Our History
ORA will be in dialogue with Reggio Children regarding the possibility of organizing another Canadian study week in Reggio within the next couple of years.
ORA will host the Mosaic of Marks, Words, Material exhibit in Sudbury, Ottawa and Toronto in early 2023. This also includes hosting the NAREA winter conference.
2022 Coming Soon
Piazza ORA 2021 engaged eduactors in more dialogue with Tiziana Filippini from February to May 2021. This year's session focuses on intentionality in the teacher’s role as co-protagonist of learning.
Piazza ORA, a series of online gatherings with Tiziana Filippini, with a focus on the morning assembly. This initiative included four meetings with Tiziana, and interim meetings with the participants engaging in breakout group discussions.
Conference with Tiziana Filippini at The Bishop Strachan School - “There is no path”: Belonging and engaging in a world made of webs of interconnection. The conference included a display of documentation from programs in Ontario. This was followed a few weeks later by an online gathering open to conference attendees to discuss the impact of the conference.
ORA organized another Canadian Study Week in Reggio Emilia “Pedagogical Documentation as visible listening: Building cultures of childhood and democratic citizenship”. We hosted two advisors from the Ministry of Education to participate in this week.
We presented the “Spiral of Learning” award to Reggio Children, Istituzione, and Fondazione while we were in Reggio.
Speakers event with Peter Moss – “Loris Malaguzzi and the schools of Reggio Emilia: Telling an alternative narrative about early childhood education”
“Languages of Food” event in Guelph led by Rosalba Bortolotti
Speaker’s Event with Cristina Delgado Vintimilla – “Encounters with a Pedagogista”
ORA was a partner with Western University in writing a proposal for the provincially-funded Centre of Excellence. This proposal was selected. ORA contributed to leading the Centre until July 2019.
ORA hosted “The Wonder of Learning” exhibit. This involved also organizing numerous professional learning events and “bonfire gatherings” at The Royal York hotel, including a session for francophone educators and one for Indigenous educators. ORA also hosted the NAREA summer conference at Ryerson University in June to launch The Wonder of Learning. Over 7,000 visitors came to see the exhibit.
We forged a relationship between Reggio Children and Parentbooks to make Reggio Children publications available directly in Canada
We organized a conference at Upper Canada College to close the exhibit, with Lella Gandini and Amelia Gambetti. The opening reception for the conference gave us an opportunity to celebrate the exhibit and express appreciation to supporters.
We presented Spiral of Learning Awards to Lella Gandini, Amelia Gambetti, Carol Anne Wien, and Jim Grieve in recognition of their significant role in building a context that recognizes the competence and intelligence of children, educators, and families
Karyn Callaghan is invited to participate in the Reggio Children International Network through NAREA
Study Week in Reggio. We hosted two Early Years Advisors from the Ministry of Education to participate in this week.
Speaker‘s Event with Lella Gandini at Richland Academy – “The Whole School as an Atelier: Constructive Possibilities for Children, Educators, Space and Materials”
Emergent Curriculum Certificate Series created by Carol Anne Wien launched. Profits from registration are donated to the Ontario Reggio Association.
ORA Days – several Reggio-inspired early learning programs opened their doors to visitors
Conference at The Bishop Strachan School with Daniela Lanzi & Laura Rubizzi – “Documentation as relationship”. The conference included an exhibit of documentation from schools across the province.
“ORA Days” took place again, with several Reggio-inspired early learning programs opening their doors to visitors.
Karyn Callaghan joins the NAREA Board of Directors when Carol Anne Wien retires.
Speaker’s Event with Lella Gandini: “Transformation: The role of the teacher in pedagogical documentation”
“ORA Days” – numerous Reggio-inspired early learning programs opened their doors to visitors
Ongoing conversations with the Ministry of Education’s Early Years Division while they were developing a pedagogy for early years. The document, How Does Learning Happen? reflects the influence of Reggio Emilia’s education and cultural project.
We presented a conference at The Bishop Strachan School with Daniela Lanzi & Maura Rovacchi – “Inviting Complexity: Deepening our understanding of pedagogical documentation”. The conference included an exhibit of documentation from schools across the province and tours of Reggio-inspired schools in the Greater Toronto Area.
Carol Anne Wien is invited to join the NAREA Board of Directors, as one of two representatives from Canada
We organized a Study Week in Reggio Emilia. We hosted two Early Years Advisors from the Ministry of Education to participate in this week.
We presented a conference at The Bishop Strachan School with Lella Gandini, Stuart Shanker & Carol Anne Wien – “Pedagogy of Relationships”.
We organized a bus trip to Chicago to see “The Wonder of Learning” exhibit.
ORA is officially incorporated as a non-profit organization.
Jennifer Armstrong leaves The Bishop Strachan School to take a position as principal at a school in Geneva.
The ORA website is launched.
We presented a conference at The Bishop Strachan School with Lella Gandini, Amelia Gambetti and Jean Clinton – “Building Community with Children”.
ORA organized a bus trip to Indianapolis to see “The Wonder of Learning” exhibit.
ORA presented a conference at The Bishop Strachan School with Carla Rinaldi, Pat Tarr, Carolyn Edwards.
Jennifer Armstrong joins the NAREA board of directors
The exhibit’s closing conference was held at the Italian Cultural Centre led by Carol Anne Wien, Karyn Callaghan, and artists Jason Avery, Chriseddy, Monica Didur, Marla Panko. The ad hoc group is disbanded but several participants continue to meet, with Jennifer Armstrong taking on a lead role.
An ad hoc group representing The Bishop Strachan School, York University, Seneca College and the Toronto District School Board, led by Jennifer Armstrong, Junior School principal at The Bishop Strachan School, brought “The Hundred Languages of Children” exhibit to Toronto. It was on display at the Toronto Dominion Centre tower, and at the Columbus Centre on Lawrence.
The exhibit’s opening conference featured keynote speakers Lella Gandini and Amelia Gambetti.