Community of Joy

"The pleasure of learning, of knowing, of understanding, is one of the first fundamental sensations each human being expects from experiences faced alone or with others." -Loris Malaguzzi

Sign in  Loris Malaguzzi International Centre

Another beautiful day in Reggio Emilia and we are discovering what roles the community and culture play in the lives of the children here. During our visit to the International Centre, our pedogogista, Lorella, spent time explaining about how the people of Reggio Emilia are committed and connected to the children. In fact, she expressed how it is the strong relation between the school and the community that keeps this approach going.  They constantly think about what has been done and what can they do for childhood, for the municipality, and for the city of Reggio Emilia. This mindset is what drives them to make the connections and build reciprocal relationships between the city and the child.

Flower shop in Reggio Emilia city center

Market in Reggio Emilia

As we walk the streets of this small city, we notice the cleanliness, the pride that people have in this place that is their home. The streets are full of people walking arm in arm, eating gelato, riding bikes, and engaging and interacting with one another. There is a slower pace to life with shops closing in the middle of the day and waiters taking time to deliver checks at the end of the meal---which can get a little annoying to us Americans, but is also kind of a nice change. The children are not overprotected, but are free to play in the piazza, free to ride bikes (without helmets!), free to walk to school alone. We notice these things because they are so very different than what we experience in the rush that is our day in the U.S.

Children playing on lions in Reggio Emilia

Children's sculpture in Reggio Emilia

Lorella shared with us a story about a special project done by the young children of Reggio Emilia. The children took a trip into the city center. While investigating the city's shops, they noticed a shoe store tucked away from the street, a bit hidden from passers by. The children wanted to help make the shop more visible to it's customers, so they developed a plan to create an invitation for people to come to the shop. The children drew their own colorful versions of their favorite shoes to display on a large sign outside of the shop. Then, they created a three dimensional ceramic sculptures of shoes to place along the sidewalk leading to the shop. The children moved on to repeat this kind of work for more shop owners, such as the hairdresser and the ice cream shop. The city gives so much to the children, and the children give so much back.The people of the city see the children's work, they value their work, and are invested in them, knowing they are the future.

Until next time, ciao!

Kirsten and Laurie