REGGIO CHILDREN

Reggio Children s.r.l. – the international centre for the defence and promotion of children’s rights and potential – is a public-private joint equity venture founded in 1994 by Loris Malaguzzi, and supported by a citizens’ committee, to manage the educational and cultural exchanges that have been going on for some time now between childhood institutions from the Municipality of Reggio Emilia and many teachers, researchers and academics from around the world.

The reasons and purposes behind the company draw inspiration from the content and values of the educational experience of the Schools and Nurseries of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, while the company works to test, promote and spread quality education around the world.

The international recognition of this experience and its collaboration with many countries have built a major international network, which now has 34 different countries.

Locally, nationally and through its international network, Reggio Children:

– organises training initiatives

– promotes research projects

– runs educational consultancy sessions

– takes part in cooperation initiatives with childhood institutions in various countries

– produces publications translated into 19 languages to date

– runs the “I cento linguaggi dei bambini” and “Lo stupore del conoscere” travelling exhibitions

– manages and coordinates the activities and projects of the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre in collaboration with other promoters (the Institution for Schools and Nurseries of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia and the Reggio Children Foundation – Loris Malaguzzi Centre)

The experience developed in recent years by Panta Rei comes from four years of business incubation by Reggio Children and the Municipality, which offered the tutoring and the pedagogical and organisational/managerial training of its founding members during the start-up phase.

Following the key experience of business incubation, the relationship between Panta Rei and Reggio Children has grown and developed taking on new meanings and identities over time, creating short-term or longer collaborations on consultancy, training courses, internship placements, staff recruitment and educational services start-up.

Panta Rei’s core pedagogical values therefore draw inspiration from the experience of nurseries and pre-schools in the Municipality of Reggio Emilia. These values have been shared and interpreted by Panta Rei from the business incubation phase with Reggio Children and given a new meaning in every educational experience that has involved the cooperative up until now.