This course is currently sold out. Please add your name to our waiting list if you would like to be contacted, should an opening occur.

This week is being taught in-person on the Sunbridge campus. 

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.

Instructors

Lisa Miccio, lead, teaches kindergarten at The Waldorf School of Garden City. She also chairs her school’s DEIJ committee and sits on the Sunbridge Board of Trustees. Prior to joining the Garden City faculty in 2017, Lisa was on the faculty of Green Meadow Waldorf School for a dozen years. At Green Meadow, she taught kindergarten and parent and child classes, served as a co-chair of the early childhood section, director of 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 working at Mountain Laurel Waldorf School, Dayspring Community School, and, during her 2016-17 sabbatical, 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.

Leslie Burchell-Fox is co-director of Sunbridge’s Early Childhood Teacher Education program, for which she has been a faculty member since 2004. Leslie is currently on leave from her position of lead kindergarten teacher at Green Meadow Waldorf School, where she has taught since 2002 and sits on the Collegium and Teacher Development Committee. She previously taught kindergarten and nursery for six years at the Waldorf School of Baltimore. Leslie is also a Lazure artist whose beautiful work graces our Upper Brookside classroom, and prior to becoming a Waldorf teacher was a professional fiber artist specializing in surface design and wearable art; she also spent several years as a speech pathologist. She holds a BS in Speech Pathology from Kent State University and an MSEd in Waldorf education from 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. A graduate of Sunbridge’s Early Childhood teacher training, Rie also earned her BA in drama from Tamagawa University in Tokyo, Japan, her MFA in theater design from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and a certificate in early childhood education from LifeWays.

Motria Shuhan is the founder/director of Acorn Waldorf School, a full WECAN member 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.

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.
• 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.
• Overall it was an incredibly insightful and grounding experience that left me thirsty for more.

Schedule
This course takes place July 24-29 on the Sunbridge campus.
Sunday evening: 6-6:30 check-in; 6:30-7 optional campus tour; first session starts promptly at 7:15 and ends at 9
Monday-Thursday: Classes begin by 8:30am and end by 6pm
Friday morning: Classes begin by 8:30am and end between 12-1pm

Cost
$920 includes all materials and a $60 non-refundable deposit. 

Discount Opportunities:

• Volume Discount for schools sending 2 or more participants: $50 off each participant per course. Use discount code VOLUME.
• Combine and Save Discount: 20% off any additional Sunbridge summer course an individual registers for, of equal or lesser value. If you are also registering separately for one of our Summer Series 2022: Live From Home! courses, contact us to receive your “Combine and Save” discount.
• Family Discounts: 50% off for currently-enrolled Sunbridge program students and 25% off for Sunbridge program graduates. Accounts must be in good standing. Use discount code that appears on your registration form when you answer questions about your background.
• CAD discount: 25% off for payments made in Canadian dollars. Only the CAD discount may be combined with another; otherwise, only one discount may be applied.

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.