ABOUT US
Our Mission
Our mission is to spark curiosity and creativity in young children while developing their essential life and academic skills. We use art, language, music, and play to make meaningful connections with each other and the world around us.
Our Goals
What Makes Us Different?
We offer the deep, rich curriculum of a private school with the warm family feel of a home-based program.
Our integrated best-practices approach maximizes hands-on, experiential, real-world learning.
We combine ages 3-6 so your child can confidently learn at their own pace within a dynamic peer group.
We observe your child's daily progress and tailor our instruction to their individual strengths and needs.
We model and guide the development of empathy, communication, and conflict-resolution skills using Nonviolent Communication.*
We teach our students how to build healthy relationships and create compassionate community.
We use daily mindfulness practices to quiet our minds, calm our bodies, and connect with our hearts.
We celebrate diversity and use cultural explorations to increase global awareness & appreciation.
We deeply respect the importance of purposeful & open-ended play and incorporate it into all that we do!
*Nonviolent Communication (NVC), by Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D., is a compassionate approach to communication and develops empathy and improves quality of life.
Faculty
Rita Cassiano, Founder & Co-Director:
Rita is a credentialed Montessori teacher with over 30 years of experience and extensive training in child development and education. Fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, Rita specializes in world language and bilingual learning. She also loves to sing, perform, and create (especially with her students!). Her energy and passion are contagious!
Gingi Lahera, Founder & Co-Director:
With over 30 years of experience working in early education and childcare, Gingi brings a deep wealth of knowledge to the classroom. She excels at assessing, understanding, and meeting each child's individual needs. Also a professional musician and trained music teacher, Gingi delights in using music, play, and creative expression to make learning fun!
Juliana Lyman, Assistant Teacher:
With dual degrees in fashion design and patternmaking as well as experience working with young children, Juliana brings an unending supply of creativity, inspiration, and kindness to our community. She is extremely observant, intentional, and patient in her work with the children – a constant model of grace and courtesy. And she delights in celebrating our students and their accomplishments!
Our Story
Arts Language Music Academy is the brainchild of founding educators and musicians Gingi Lahera and Rita Cassiano. Our school is the cumulative product of decades of experience in education and the arts and reflects our deep passion for creativity, collaboration, and community. With nearly 60 years’ combined experience, we have dedicated our entire careers to children. For over 15 years, we worked as full-time teachers while also offering private music and language lessons after school.
Though we always dreamed of combining all of our experience and training into a full-time education program, space was limited. When we stumbled by chance upon what is now the Academy's home, we felt the stars align — it was time to take the leap!
We combined the best educational practices from our many years of experience and training with the core elements of art, language, and music that fuel our personal passions. The result is a unique preschool program that deeply nurtures the development of the whole child. We take great joy in connecting with our students and families and creating an intentional, supportive community.
ADDRESS & CONTACT
1037 Marengo Ave.
Forest Park, IL 60130
Our organization earned a 2024 Gold Seal of Transparency! Now, everyone can learn more about our programs and areas served and find us on social media. Check out our updated Nonprofit Profile on Candid.
