A three-part, Thursday afternoon online workshop series for early childhood department chairs, leads, and co-leads looking to more deeply connect their roles and promote their collegial relationships

There is a harmonious flow between colleagues who recognize that how we are with one another is a sacred part of our Waldorf early childhood curriculum. The quality of our relationships is integral to our approach to early childhood education and is at the heart of our curriculum. Uplifting each other means truly valuing and comprehending our colleagues’ viewpoints and contributions. This approach nurtures mutual respect, encourages open communication, and strengthens the bond between partners. It involves actively listening without judgment, honoring differences, and recognizing each other’s strengths.

In Uplifting Each Other, Strengthening Our Professional Relationships Within and Across Early Childhood Settings, Sunbridge’s new online, skill-building workshop series, we will seek innovative approaches to connect our roles and strengthen our teamwork. Together, in three 90-minute sessions, we will explore the elements of

• Aligned values
• Effective communication
• Mutual support: respecting differences: commitment to the partnership

and offer the opportunity to promote good partnerships in our collegial relationships by

• Strengthening communication skills through reflective practices
• Gaining practical tools for empathetic communication and boundary-setting
• Developing capacities for supporting “hard moments” when emotions run high

Facilitators

Lisa Miccio is lead instructor for Sunbridge’s “Introduction to Waldorf Early Childhood Education” long-running Summer Series course. She also provides professional development training and mentoring of early childhood educators; is founder, director, and parent & child playgroup teacher at The Berry Basket Playgroups and Family Programs in Warwick, NY;  and was a longtime member of the Sunbridge Board of Trustees. From 2022-23, Lisa served Acorn Waldorf School as the Neighboring Tree Project Specialist, overseeing a grant-funded AWS initiative that aimed to create community partnerships with local early childhood educators, schools, and centers. She taught kindergarten at The Waldorf School of Garden City, where she chaired the DEIJ committee, from 2017-2022, and for a dozen years prior was on the faculty of Green Meadow Waldorf School, where she taught in and served as a co-chair of the early childhood section, directed the early childhood admissions and family programs, and was a member of the Collegium, the Collegium Committee, and the Board of Trustees. Lisa’s teaching experience also includes teaching and mentoring in the Kathmandu (Nepal) Waldorf Kindergarten. She holds a BA in English from the College of Charleston, an MSEd in Elementary Education from CW Post, Long Island University, and an MSEd in Waldorf education from Sunbridge College. She is the mother of two Waldorf-educated sons.

Meggan Gill is Sunbridge’s director of education and organizational culture, a member of the Sunbridge program faculty, and, as of August 2025, the co-director of WECAN. A specialist in diversity, equity, and inclusion, she is also a member of Alma Partners and an active committee member and workshop presenter for AWSNA and WECAN. Meggan’s teaching experience includes serving on the faculty of the Brooklyn Waldorf School from 2009-2020, where she led parent-and-child and kindergarten classes and was active on the Faculty Council. Prior to joining BWS, she taught kindergarten at the Olympia Waldorf School and parent-and-child and nursery classes at the New Amsterdam School. Meggan earned her undergraduate degree in health sciences from The Evergreen State College, her MEd in curriculum and instruction with a concentration in Waldorf education from SUNY Empire State, and her certificate in Waldorf early childhood education from Sunbridge.

Zoom Schedule

4:30 pm – 6:00 pm Eastern Time
Thursday, August 28
Thursday, November 20
Thursday, March 26

Sessions are not recorded and may not be registered for separately.

Series cost

$195 (includes a $25 non-refundable registration fee)

25% discount for:

• Schools sending more than one teacher or
• Sunbridge early childhood teacher education program graduates or
• Payments made in Canadian dollars

Discounts may not be combined. Qualification for discounts will be verified by Sunbridge staff. 

• Free for current Sunbridge early childhood teacher education program students (plus a $25 non-refundable registration fee; accounts must be in good standing)

Questions?
Please contact Barbara Vitale, admissions and summer coordinator, at [email protected] or 845-425-0055 x20

We reserve the right to make faculty substitutions when necessary. See registration form for refund policy.

Sunbridge is a New York State Education Department Approved Sponsor of Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (NYSED CTLE), enabling teachers of any background to choose Sunbridge for their CLTE/CEU professional development credits. Check to see if your state honors our status.