Twenty-three individuals already employed in child care fields are ready to enroll as a student cohort next year. This respect for children is at the core of the UA plan, inspired by a system in the northern Italian city of Reggio Emilia. About a third of all infants attend. Thirty years ago, Italian lawmakers entitled children ages 3-6 to free education, and in 1971 they provided subsidies to infant schools. Most important in this process were the parents, who demanded learning environments that would respond to their children's potential.
Visual arts play a large role, serving as tools for exploration, experimentation and reflection.
Last April, Gray invited 100 local leaders to meet Lella Gandini, a representative of Reggio Emilia schools. Gandini also spoke to 300 of Tucson's early-childhood professionals. Some already were acquainted with the main ideas. It's about believing in children. She works with four other teachers who have adapted the philosophy to their setting.