Mental health and the “reggio approach”: how an educational model can shape interventions on the psychology of children

Children’s psychological wellbeing is the underlying mission of the so-called Reggio Emilia Approach (REA). It is pursued through an educational model centered on the child, seen as a competent agent of its own development: fundamental allies of the child’s upbringing are the family, the teachers, the environment and the polis, which all contribute as learners in the child’s community. The pillars of such approach are known for their pedagogical implications: the one hundred languages, the art atelier, the environment as the third educator). However, the scientific community has not yet investigated the effects of the REA on the psychological constructs in the early stages of human development, nor on the effects of its pro-social activities on the wellbeing of children.

The Symposium allows reflections on the character of children, stemming from the research on moral competences and virtues which are considered trans-cultural, and highlights the role of the adults in the co-construction of such values. The focus on ethics becomes evident also in the contribution on the political values of the Reggio approach in fighting against the mafiosa culture, that is often breathed in and assimilated since childhood in school contexts. The Reggio approach encompasses mental health also by offering an investigative space for negotiating the core construct of childhood in cultures where young carers struggle to access to education and general wellbeing. Finally, the Symposium offers a view on the impact of its most-famous atelier on the health of children with disabilities, by experiencing an artistic approach to inclusion.