Federica grew up in the city of Torino, in the north west of Italy. She received her degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Torino in 2005. In 2007 she passed the exam to be licensed as a psychologist. During her project at the University, she has worked with special needs children and with individuals with “internet addiction” and attachment disorders. After her studies, Federica decided to move to San Francisco where she volunteers at the Women’s Building as a counselor for SFWAR. Federica joined the La Scuola team in the spring of 2008. She enjoys spending time with children and to experience and learn from the way that children learn. La Scuola is a great place to share her culture and passions with others. Federica is passionate about music, especially singing and playing the guitar. For many years, Federica studied at the “Centro Jazz” in Torino and at the “Madrigale”. This passion makes San Francisco a great place to be for Federica.

Robin is a Bay Area native, and grew up surrounded by all things Italian. Her father was born and raised in Venice, Italy, where Robin’s extended family still resides. She spent almost every summer there during her youth, and in 2008, she and her husband, Jay, chose Venice for their wedding. She received a B.A. in Italian Language and Culture from the University of Colorado at Boulder, during which she lived and studied in Milan, where she attended IULM, la Libera Università di Lingue e Comunicazione. Robin’s love of Italian culture and passion for working with children have allowed her the opportunity to both teach and run a school office in an Italian Immersion school in Seattle, Washington, and Boulder, Colorado, and she is thrilled to be a part of La Scuola in beautiful San Francisco. Outside of La Scuola, Robin is an active instructor and student of The Dailey Method, and she enjoys backpacking, rafting, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Gerald was born and raised in the Philippines and has lived and worked in four continents. He earned his B.S. in Industrial Management Engineering from De La Salle University in Manila and Master of Business Administration from the Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven, in Belgium, where he had a brief stint in a Flemish business environment. Gerald worked for over 20 years with a leading U.S. global bank and its affiliated companies, in the Philippines and Guam, managing different areas of the consumer banking business. During this period he attended professional training programs in Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, and the United States, and was certified for the Finance for Senior Executives program at the Asian Institute of Management. After moving to San Francisco with his wife and three daughters in 1999, Gerald channeled his managerial skills contracting with various Bay Area businesses. Prior to La Scuola, he was the business manager/finance director for over seven years at a diocesan high school in Oakland. He has been and continues to be involved in parish and school communities/non-profits, volunteering in their finance committees. Gerald loves to travel, and Italy is his favorite vacation destination. He is happy to be working in La Scuola, where there are new things to learn – incluso capire e parlare italiano.

Laura grew up in a small town on the outskirts of Milan. She earned her Diploma as a Foreign Languages Correspondent then graduated in Communication Sciences – Public Relations from IULM University of Milan. Her strong passion for books and enthusiasm brought her to Varazze, a lively beach town on the Ligurian Sea, to work as a manager for one of Italy’s biggest bookstore chains. She also organized events aimed to promote children’s reading, she collaborated with schools and she tutored in Italian and English. She loves working with children because she enjoys to entertain them and watch them laugh and grow. In her free time she organizes cooking parties and she freelances as a proofreader and translator.

Wheeler grew up in a predominantly Italian neighborhood of Siracusa, New York. It was there, while working at a local hospital as a Senior Discharge Analyst auditing and managing patient records, that he studied Art and Art History, inspiring him to visit the great museums of Europe. His interest in the diversity and creativity of the Bay Area brought him to San Francisco in the mid 1990's where he accepted a position as an underwriter for a leading international insurance company.

During his 14 years writing Security & Privacy policies for the insurance company he found time to study Accounting, Acting, and 3D Animation. He eventually took a position as Senior Accountant at a nonprofit that focused on the challenges of diversifying the tech industry and promoting education of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) for low income minority youth. It is his passion for education, diversity and respect of cultures that brought him to the accounting family of La Scuola.  Wheeler loves all facets of the arts; cinema, museums, theater, ballet and opera. You can often find him reading a book in the park, hosting a movie night with a group of friends, hiking, backpacking for a relaxing weekend in the wilderness or volunteering at the SPCA socializing kittens and cats for adoption.  He is very excited to be reintroduced to the Italian language, to continue his professional development and to be inspired by La Scuola.

