Inspiring Places & Practices Leadership Team

Cheryl Priest, EdD, CAPP

My name is Cheryl Priest, and I am excited to meet and get to know you better as you consider participating in an Inspiring Places & Practices Study Group! As an early childhood teacher educator and as an applied positive psychology practitioner, I believe that we have unlimited opportunities to flourish when we make choices that fully engage our signature strengths (notice mine in all caps). That is exactly what the CREATION of this group experience brings to my life and that is what I HOPE to bring to yours. I am GRATEFUL to have visited Italy 10 times since 2007 and to have fostered deep connections with kindred spirits in Michigan and across the United States and Italy.

Some of these moments include:

North American Reggio Emilia Alliance events in Miami, Atlanta, and Honolulu
Michigan Inspirations meetings, book studies, program tours and conferences
Boulder Journey School Study Tour
Reggio Children International Conference for Students and Professors
Guided Tours and Workshops at the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre and Ateliers
And many, many meaningful individual encounters!

Going back to 2008, I have shared my LOVE OF LEARNING with colleagues, university students, educators, administrators, professors, and many others by planning and facilitating study groups and study abroad experiences in Italy. Each visit holds some of the familiar along with new provocations – some planned, many spontaneous. During one of those trips in 2010, atelierista Roberta Pucci, took a chance on some English-speaking travelers who were looking for a seat on a train. She initiated a conversation that led to an invitation for our group to visit her at school in Cavriago. An immediate connection was forged! Since that time, Roberta has become an essential friend to my colleagues and myself, and to our university students and laboratory preschool. She has joined us 3 times in Michigan, working with students, teachers and children, speaking at a conference, co-facilitating a Purposeful Gatherings Early Childhood event, and even walking the Mackinac Bridge and biking Mackinac Island! And with each encounter, we all leave with an increased APPRECIATION FOR BEAUTY AND EXCELLENCE. But I just dare you to ask her what she thinks about Kraft Macaroni & Cheese!

Alexandra Henry, MAEd

Alex Henry, M.A.Ed., has dedicated 15 years to the field of early childhood education, working with young children, families, and educators in a variety of roles. Her journey began in classrooms serving children from birth to age five, including Head Start, private childcare, and an international school overseas. She later worked as an early childhood specialist and coach, before transitioning into higher education and professional development roles. Today, Alex teaches in the Human Development and Family Studies Department at Central Michigan University, after previously teaching at Ferris State University and as a mentor teacher in CMU’s Child Development and Learning Lab.

Alex’s passion for learning approaches began as an undergraduate student, when a short-term study abroad experience in Italy opened her eyes to the power of shared learning spaces and community-centered education. That inspiration has guided her career ever since. While completing her Master’s in Education with a focus in Training and Development, Alex developed a coaching model designed to nurture reflection and growth among educators. She has since woven this passion for collaboration into her work leading professional development and international study groups.

In partnership with Dr. Cheryl Priest, Alex has co-created two initiatives that reflect their shared commitment to inspiring and supporting educators. Inspiring Places & Practices Study Groups connect professionals across early childhood, elementary education, child development, and family studies through immersive international experiences in Italy, Sweden, and Finland, with plans to expand further. Together, they also lead Purposeful Gatherings – Early Childhood, a community designed to nurture creativity, well-being, and professional networks, grounded in the belief that children thrive when the educators who guide them are refreshed, respected, and encouraged to grow.

Roberta Pucci

Hello! Thank you for stopping by. I am Roberta Pucci, atelierista and art therapist from Reggio Emilia, Italy. I love dialoguing both with materials and people, and I think this is what my work mainly consists of. Ever since I can remember, I have always been interested in the creative process. When I was a child, I liked to cut out figures from magazines, than I put them in a bag, randomly took some out and used them for inventing stories. This essential imprint is still there: I am constantly looking for new connections between things, materials and people.

My approach is nurtured by three main areas of my studying and professional background: the Reggio approach, Art Therapy and the design thinking of Bruno Munari. Interweaving these multifaceted knowledges, I design courses, workshops, books and creative tools to help each person or group expressing their unique potential, that naturally leads to a more active and authentic relationship with the environment and with others. 

From the early 2000s, I have held workshops and courses about the creative use of artistic, natural and recycled materials, especially for educators and teachers, collaborating with social cooperatives. Then I have spent seven years working as atelierista in a Reggio inspired preschool, in addition to one year at the Loris Malaguzzi Center of Reggio Emilia, with study groups from all over the world. 

I am currently working as an art educational consultant, atelierista and art therapist, for personal or professional growth. 

Would you like to start a journey together? Looking forward to meet you!

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Little by little, everyone started creating a storyline based on their shape which was amazing to watch happen within the group. I am thankful for being able to participate in this workshop because I learned a lot more about children’s work and thinking.

Adriana

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