Preschool of the Arts is delighted to announce our new Executive Director, Dr. Penny Robbins! For the past 13 years, Penny has been the director at Kinderhaven Preschool Academy, a Reggio-inspired preschool in Lake Forest Illinois. She brings a breadth and depth of experience to our community. She has long admired PSA, and wrote in her cover letter “I am passionate about early childhood education and believe that the Reggio-inspired approach is the best way to embrace education. I believe a school is only as strong as the relationships it builds with its families and staff, and that everyone working together will make a strong, successful school environment.”
Dr. Penny Robbins holds a BA in English, Education, and Physical Education from Eureka College, a M.Div. in Feminist Theology and Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and Northwestern University, and a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Adler University. She has worked with children and families in a variety of capacities, including as a director of Specialized Foster Care and Independent Living, a director of HIV/AIDS services, a pastor, a lecturer and workshop leader, a teacher, a tutor, a therapist, a life coach and a mentor. She is also the president of Achievement through Creative Education, Inc., an academic tutoring and life coaching company based in Lake Forest for the past 30 years. Dr. Robbins is a strong believer in the Reggio Emilia approach to education, and she has attended numerous Reggio trainings with Kinderhaven, including an intensive study tour in Reggio Emilio, Italy with other KPA staff members in the spring of 2017. In her free time, Dr. Robbins enjoys reading, playing with her Chihuahuas (Clementine and Tallulah), antiquing and thrifting with her wife, Kelly, helping with Kelly’s art shows, and going to comic conventions, musicals, and plays.
Between now and her January 6th start date, Penny will be visiting PSA for a couple of staff meetings and community events as she wraps up her current position and prepares her move to Madison. Watch out for her at our annual Homecoming, on October 19th. We look forward to getting to know Penny, and to welcoming her into our community!
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