The Hundred Languages Were Only the Start

In 1991, a group of Georgia educators began meeting informally to study, understand, and share perspectives on the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. At that time, Reggio was new to the U.S.: exciting, “other”, and in stark contrast to prevalent boxed curriculum approaches. Our founders decided Reggio’s promise needed to be spread, so in addition to speaking at conferences and sharing their perspectives with individual educators, they endeavored in 1999 to host The Hundred Languages of Children exhibit – an experiential look at the Reggio philosophy.

It was immediately apparent that there was a hunger for something different, meaningful and inspired within the early childhood education community.

As a result, we incorporated as Inspired Practices in Early Education, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to using the learnings uncovered via Reggio Emilia’s exploratory, child-valued approach and ensure those insights speak louder and reach more ears.

We believe:

• In children as fully complete and complex from birth, with an inherent eagerness and competence to both learn and teach
• In teachers as advocates for children and their rights
• In families as committed, interested trustees of children and their rights
• In schools as ever-evolving contexts that aim to provoke and support human development
• In communities as able to competently determine actions that offer members of all ages high quality of life.