The Loris Malaguzzi International Centre
In 1998 the Municipality of Reggio Emilia purchased the “Locatelli” cheese warehouses so they could become both home to the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre and at the same time a symbol of urban renewal in this northern area of the city where the first industrial area was located.

The Loris Malaguzzi Centre was opened in February 2006.

It was created to give greater value to a strong and distinctive characteristic of Reggio Emilia; the ability to lend listening, visibility and support to the rights and requests of children, young people, families and teachers. The Centre is a dedicated meeting place where professional development and research intersect for people in Reggio Emilia, Italy and the world who wish to innovate education and culture.

Although not yet completed it is an open place so that its potential can be appreciated; open to all ages, to ideas, different cultures, to hope and imagination. A place of the possible, both necessary and useful for the concept of a city ascribing value to change.

In November 2007 the second phase of renovation work began. This will see the building’s completion with a preschool, the first two years of elementary school and a reception area with restaurant and hospitality facilities.

Preschools and Infant-toddler Centres Istituzione of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia Municipal Infant-toddler Centres and Preschools have always been defined by the modernity of their theoretical thinking and their deep-rooted commitment to research and experimentation.

These services for early childhood transform into everyday reality a 0-6 educational project based on the image of a child equipped with enormous potential who is the subject of rights.

For this reason privileged attention is given to the children, observation and documentation of learning processes, exchanging ideas and discussion. Other distinctive traits include: collegial and relation-based organisation of work, the importance accredited to environments and spaces, intense co-participation in school management by families, relationships with culture in the city and the most lively research experiences in Italy and abroad, atelier spaces and atelierista educators for valuing children’s creativity.

Since October 2003 early childhood services in the Municipality of Reggio Emilia have been run through a specific body called the Istituzione.

This has autonomy on educational, pedagogical and administrative issues, its own budget and its own mayor-nominated staff. Objectives of the Istituzione include organising, managing and increasing activities necessary for the functioning and qualification of Infant-toddler Centres and Preschools in the Municipality of Reggio Emilia .

The Istituzione is intended not simply as an organ of effective management but exists to safeguard and renew qualities and values in Reggio Emilia educational services.

Reggio Children

Reggio Children was founded in 1994 to promote and defend childrens rights and to organise the pedagogical and cultural exchanges already taking place between Reggio Emilia's municipal early childhood centres and teachers, academics and researchers from around the world. On local, national and international levels Reggio Children through its International Network:

• Promotes research projects together with universities, foundations and ministries and companies working in various fields
• Carries out educational consulting activities
• Collaborates with ngos in co-operation initiatives with institutions for early childhood in various countries
• Publishes literature translated into 14 languages
• Runs the ìThe Hundred Languages of Children exhibition that has been travelling for 25 years across five continents invited by governments, museums, universities and art galleries etc.

Since 2006 Reggio Children has also managed and coordinated activities and projects at the Loris Malguzzi International Centre with a dedicated managerial group in collaboration with Reggio Emilia Comuneís Istituzione of Schools and Infant-toddler Centres and the Friends of Reggio Children Association.