Luna is partnering with Kaiser Early Childhood Center (Oakland Unified School District) to strengthen the capacity for dance as an essential element of child-centered early education. Yearlong weekly dance classes for all children are paired with professional development for all teachers through workshops, focus groups, co-reflection and coaching. Classroom teachers participate in dance classes with their students through a side-by-side professional development model that supports them in observing their students in new ways, expanding their own creative experiences through dance, and integrating dance into their teaching and play. Kaiser is a unique early childhood site: it is an inclusion school with four out of its nine classrooms  designated Special Education; it is a diagnostic center for children with special needs; and it is one of two early childhood centers offering transitional kindergarten (TK) in the district. Luna is able to serve a diverse population of learners through our multiyear partnership with Kaiser, and we view this work as a model for what is possible in early learning.

Kaiser teachers during a dance professional development workshop.