History
The study of Reggio Emilia’s educational philosophy and approach has inspired many people across the state of New Mexico over time.
Starting in the mid 1990s. Santa Fe Children’s Museum decided to become the fiscal sponsor to bring The Hundred Languages Exhibit to Santa Fe.
Summer 1997- The Hundred Languages Exhibit was on display at the Santa Fe Community College for six weeks.
2000 Baji Rankin taught a graduate level course on Reggio Emilia approach at UNM and was Director of Manzanita early learning center. Several NM Grad students participated in a Reggio-inspired national symposium in Cherry Creek, Ohio.
A Study Group of educators from Albuquerque and Espanola met monthly at A Child’s Garden.
This group was called the Albuquerque Reggio Emilia Exchange and later the NM Reggio Emilia Exchange.
2008 Delegation of 23 NM educators participate in a Reggio Emilia Study Tour as part of collaboration among Five States. After the tour, a Reggio-inspired study group met at the Wemagination, in Albuquerque. Around that time, the first NMREX website was designed by Emily Holzknecht.
Five people from Decade of the Child, an early childhood advocacy group, worked together to write a proposal to NAREA to bring the Wonder of Learning (WOL) Exhibit to NM.
The venue for WOL was secured at the NM Museum of Natural History and Science (NMMNHS) and St. Joseph Community Health committed to premier sponsorship.
September 2012: Representatives from the Five State Study Group came together for a retreat at Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM.
2013-2015 New Mexico Wonder of Learning Collaborative (NMWOL) collaborated to bring the WOL exhibit to NM and planned conferences and professional development workshops before, during and after the exhibit.
2014 June-November. The WOL exhibit opened in NM. Events included the NAREA summer conference, Professional Development events, and visits from Reggio Educators, Lella Gandini and Amelia Gambetti. Visitors to exhibit include CYFD representatives, legislators, Higher Ed faculty, educators, families, and children.
2015 NMREX became the entity to replace the NM Wonder of Learning Collaborative after the exhibit left NM. A meeting was held at Bachechi Open Space in Albuquerque. In a collaborative spirit, the vision and mission of NMREX was created by educators from around the state.Subsequent meetings yielded an organizational structure, and monthly meetings of working groups.
2015 November: NMREX hosted Gunilla Dahlburg in Albuquerque and Peter Moss virtual conference.
2016 July: NMREX summer retreat gathered educators from around the state in Cuba, NM, for study, reflection, fellowship and fun.
2018 Spring: The first issue of the NMREX Journal, “Voices of NMREX” comes out.
2019 May-June: A delegation of 29 New Mexicans participated in the Five-State Reggio Emilia Study Tour.
2019 August: Screening of the World Forum Foundation’s “Voices of Children” documentary in Albuquerque.
2019 August: School Tours and NMREX hosted Jennifer Strange in Albuquerque.