— I N N O V A T I O N S I N E A R L Y E D U C A T I O N —

– 21 –

VALUING EARLY CHILDHOOD – An Invitation for Community Dialogue:

“The Wonder of Learning – The Hundred Languages of Children”

Exhibit in Monterey County, California

The presence of the “The Wonder of Learning – TheHundred Languages of Children” exhibit in MontereyCounty increased connections and a shared sense ofpurpose among educators, families and the communi-ty as well as connections with Reggio-inspired educa-tors in California and other parts of the country.Professional development initiatives engaged parents,community leaders, educators and policymakers fromdiverse segments of Monterey County as well asacross California in a national dialogue with NAREA,Reggio Children and other host communities.Evaluation responses indicate the positive impact ofongoing dialogue and connections for F5MC, schools

and agencies, and an elevation in the importance ofearly childhood among professionals and communityleaders. The experience is bringing more voices tocommunity dialogue and supporting the develop-ment of a stronger identity for the Monterey Countyeducational community.

Monterey County Reggio-inspired educators and theCentral Coast Association for the Education of YoungChildren (CCAEYC) initiated the exhibit proposal withthe intention of raising awareness about the compe-tence, intelligence and strength of young children aswell as increasing collaboration among educators. As

Beth Reeves-Fortney is the Senior Program Officer for First 5 Monterey County (F5MC), an independent

public agency that supports community partnerships and programs that enhance the lives of children

from the prenatal stage through age 5 and their families. The agency hosted “The Wonder of Learning

- The Hundred Languages of Children” exhibit in Monterey County from June 15 – November 15, 2011

at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California. Other major donors included The David and

Lucile Packard Foundation, The Monterey Peninsula Foundation, The Community Foundation for

Monterey County and First 5 California.

As host of the exhibit, First 5 Monterey County was uniquely positioned to support participation

among a variety of constituents. The F5MC Commission includes the heads of the

Department of Social and Employment Services and the Health Department, as well as a member of

the County Board of Supervisors. Staff and commissioners actively network with foundations, schools,

businesses and other agencies that support efforts to enrich the lives of young children and families.

–Beth Reeves-Fortney

by Beth Reeves-Fortney

— I N N O V A T I O N S I N E A R L Y E D U C A T I O N —

– 22 –

providers, elementary and special education teachers,artists and senior citizens/grandparents.

Thirteen dialogue sessions facilitated by an educatorwho has participated in study tours to Reggio Emiliasupported exchange among a variety of constituentsincluding early childhood and elementary school educators, art educators, college instructors, mentalhealth service providers, preschool administrators andfamily child care providers. Tours were arranged by 93 groups including local educators, schools fromacross northern California and Nevada, school districtstaff and administrators, college classes, libraries andparent groups.

The inclusion of two interactive areas in the exhibition– the Ray of Light Atelier and the Atelier "Painting:Between Material and Nature" – supported hands-onexperiences that offered connections to the researchand investigations in the municipal infant-toddler centers and preschools of Reggio Emilia that are rep-resented in the exhibit panels. These areas were par-ticularly appealing to children, parents and educators.

The evolving experiences among the many partici-pants and initiatives related to the exhibit were madevisible on large panels at the entrance. Repeat visitorsto the exhibit enjoyed finding documentation andphotographs of their experience with a group tour,family day, community meeting, dialogue group or

host of the exhibit, First 5 Monterey County wasuniquely positioned to support participation among a variety of constituents. The F5MC Commissionincludes the heads of the Department of Social andEmployment Services and the Health Department, aswell as a member of the County Board of Supervisors.Staff and commissioners actively network with foundations, schools, businesses and other agenciesthat support efforts to enrich the lives of young children and families.

Strategies were designed to support community dialogue including seminars with international,national, state and local presenters; group tours; parent days with on-site child care; and the hostingof dialogue groups, college classes and meetings withtours of the exhibit for community leaders. In orderto increase accessibility of the exhibit for MontereyCounty constituents, F5MC also created a Spanishaudio interpretation of the exhibit panels.

The exhibition drew visitors from Monterey County,across California and the United States, and from various countries around the world. In total, therewere 8,973 recorded visits with demographics collected for 3,796 unique visitors. Additionally, 62volunteers recorded 2,062 hours of support for theexhibit. Volunteers included early educators (includ-ing family child care and informal care providers),college instructors, college students, service

— I N N O V A T I O N S I N E A R L Y E D U C A T I O N —

– 23 –

explorations of the interactive areas. A study areawith resource books was well used. Computers withInternet access provided links to the Reggio Childrenwebsite, Reggio-inspired schools in North Americaand a California child-advocacy group. Visitors partici-pated in writing postcards to California elected offi-cials and were invited to share how they were movedto action on a display of hanging “action cards.”

Seminars were designed for local, state, national andinternational exchange along with advocacy and poli-cy efforts. The Seventh NAREA Summer Conference,aligned with the opening of the exhibit in June 2011,brought 435 participants from around the UnitedStates and Canada to Asilomar Conference Center inPacific Grove. Scholarships sponsored by F5MC, CCAEYC and NAREA allowed 50 local educators toattend the conference free of charge. Reggio Emiliaeducators Elena Giacopini, pedagogista,and Anna Orlandini, atelierista, sharedtheir experiences, and participants vis-ited two Reggio-inspired migrant childdevelopment programs in King City.This grand opening event attractedover 100 policy makers, philanthropicpartners and other community leaders.

