The excitement and enthusiasm created in children, teachers and parents by the depth of our public art project has been so inspiring! On field trips we heard the children exclaim: "There's a sculpture! There's another one!" Parents told me about the sculptures their families recently spotted when they were out and about, and so it seems to me that the bridge between school and home has been successfully established in many ways. Creating that bridge is one of the goals of the Reggio approach to early childhood education, and I am already envisioning further possibilities.

A world onto itself: "The Playground" by the Parent/Tot Class

When I visited the early childhood center at Reggio Emilia in Italy in March, I was struck by their powerful studies of things children found in their everyday lives. I understand Reggio-inspired learning as a deep dive into a subject rather than broad, surface learning approach. With our study of sculptures this summer, we explored the Reggio concept of the one hundred languages of children by beginning with drawing an idea, and then moving on to many different ways of expressing that idea, for example sculpting, singing, or dancing out a concept. The children were given the space and time to reflect and go further. Everything is thoughtful and intentional. We raised the children's awareness and opened their eyes to their own community and the beauty that surrounds us.

I don't know yet what other directions we will pursue but I do know how capable and competent children are. They have demonstrated the breadth of what they can do.