About CIRC
The California International Reggio Center is a collaborative effort, joining the expertise of Federica Lentini, Director, and Dr. Susan Lyon, Founder and Director of the Innovative Teacher Project. Our programming is extended with the official collaboration of Reggio Children and the Loris Malaguzzi International Center, which advance the Reggio Emilia Approach as part of their work to promote and defend the rights of children around the world.
A Collaborative Effort
CIRC welcomes educators from across the globe for professional development and training, inviting you to deepen your understanding of the Reggio Emilia Approach and how it can be applied into your practice. It is a professional development and documentation research center and a collaborative community joined by teachers, pedagogistas, atelieristas (educators specialized in making experimentation, expression, and learning tangible), administrators, and parents.
CIRC was launched in November, 2023 at La Scuola International School’s Mission District, San Francisco campus with the mayor of Reggio Emilia and a delegation from Reggio Emilia visiting schools. Events and roundtable discussions are held at La Scuola’s Dogpatch, Mission, and Silicon Valley campuses, as well as at participating schools.
La Scuola International School and CIRC’s close relationship with Reggio Children allows for frequent exchanges, both bringing educators to Reggio Emilia, Italy and specialists from Reggio Emilia to San Francisco to inspire.
About the Innovative Teacher Project
Since 1994, the Innovative Teacher Project (ITP), has provided professional development opportunities for educators, administrators, and parents interested in the study of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education.
Led by Dr. Susan Lyon, in collaboration with Reggio Children and United States educators, the Innovative Teacher Project’s mission has been to create a community for those interested in elevating the quality of early childhood education. Professional development is a core value of the Reggio Emilia Approach.
Leadership Team
The California International Reggio Center is a collaborative effort, hosted and supported by La Scuola International School with the participation of Reggio Children.
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Federica Lentini, Director
Federica Lentini has worked in education and educational leadership for more than a decade. Earning her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Universitá di Torino in 2005, Federica began her career helping children with special needs, internet addiction, and attachment disorders. Through this work, she discovered a passion for early childhood education and transitioned to running programs with children and caregivers, and then became a head teacher, Early Childhood and K3 Director, and now Assistant Head of School at La Scuola International School.
Throughout this time, Federica has worked in collaboration with teachers and administrators to design, implement, and evaluate a distinctive and developmentally appropriate program that fuses the Reggio Emilia Approach, the International Baccalaureate, and language immersion. As one of La Scuola International School’s resident experts in the Reggio Emilia Approach, she took on the role of Director of the California International Reggio Center to extend the beauty and strength of this educational philosophy to other educators and schools.
Federica was born in Torino, Italy and has lived in San Francisco for the bulk of her career. She is honored to help lead a school with such persevering students, dedicated staff, and supportive community. She has two amazing daughters who opened her eyes to the unique qualities and potential of every child.
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Susan Lyon, Founder, Advisor, and La Scuola International School Board Member
Dr. Susan Lyon first became interested in the Reggio Emilia approach to education in 1991 when she visited the city of Reggio Emilia, Italy as part of a delegation of international educators. She then sparked interest in the approach when she brought “The Hundred Languages of Children” exhibit from Reggio Emilia to California in 1993. Later in 1999 she brought “The Wonder of Learning” exhibit from Reggio Emilia to Mills College for two years. This was a catalyst for the ongoing collaboration between Reggio Children and the West Coast.
Susan inspired La Scuola International School to integrate the Reggio educational philosophy into its mission, founded The Innovative Teacher Project, and has worked extensively as an educator, in preschool, elementary school, and as a professor at Dominican University and Mills College. She is one of the founders and was a co-chair of the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance (NAREA), which works to promote the quality of early childhood education in the United States. Susan is the author of numerous articles and has lectured extensively on various topics related to early childhood education.
She is married to an Italian American and spends time in Lucca, Italy enjoying the language, culture and food.
Contributors
Stefano Fabro
Preschool Teacher & CIRC Coordinator
Valentina Zerbini
Preschool Teacher
Daniela Barrena
Middle School Languages Teacher, Spanish Language Coordinator, SMART Program Advocate
Camilla Fusar Poli
Preschool Atelierista & Pedagogical Coordinator
Silvia Bagnacani
Lead Atelierista & CIRC Coordinator
Libby Reyff
Preschool Garden Educator
La Scuola International School
In collaboration with Susan Lyon and the Innovative Teacher Project, La Scuola International School founded and hosts the California International Reggio Center.
La Scuola International School’s inquiry based learning for children and adults blends exuberant exploration, academic excellence, a global mindset, and multilingual expression to best prepare students for an ever-changing world. Students learn in this distinctive way at La Scuola because we know the real measure of success is a proven ability to meet change as change-makers.
As proponents of the Reggio Emilia Approach, La Scuola taps into the expansive ways children express, explore, and connect their thoughts. La Scuola is one of very few schools in the world that extends the Reggio Emilia Approach all the way through middle school.