Reggio-inspired California educatorspresented their work at a seminar co-sponsored by F5MC and theInnovative Teacher Project. A series ofthree seminars explored educationalwork in Reggio Emilia as well as NorthAmerican contexts with presentationsby Lella Gandini, Karen Haigh and Teresa Acevedo.The first seminar revisited the many layers of interactive documentation in the exhibit. The secondwas framed for cross-dialogue among administrators,teachers and parents in schools with a focus on collaboration with families. The final seminar focusedon publicly funded, Reggio-inspired programs thatrespond to frameworks and standards in ways thatsupport connections, relationships, complexity, diversity and creativity. A panel discussion featuredleading policymakers from the California Departmentof Education, Center for Child & Family Studies andWestEd, as well as the Executive Director of First 5California.

Results of an online exit survey at the exhibit indicatethat the presence of the exhibit supported increased

understanding of young children's abilities as well asthe importance of quality child care. Additionally, ateam planning for a new Educare center in SantaClara is researching ways to include Reggio-inspiredapproaches in their work and is participating in astudy group in Reggio Emilia. One school districtsuperintendant is working with F5MC to host a citywide early educator event, which will feature thework of a Reggio-inspired school. Another school district with parent and board member support isproposing a new Reggio-inspired preschool.

Post-exhibit reflection meetings for selected MontereyCounty participants, an online Survey Monkey and a Google voice number for recording a message are also capturing the impact of the exhibit. The following selected comments point to positive outcomes related to its presence:

I will never look at another child care center the sameway again. –Kris Perry, First 5 California ExecutiveDirector

I will never say “children are our future” again. I will say“children are our present.” I won’t use the word“allow”; it is their “right.” It is important to support(the child's) right to be here now and make their experience count today. –Elliott Robinson, MontereyCounty Department of Social and EmploymentServices Director.

Parents now understand that writing and languagebegin with communicating with others. They stoppedasking us when we are going to have their child writetheir name. They started to value different things. Theyhave become better advocates for a different approach.

The parents who came to the exhibit seem to understand now that learning takes place through play.

— I N N O V A T I O N S I N E A R L Y E D U C A T I O N —

– 24 –

They are motivated now to give children the opportunityto construct knowledge...They don't expect the teacherto “teach their child things” but they want their child toconstruct his or her own knowledge.

I like the idea of advocacy looking like the contributionof children to the community. Advocacy can be givingsomething back instead of asking for something. I likethe idea of doing something more public. I like the ideaof doing things with the children where they are thecenter of attention as valuable, creative, fantastic citizens and seeing this as advocacy.

I was astonished at the capabilities of young children. I have a new level of respect for children and those whofoster children's creativity and curiosity.

I feel (the exhibit) was a foot in the door that enableddiscussion with fellow administrators who had not seenanything like it before. And these are the people whohave the power to change policies, procedures, philosophy and teachers’ practices.

We are presenting children’s work more at parent meetings through Powerpoint presentations and videos.The parents are so surprised to see children problem-solving and developing theories. We show slide shows tochildren, too.

We have made changes I never thought we would beable to do – learning to step back, and children having

deep discussions and sharing their theories with eachother.

Parents are bringing in more materials and want to beinvolved more in projects. They want to know when theycan be a part of a project. We had some dads that hadn't ever said much in the classroom and they wentto the exhibit. One dad came back, and started to com-ment on our light table and natural materials becausethese things reminded him of the exhibit.

When my parents came back from (the exhibit), theyall walked in the door and kept saying they had somuch fun on the (natural materials) patio, and theylooked at where we are in a completely different light.They said, “We have so much here! It is all naturalmaterials where we are!” (a school in a remote valley)

I now open my mind to use everything I have in thecommunity and look at whatever resources I can get tobetter myself and to teach children.

When I went to the exhibit, it confirmed for me thatwhen we dialogue, we can think big and we can makechange.

I think this changed our community. It felt so important…an opportunity to value childhood in a different way. It gave new value to Salinas and our community on so many levels.

I see things in a different way now. We are bringing inmore natural materials and seeing the potential in recyclable materials as things of beauty and creativeexpression.

We are planning an exhibit of the 0-5 classroom in thepublic library.

Everything (in the exhibit) made for a richer means ofmeeting government, accreditation, and curriculumstandards and outcomes.

As a volunteer, I enjoyed a sense of community withother volunteers and exhibit goers. It was inspiring tofeel a part of such a rich and empowering view of children and their important work. A sense of awe attheir many languages gives me hope for the future.

I think this changed our community. It felt so important…an opportunity to value childhood in a

different way. It gave new value to Salinas and our community on so many levels.

–Exhibit visitor

We have made changes I never thought we

would be able to do – learning to step back,

and children having deep discussions

and sharing their theories with each other.

–Exhibit visitor