researches on continuity between preschool and primary school

·       Ray of light in collaboration with the International Centre Loris Malaguzzi

·       Cultures in play, dialogues and mediation

 Features of the Conference

Presentations throughout the conference will offer participants insight into the philosophies and experiences of the Reggio Emilia approach from the point of view of Elena Giacopini and Anna Orlandini, two educators from Reggio Emilia with unique histories.

The presence of the exhibit, The Wonder of Learning - The Hundred Languages of Children, with audio translation in Spanish, will offer another resource for interaction, study, exchange, and reflection.

Friday afternoon workshops will focus on materials as languages, and will integrate the history, context and beauty of Asilomar.  Jennifer Azzariti, the first studio teacher in the United States and current NAREA board member, with the support of several studio educators from North America, will offer participatory experience with materials in an effort to support a deeper connection and understanding of the Reggio Emilia approach.  Anna Orlandini, atelierista within the municipality of Reggio Emilia, will also participate.

Saturday afternoon tours of schools will take participants out into the surrounding fields and farms of Monterey County to encounter schools in dialogue with the Reggio Emilia approach.  These unique schools welcome migrant families and offer children a place to grow in their identity and sense of belonging.

All conference participants will have the option of joining a small affinity group while attending the conference to support collegiality, small-group facilitated discussions, shared-reading discussions, and networking.

Asilomar is truly a one-of-a-kind location that will offer participants breathtaking, natural scenery and a communal experience with fellow Reggio-inspired educators. Browse www.VisitAsilomar.com for more information about the conference location.

At Asilomar you will enjoy the beautiful California coastline and the Craftsman design of the conference center buildings.

The beautiful coastline of Pacific Grove, California

The Arts & Crafts architectural style at Asilomar is exemplified in the buildings that were designed by noted architect Julia Morgan.

Left--The stacked stone column greets visitors at one of the Asilomar entrances.

Center--The Asilomar Lodge

Right--The interior of the Asilomar Lodge   

Conference brochures include registration and lodging information. You may download the brochure on the Summer Conference - Current page of the NAREA website. To register online, log onto Summer Conference - Register page of the NAREA website.