This week’s course is being taught in-person at Sunbridge. For those who would prefer attending online, this course is also being offered virtually on June 16-21 and again on July 28-August 2. Read all about Summer Series 2024.
Open to everyone, including current and prospective early childhood educators, parents, grandparents, and caregivers.
Join us for a wondrous journey! In this comprehensive course, you’ll explore the essential elements of Waldorf early childhood education. Through the guidance of highly experienced Waldorf early childhood educators you’ll delve into child development; learn about rhythms, transitions, and the cycle of the year; explore the importance of play; examine the inner development of the teacher; experience circle time activities, lessons in handwork, art, and movement, and the essentials of a morning in a Waldorf early childhood setting; and develop a true practical understanding of Waldorf early childhood education. A perennial Sunbridge summer favorite, this rich and extensive course has launched many early childhood careers.
Watch Lisa talk about this course.
Instructors
Lisa Miccio, lead, is founder, director, and parent & child playgroup teacher at The Berry Basket Playgroups and Family Programs in Warwick, NY; she also sits on the Sunbridge Board of Trustees and provides professional development training and mentoring of teachers new to nature-based early childhood education. From 2022-23 Lisa served Acorn Waldorf School as the Neighboring Tree Project Specialist, overseeing a grant-funded AWS initiative that aimed to create community partnerships with local early childhood educators, schools, and centers. She taught kindergarten at The Waldorf School of Garden City, where she chaired the DEIJ committee, from 2017-2022, and for a dozen years prior was on the faculty of Green Meadow Waldorf School, where she taught in and served as a co-chair of the early childhood section, directed the early childhood admissions and family programs, and was a member of the Collegium, the Collegium Committee, and the Board of Trustees. Lisa’s teaching experience also includes teaching and mentoring in the Kathmandu (Nepal) Waldorf Kindergarten. She holds a BA in English from the College of Charleston, an MS in Elementary Education from CW Post, Long Island University, and an MS in Waldorf Education from Sunbridge College. She is the mother of two Waldorf-educated sons.
Motria Shuhan is the founder/director of Acorn Waldorf School in Accord, NY, where she serves as lead teacher in the Oaks Mixed Age Kindergarten. Prior to Founding AWS, she spent nine formative years at the Mountain Laurel Waldorf School, working in the nursery and kindergarten and serving as pedagogical chair for three years. Motria also serves as a mentor and educator in Sunbridge’s Early Childhood Teacher Education program. With a special interest in the art of puppetry, Motria has staged shows for conferences, festivals, and other community events. She completed a three-year Advanced Therapeutic Course for Early Childhood Educators in Denver and her Waldorf Early Childhood training at Sunbridge College.
Rie Seo teaches kindergarten at The Waldorf School of Garden City. Before joining the WSGC faculty, Rie served as the aftercare lead teacher at New Amsterdam School. She also led nursery and parent/child programs at a Waldorf-inspired Japanese Saturday Program in Brooklyn and was the founder and lead teacher for outdoor Waldorf-inspired parent/child classes in Queens. Rie earned her BA in drama from Tamagawa University in Tokyo, Japan; her MFA in theater design from NYU Tisch School of the Arts; a certificate in early childhood education from LifeWays; and a diploma in Waldorf early childhood teacher education from Sunbridge.
Meggan Gill became Sunbridge’s director of education and organizational culture in 2021 and is also a member of the Sunbridge teacher education faculty. A member of Alma Partners and a specialist in diversity, equity, and inclusion, she is also an active committee member and workshop presenter for AWSNA and WECAN. Meggan’s teaching experience includes most recently serving as lead toddler teacher at City of Lakes Waldorf School and, from 2009-2020, serving on the faculty of the Brooklyn Waldorf School, where she led parent-and-child and kindergarten classes and was active on the Faculty Council. Prior to joining BWS, she taught kindergarten at the Olympia Waldorf School and parent-and-child and nursery classes at the New Amsterdam School. Meggan, who originally hails from the Pacific Northwest and is a certified yoga teacher, earned her undergraduate degree in health sciences from The Evergreen State College and her certificate in Waldorf early childhood education from Sunbridge.
Carol Grieder teaches kindergarten at Green Meadow Waldorf School, where she has been on the early childhood faculty since 2006 and where she also sits on the Collegium and the Advisory Board. Before joining Green Meadow, she taught art classes and Parent & Child classes in a Waldorf-inspired nursery school in New Jersey. A native of Switzerland, Carol has worked with women, infants, and children as a maternal-child health nurse and lactation consultant over many years, and has also contributed stories and essays to WECAN publications. She earned her MS in Nursing, Women’s Health from Rutgers University, and her MSEd in Waldorf education from Sunbridge College.
Participants who took this course previously had this to say:
- The Intro to EC course exceeded my expectations.
- An amazing mix of hands-on experience, interactive group work, and lecture content.
- It was well structured, the faculty was exceptional and held each class with knowledge, joy and humor.
- Amazing. This is one of the best courses I’ve taken in my life.
- I am beyond grateful.
- Not only am I walking away with tools in my pocket, but with a growth and awareness in myself that I was not expecting.
- Lisa is wonderful. I have never met a teacher who in five days would be able to change a group of strangers in such a profound way.
- I loved Rie’s art demos and her ability to bring you into the work. She is clearly passionate and I enjoyed her lessons.
- I really enjoyed Motria’s way of sharing information, her patience and fluid way of moving through topics. It is clear that she is very passionate about her work and enjoys sharing that with others.
- The class was a fun mix of lecture and experiential learning.
- I found the topics engaging, loved the puppetry and am thankful for the library of music!
- I really enjoyed attending lectures and the articles that were provided for homework. It was great to dive right in and begin learning more about Waldorf EC. I found everyone to be very passionate and present in the program. I found that I got something out of every class.
- Overall it was an incredibly insightful and grounding experience that left me thirsty for more.
- The entire course was so nourishing and fulfilling. It gave me more than I ever expected. I would suggest this course to all teachers and parents interested in deepening their knowledge in Waldorf EC education. It was truly eye-opening.
This course takes place June 23-28 at Sunbridge Institute on the campus of the Threefold Educational Foundation.
Schedule
Sunday evening
6:00 pm-6:30 pm: Check-in registration
6:30 pm-7:00 pm: Optional campus tour
7:15 pm-9:00 pm: First session
Monday-Thursday
Classes begin at 8:00 am and end at 5:30 pm
Friday morning
Classes begin at 8:30 am and end at 12:30 pm
Participants should be prepared to work on course-related assignments outside of their regularly scheduled instructional sessions (including some that may be assigned in advance).
Read about housing and meals while studying at Sunbridge.
Cost
$945 includes all materials, yearlong access to your Google Classroom, and a $80 non-refundable registration fee.
25% discount for:
- Students currently enrolled in a Sunbridge teacher education program
- Sunbridge program graduates
- Payments made in Canadian dollars
Accounts must be in good standing and discounts may not be combined. Qualification for discounts will be verified by Sunbridge staff.
Questions?
Please contact Barbara Vitale, admissions and summer coordinator, at [email protected] or 845-425-0055 x20
Sunbridge reserves the right to make faculty substitutions when necessary. See registration form for refund policy.
