Shareholders' Meeting and CDA of Fondazione Reggio Children: in 2024 projects abroad for solidarity and research

Carla Rinaldi, president:  "They were years of change, now more international presence of RC Foundation, especially in problem areas of the world"

Among this year’s news, other events of "PER" with The LEGO Foundation and workshops on education and sustainability at the former Caffarri

New international projects of solidarity, two stages abroad with the PER-Play Explore Research project on play and learning with The LEGO Foundation, the new spaces and laboratories for research, quality education and sustainability at the former Caffarri, the Reggio Childhood Studies PhD are at the center of the many activities of 2024 for Fondazione Reggio Children - Centro Loris Malaguzzi.

The balance sheet 2023 and the new year’s program of FRC were focused during the meetings of the founders, promoters, participants and honorary members, supporters and in the board of directors, chaired by Carla Rinaldi, convened in recent days, together with the new Director-General, Cristian Fabbi.

Balance sheet 2023 in balance with revenues over 1 million euro

 "These were turning points for Fondazione Reggio Children, despite the crisis of activities in pandemic. - said President Carla Rinaldi in her report   - From the events of the Decade, to the presentation of the Charter for the Educational Emergency, to the project with The LEGO Foundation, ours has been a breakthrough in terms of content and identity. From 2024, we will strengthen our international presence through new solidarity and research projects, especially in problem areas of the world". 

The Board of Directors approved the balanced budget 2023 with revenues over 1 million euros, including revenues from project partners for about 690 thousand euros. In addition to the several important projects carried out with partners, Fondazione Reggio Children controls the company Pause - Atelier dei Sapori and manages the project Remida - Centro di Riciclaggio Creativo with Institution Schools and Kindergartens of the Municipality of Reggio and Iren. The members of the board are Annamaria Contini, Desu-Unimore director, Margie Keith Cooper, Serena Foracchia, Harold Goethson, Giuseppe Zizzo, as well as the president.

New international projects and new director general

 The meetings were also an opportunity to thank the previous director of Fondazione Reggio Children, Giuseppe Zizzo and to present the new general manager, Cristian Fabbi, appointed at the end of 2023, following the selection by public notice that took place in recent months. Cristian Fabbi has many years of management experience in childcare services, most recently as president of the Schools and Children’s Homes Institution of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, and is an international expert and UNICEF consultant in Early Childhood Development. He is president of Reggio Children srl.

The meeting of founding members of FRC also participated for Iren, Arturo Bertoldi, responsible EduIren, for Coopselios the president Giovanni Umberto Calabrese, for Narea-North American Reggio Emilia Alliance the president Margie Keith Cooper, for Reggio Emilia Institutet president Anna Ahrborn, for Red Solare Argentina the coordinator María Victoria Alfieri, Paola Malaguzzi on behalf of the Famiglia Malaguzzi, honorary member, and Lori Ryan, Allison Maher, Sam Hall for the Boulder Journey School & School of Education & Human Development - University of Colorado Denver. The following are also members: Government of South Australia, Fondazione Manodori, Cirfood and Effe 2005 - Gruppo Feltrinelli, honorary member.

Projects already underway for 2024

Here are the main projects of Fondazione Reggio Children already in the pipeline for 2024. The LEGO Foundation with PER project on play and learning, which started last November, continues, with 30,000 teachers and educators and 40,000 children participating by 2026. The sixth edition of Abitare il Paese with the National Council of Architects PCC, which every year involves five thousand students aged 6 to 18 years in 200 schools throughout Italy and focuses on urban planning, architecture and educational cities. The redeveloped space will be set up at Ex Caffarri, which will be a place for research on quality education, solidarity, digital and sustainability starting from the laboratories of Fondazione Reggio Children and those of Remida, which will also involve the PhD Reggio Childhood Studies, launched in 2019 with Desu - Unimore, which has already selected 48 doctoral candidates and will issue a new call this year.

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