The Collaborative Teachers' Institute (CTI) began in 2014 as a community of practice made up of early childhood educators from New Mexico, including classroom teachers, parents, program directors, art educators, and museum and nature-based program educators working within diverse contexts. CTI members share the common goal of creating interdisciplinary, aesthetic inquiries based on the interests of children, families, and educators. Using a reflective process through the study of pedagogical documentation, CTI members work to make the complexities of young childrens' and educators' creative processes and inquiries visible.
Who We Are
Gigi Schroeder Yu is an assistant professor in art education at the University of New Mexico and co-founder of the Collaborative Teachers' Institute. She has over 25 years of experience collaborating with young children through adults in art museums, community-based art contexts, and public school settings. Her scholarship, teaching, and community engagement focus on ecologies of creative practices within collaborations among children, artists, and educators. Please find more at her website.
Pam Remstein is an assistant professor of early childhood education at the University of New Mexico-Taos. She has been an educator for over 30 years in such roles as a teacher, mentor, facilitator, and advocate in early childhood. As an adult educator she is passionate about inquiry-based learning to teaching, giving students an opportunity to think critically and creatively. Being a participant of the Collaborative Teachers Institute has been a vehicle in meeting these goals.
Angela Corona is supervisor and educational leader for New Mexico School for the Deaf’s (NMSD) Early Childhood Programs in Albuquerque and Las Cruces. She’s been a practicing Speech Language Pathologist for 20 years with a strong focus on work with young children. At NMSD Angela was introduced to the practices of Reggio Emilia and the beauty of working from a model of observation, facilitation, and learning together. Since then, she has led mentoring and collaboration opportunities for teachers working with young children with different hearing levels. Seeing the wonders and creations young children are capable of, keeps Angela inspired to continue on this journey.
Juliet Staveley received a B.A. in Early Childhood education with an emphasis in studio art education, an M.A. in nature-based Early Childhood education and a certificate in Early Childhood nature education. Originally from England, she has lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico for over 30 years. She enjoys collaborating with other early childhood educators to inspire innovation, creative thinking and the art of listening to children and families within New Mexico’s early childhood community. The Reggio Emilia Approach is a valuable source of guidance and inspiration to her. Currently, she works with the Railyard Park Conservancy in Santa Fe. Her passion for the outdoors is integrated here in her work with teachers, children and families, exploring connections with nature and the natural environment.
Mary Bliss was first impressed with the Reggio Emilia Approach when The Hundred Languages of Children exhibit came to Santa Fe in 1998. She has since taught young children and teachers of young children inspired by RE philosophy. The image of the child as strong, capable and powerful is foundational to practice. Mary has a masters degree in ECE and is currently a CTI facilitator, ECE consultant, and master trainer in New Mexico.
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Helen McDonald has taught in early childhood and elementary education for over 16 years as a program director, classroom teacher and arts coordinator. She is passionate about fostering children’s relationship to the expressive arts and the natural world through the lens of emergent curriculum, and is committed to advocating for the strong image of the child in families, schools, and communities. Helen has been involved with the Collaborative Teachers' Institute since 2014, and currently serves as a coordinator of the Santa Fe CTI.
Taylor Etchemendy is a born and raised Taosena deeply committed to supporting and empowering young children and their families. She attended Colorado College and majored in Spanish Literature and International Studies, with a minor in Early Childhood Education. It was during an undergraduate independent study in Italy that Taylor discovered the Reggio Emilia Approach that ignited a passion in the early childhood education field, upholding a strong image of children as capable and competent citizens of our world. After graduating from Colorado College, Taylor spent 3 years teaching in the field of early childhood in Europe, Asia and South America. After returning from teaching abroad, Taylor enrolled in the Boulder Journey School Teacher Education program with University of Colorado and achieved her Masters Degree in Early Childhood Educational Psychology with a focus on Reggio inspired practice. Shortly thereafter, Taylor returned to Taos to pursue her career in education. She opened INSPIRE Bilingual Early Learning Center in 2013 and began teaching for UNM Taos in 2015 in the Early Childhood Education Department. Taylor also worked to conceptualize the UNM Taos ECED Residency Program, Mentor Network and Collaborative Teachers Institute. Taylor has been a committed member of the Paso a Paso Network for the past 10 years and has been inspired by the power of cross sector collaboration in support of children and families in the Taos community.
Alison McPartlon is the director of The University of New Mexico Taos Kids Campus. She has worked in early childhood for 15 years as a teacher of young children and as a mentor to students who have chosen early childhood as their focus of study. Alison was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and attended the University of Vermont where she received a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Family Studies. She has also taken graduate-level classes at The University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University. Alison's educational philosophy is based on the importance of observing children rather than directing them. She believes it is important that children are allowed to experiment in their own way, make mistakes, and find solutions. Her passion is to create early childhood environments where children and teachers can be lifelong learners. Alison is actively involved in promoting high-quality early childhood programs for children and families in New Mexico.
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This work has historically been supported through the generosity of these organizations:
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