Beatrice grew up in Firenze, where she fell in love with the Italian language and literature and the classics (Dante Alighieri was her first love). In 2014 she moved to Bay Area and she now lives in Emeryville with her husband. She joined Italingua in 2014 to teach Italian, and has been sharing her knowledge and passion for Italian language, culture, food. She has also been teaching Italian to elementary school children in Oakland, preparing her own curriculum and materials. While living in Italy she also worked for years for the Italian Scout association, helping as a leader for 6-9 years old children, which explains her natural connection to the children and ability to engage them. Beatrice holds an MA in Communications Science in 2010 from Università degli studi di Firenze and prior to moving to the USA she has worked in PR, as a journalist and in Marketing and Sales. In her free time she enjoys watching movies, reading, gardening veggies to prepare healthy recipes and playing the guitar.

Justine was born and raised in Madison, WI. When she was 18, she went to Italy for the first time and fell immediately in love with Italy and the Italian language in the hills of Sorrento. She studied Italian in Bologna during her junior year of college and earned a BA and MA in Italian from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She needed to leave the cold winters of Wisconsin so she enrolled in and completed one year of the PhD program in Italian at Berkeley and has lived in CA ever since. After the birth of her first daughter, she discovered Waldorf education and became a trained Waldorf teacher. She began teaching as a first grade teacher in a Waldorf charter school in Orange County and during that time she earned a CA Teaching Credential. After moving back to the Bay Area she discovered a small Waldorf school in Walnut Creek and became one of the founding teachers working in early childhood. She discovered she loved working with preschool aged children and began taking classes in early childhood education. She was so excited when she discovered La Scuola where she can combine her love of early childhood education with her love of Italian. Justine is a life-long learner and is very interested in learning all about the Reggio-Emilia teaching philosophy and being a part of the La Scuola community.

Tim was born and raised in a small town in Independence, Oregon. His first real exposure to Italian culture and language was when he studied Italian 101 in 2006 at the University of Oregon which prompted him to study abroad in Macerata in 2007 to experience Italian cuisine, culture and history first-hand. After an extraordinary experience tasting delicious Italian food and visiting awe-inspiring sites such as the Roman Forums and hills of the Marche, he decided to get a B.A. in Italian language in addition to Sociology. Upon graduating in 2009, Tim set off for Vercelli, Piedmont to teach English to students ages 4 to 55 at private and public schools. His significant time spent working and traveling in Italy was an enriching and life-changing experience. He is excited to be able to share Italian language and culture with the children at La Scuola. In his free time he enjoys hiking, eating tacos, traveling, and watching his beloved Ducks of the University of Oregon.

Melina hails from the ever-exciting city of Los Angeles, having spent most her time in Santa Monica. While earning her Bachelor’s in International Studies-Sociology at UCSD, Melina decided to study abroad in Italy and divided her year abroad between Siena and Bologna. She was immediately taken by all the beauty Italy has to offer through its language, culture, customs, history and, naturally, its cuisine. Upon returning to the States, she decided to continue her inquiry into italianistica and entered graduate school at UCLA. Melina dedicated her scholarly focus to gender studies in the Renaissance and completed her Ph.D. in Italian in 2013. She has over ten years’ experience working in education and language acquisition and speaks fluent Italian, Spanish, and French. She joins La Scuola after a sabbatical year of traveling the world and is excited to be part of the growing dynamic that drives La Scuola.

Carlo was born in New York City and raised in New York and New Jersey. He received his Bachelors in Music from Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and his M.F.A. in Music Composition from the California Institute of the Arts. Carlo has been teaching both in the classroom and privately for 15 years, with experience teaching all grade levels and special education. In addition to his classroom teaching, he currently maintains a private teaching studio of 60 students, has composed music for film, theater and dance, and regularly has his concert music performed. Carlo’s daughter is in her third year at La Scuola and she never wants to leave. Carlo is excited to be teaching such a wonderful group of children at the start of La Scuola!

Teresa O’Connor hails from the state of Wisconsin, and moved to San Francisco – by way of Boston – twenty plus years ago. She earned her BA in Painting from San Francisco State University, and has spent many of her years working in the visual arts field in various capacities – teacher, curator, maker, and gallery owner. More recently, she has shifted towards her lifelong interest in gardening and growing edibles, and created a garden education program at Clarendon Elementary School. She is excited to begin growing and learning with the children at La Scuola, and developing her Italian speaking skills along the way! Teresa lives in San Francisco with her two children, Zazie and Finn, where they enjoy spending their free time hiking and exploring with their dog Bella.

