Biography
REAIE is an Australian not-for-profit membership organisation and is honoured to be a long standing invited member of the Reggio Children International Network, Italy. REAIE draws on the Reggio Emilia experience as the ongoing catalyst for thinking, research and advocacy in Australian educational settings; it promotes the rights and potentials of children and facilitates national and international dialogue and debate about education.
REAIE was established in 1994 to provide an opportunity for dialogue about education within Australia. The dialogue responds to the provocations from the educators in Reggio Emilia in relation to learning and teaching. Initially established by Jan Millikan (OAM), REAIE became an incorporated organisation in June 2000.
The organisation has grown to include many network groups throughout Australia. There are over 3000 participants in REAIE from Australia and the Asia Pacific region, representing educators from preschool, primary, secondary and tertiary organisations as well as policy makers, graphic and performance artists, designers and educational architects
REAIE publishes The Challenge journal and provides professional learning for educators and parents, study tours to Reggio Emilia, conferences, exhibitions and special research projects.
The REAIE Mission and Vision engages in ‘research for a new culture of childhood’ in response to the educational project of Reggio Emilia and its implications for Australian contexts.
REAIE makes a commitment to:
- Defend and promote the rights of all children.
- Promote a strong and positive image of children as citizens and active participants in democratic communities.
- Promote dialogue, professional learning and research about the educational project of Reggio Emilia.
- Advocate for social justice and democracy in education, giving priority to active, constructive and creative learning by children.
- Promote the critical role of research, observation, documentation, and interpretation of children’s processes of action and thought.
- Sustain and strengthen the relationship between REAIE and Reggio Children and continue to be the national Reggio Emilia reference organisation in Australia.