Allison Bartolozzi

Allison began her journey working with children during her undergraduate years at Ohio University where she was first introduced to the Reggio Emilia approach. This initial experience working in an early childcare center was so inspiring that she decided to delve further into the practices of progressive education.

After spending a few years in Chicago from 2009 to 2013, Allison moved to Thailand to broaden her experiences and continue her education career in an international setting. There, she taught at a Reggio Emilia school, learning under Mia Cavalca, her mentor and the school’s Atelierista, and also attended Professional Development meetings with pedagogistas from Italy. Upon her return to Chicago in 2017, Allison began working with Bennett Day School as an early childhood educator. She has continued to deepen her understanding of progressive and alternative education models by attending the Reggio Emilia study group in Italy, as well as a multitude of conferences and professional development sessions. Allison has expanded her career into leading Professional Development sessions at Bennett as well as with a local daycare. She will be co-presenting at the ISACS conference in the fall of 2023. Additionally, the presentation will be shared at the NAEYC conference in late Nov. 2023.

Allison’s passion for learning alongside children and fostering their education is displayed through her many open-ended projects, where children are encouraged to explore the many languages of learning and expression.