Lizette Greco is a bilingual educator from Chile who has lived and worked in the United States since 1992. She and her family have recently moved to San Francisco from San Diego and are very excited about their new home town. Lizette has eighteen years of experience teaching in public and private schools, museums, nonprofits, and has a Master of Arts in Teaching from Occidental College. She has been a bilingual elementary substitute teacher for the San Diego Unified School District in Southern California, and the Alt Schools here in San Francisco. She has also taught middle and high school Spanish, Art, and Wellness for Fusion Academy, designing personalized lessons for students, some of which had learning differences such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and anxiety. She is happy to join La Scuola to teach Spanish and help as a substitute teacher whenever support is needed. Her new goal is to learn Italian since some of her own ancestry and her husband's come from Italy as well!

Lizette is also an artist who makes collaborative work with her family, specializing in fiber sculpture, textile art, conceptual art, social practice art, and costume design. She is a prototype maker, recycled materials tinkerer, and life-long learner. Lizette was a homeschooling parent (inspired by reading John Dewey, John Holt, about Reggio Emilia, etc.), an experience that taught her a more organic learning approach enriches her teaching practice, giving children time, support and love to grow, play and explore. It’s important for Lizette to help children connect to their surroundings and the people around them, providing the tools to do so, so they can find their own answers. 

Megan was born and raised in Menlo Park, California — a true Bay Area native. She attended UCLA for her undergraduate degree, studying International Development and Italian. Her desire for an authentic, full-immersion study abroad experience led her to the charming medieval town of Ferrara. Megan's several months in “la città delle biciclette” solidified her lifelong love of the Italian language and culture. Upon returning to Los Angeles, Megan worked with Garden School Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing an interdisciplinary program of education through garden-based learning in outdoor living classrooms. Megan is deeply excited to be a part of La Scuola’s family and integrate her passions of interactive learning, being outdoors, and of course, Italian!

Vincenzo was born in Pisa, Italy, spent his childhood between the “Leaning Tower”, the beautiful Island of Elba, and the fascinating city of Palermo, Sicily. Vincenzo then moved to the Dolomites, in north of Italy, where he received his Teacher-Training School Magisterial Diploma. Following his diploma, he started to work as a preschool educator for the Trento School District. In 2000, Vincenzo relocated to San Francisco, where he married, and received the best gift ever, his daughter. In addition to teaching in Italy, Vincenzo has taught in a variety of settings in the Bay Area, including Miraloma Educational Enrichment Program, Primo Programma, and the Ring Mountain Day School.  In 2005, Vincenzo discovered LPSI where he found that being able to teach children in his own native language as a blessing.  At LPSI, Vincenzo developed a deeper understanding of his approach to early childhood. After a break to be a new dad and graphic designer, Vincenzo made the decision to get back ‘home” and work at the new La Scuola location. Besides his Teacher-Training School Magisterial Diploma, Vincenzo is a qualified preschool teacher.  Vincenzo’s love and passion for being around and teaching children are the main reasons why he became a teacher. Besides teaching, Vincenzo loves listening and playing music, songwriting, playing the guitar and the Celtic Harp, composing music, music recording, creating sound effects for films, studying ethnic musical instruments, history, traveling, and exploring other cultures.

Nora grew up in Barcelona, Spain, she moved first to France and then to Italy pursuing her passion for art and then settled in Florence for ten years where she received her Degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of Florence in 2016. During her time in Florence she specialized in Progressive education with C.E.M.E.A Association with whom she worked as an educator and teacher trainer for seven years. Following her curiosity in human psychology she received her Diploma in Gestalt and Art Therapy Counseling in 2015. Nora believes learning from different cultures and contexts is vital to create quality education so she’s traveled all over the world visiting schools and attending courses (from Reggio Emilia approach to Montessori, Forest schools, International and Democratic schools...). Nora is very creative and loves painting, drawing, sewing and DIY. Her biggest treasure is her Picture books library. 

