Our Philosophy
We believe children are unique, highly capable beings who develop at their own pace. It is the role of educators to nurture, support, and celebrate each child as an individual.
We cultivate the ability to wonder, to question, to explore, to discover, to think critically, and to be compassionate as students pursue their interests while mastering the skills required to be happy, effective members of society.
Our Mission
Our purpose is to educate students to be the best versions of themselves as we provide them with the essential tools to be critical, creative, compassionate thinkers and responsible, engaged citizens ready to transform the world.
Our History
La Piazza Academy was established in 2011 with a mission of providing high-quality education and innovative programming that puts young students directly at the center of their own learning. La Piazza Academy co-founders, Jessica Pinto and Nita Yeung, merged their needs as mothers and their distinct experiences to create a school inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, social constructivist theories, as well as Miami’s multi-lingual community.
With a purpose to demonstrate that education can and should be fundamentally transformed, La Piazza Academy officially opened its doors on June 13, 2012and its novel elementary program welcomed their first class inAugust 2016.
Our Campus: An Engaging Environment
The four-story, state-of-the art facility is home to preschool and elementary school. The natural, tranquil design built for 21st century community learning offers children many spaces to express their talents.
Classroom and school environments are thoughtfully designed and arranged in a way that engages and informs students beyond the direction a teacher provides. The goal is to create an atmosphere that fosters creative exploration, demonstrates respect for children’s work, while encouraging encounters, communication, and relationships.
Features of this campus include:
- Indoor Atelier
- Outdoor Atelier
- Outdoor Learning Spaces
- Makerspace
- Library
- Community Room
- Music Room
- Natural Playground
- Butterfly Garden
- Outdoor Dining Terrace
- Multi-Use Court
- Kitchen
- Makerspace
- Vegetable Garden
Accreditations
Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment is a national early learning program accreditation. With over 1,000 accredited programs and many more engaged in the process, APPLE is one of the largest accrediting agency for early learning centers. The APPLE Accreditation ensures that the center is exceeding the state standards in child care.
In 1996, the Florida Legislature established the Gold Seal Quality Care program to acknowledge child care facilities and family day care homes that are accredited by recognized agencies and whose standards reflect quality in the level of care and supervision provided to children. This requires participating child care facilities and homes to maintain quality care accreditation and higher education standards for staff.
The Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade County is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring early care and education for children in Miami-Dade. Their mission is to ensure a comprehensive and integrated early learning system for all families and their children, birth to 5 years, ensuring high-quality programs throughout Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, so children enter school ready to learn and succeed in life. La Piazza Academy was recognized by the Early Learning Coalition in 2015.
