About Us

Your Child Is in Great Hands

Reggio Emilia Approach

"The more time you spend time with children, the more you notice how inquisitive you are about the world and how keen is their thinking even about the most subtle things- things which escape materiality, easy recognition, definite forms, and the laws of invariance, things you can touch but can't touch, that brush against the real and imaginary, that have something of the mysterious about them and offer wide margins of interpretation." -Loris Malaguzzi

Northern Pines Academy is a Reggio Emilia inspired preschool. The approach is based on the belief that children are highly capable learners who are valued for their wonder and knowledge. This program encourages community, collaboration between the children, and using the environment as an additional teacher.

In the spirit of community, Northern Pines Academy prides itself on being an inclusive preschool. 30% of the students are neurodivergent and receive 1:1 support to be fully integrated into the classroom. All of students have the opportunity to learn and grow in an environment that holds no distinction or barriers between learning and abilities.

Our Story

In 2018, the founders met while attending Gonzaga University in their masters program. They shared their desires to create an inclusive, supportive environment for education and ABA therapy.

While earning their degrees in Special Education and working in the Spokane Autism Community, they realized there were gaps between early education and transitioning to formal schooling. This was particularly true for children with Autism and their families.

In collaboration, they came up with the idea to utilize the Reggio Emilia approach combined with their knowledge of ABA to start Northern Pines Academy.