Filippo was born in Palermo where he lived with his family until he was 20 years old. He has a passion for traveling, foreign languages and psychology. Filippo obtained his BA from the university of Urbino and an MA with highest grades in Psychology of Development from the University of Palermo. He worked as a pedagogue with schools in Palermo, and in a family home as a psychologist. Two year ago Filippo moved to San Francisco with his girlfriend Anna. He volunteered full time for La Scuola in the spring of 2013 and then studied at CCSF where has recently obtained a certificate in Infant & Toddler Care. Filippo is very happy to be part of La Scuola's teaching staff and every day he enjoys working with children during this unique period of early childhood. Filippo loves animals and can't wait for his cat Semola and his dog Stella to join him in San Francisco!

Margarita started working with kids when she was studying language and culture in Perugia, Italy. She worked as a volunteer in Caritas Internationalis (a global organization responding to humanitarian disasters and promoting human development) as a Spanish-Italian translator for immigrants and their children to help them with medical, immigration, and other life needs. After studying and working in Italy for several years, Margarita moved to California where she has been working with children for over five years.  Margarita is currently studying child development at San Francisco City College and is happy to be part of La Scuola. In her free time, Margarita enjoys the outdoors, cooking, dancing, and spending time with her husband, family, and friends.

Megan grew up in Los Angeles, California, but has a strong background in Italian. Her father was born and raised in Rome and she spent much of her childhood visiting her family in Italy. She graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a major in Environmental Studies and a minor in Education. In addition to her degree, Megan spent two years studying the Italian language at the university. After graduating, Megan moved to the Bay Area to pursue a career in garden-based environmental education. She has had over five years of experience working with students of all ages in various school settings. Working with children has always been one of her greatest passions and she is eager to combine this with her pride and interest in Italian language and culture.

Silvia was born in Rieti, a small medieval town in the center of Italy. She studied Philosophy in Rome, the city she loves the most. After her graduation, she spent two years in northern Europe, between Berlin and Vienna. When the cold weather finally won against her spirit, she decided to look out for sunnier shores, which eventually led her to her great adventure in California. She’s now attending the City College of San Francisco to study Early Child Development and she’s very happy to start this new opportunity at La Scuola. In her spare time, she loves taking pictures with her many film cameras, exploring San Francisco and hiking around the Golden State with her husband. She is planning to get a puppy soon!

Roberta was born in a small town near Bologna. She graduated in European languages and cultures – Intercultural mediator – from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. She has worked with children since she was very young; starting off as a nanny, working for after school programs and during high school she worked in a project (shadow theatre and sensory books for visually impaired children) that involved all the pre-k and elementary schools in the province of Ferrara. Roberta loves working with children and to her there is no greater achievement than seeing children culturally and socially blossom right in front of her.

Jasmin was born and raised in San Francisco, where she graduated from Independence High school. She has always had a passion for learning about children and is involved with ongoing child psychology courses at City College. She wishes to continue on to university. Jasmin enjoys music, various types of foods, sightseeing, and spending time with her family and pets. Jasmin speaks fluent English and Spanish, and is very excited about learning Italian at La Scuola. She is especially excited about beginning her journey with La Scuola’s family and starting her career in working with children.

Alexis was born and raised in the Central Valley of California. She first discovered her passion for learning about different languages and cultures in her high school Italian class. Once she started college she continued to pursue this interest, and eventually received her undergraduate degree in Italian Language and Literature, with a minor in Global and International Studies. Her other great love is swimming, and she spends her summers lifeguarding, giving swim lessons, and helping out with the swim team at her community pool. 

Valentina was born and raised in Milano, Italia. Studied foreign languages in High School (English, German and Russian). Graduated with a master degree in Clinical Psychology with honors at the Università degli Studi Milano-Bicocca. Lived abroad for the past ten years. Worked at the Ulm University and TU Dresden, in Germany, as a researcher in Psychology. Moved to the Bay Area for several internships at the San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group, where she now works privately as a Life Coach with individuals and families. She started teaching Italian to adults for different institutes in the past four years. Worked as a Pre-K Head Teacher at La Scuola until 2015 and she is now helping different age groups at the K8 and as substitute teacher at La Scuola. In her free time she enjoys museums, she works for the circus and organizes cultural events to feel closer to her Homeland.