Priscilla Patti is a leader, lifelong learner, and believes in the potential of others. She has a loving connection to nature and loves children unconditionally. She is curiosity, wonder, and JOY in Early Childhood Education.

As the Owner and Founder of Image of the Educator, Priscilla Patti plays a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of early childhood education and beyond. Through the platform reggioinspirededucation.com, she provides a wealth of consulting and professional development resources for early childhood educators and leaders. Priscilla is dedicated to promoting the Reggio Emilia philosophy and empowering educators to create enriching and child-centered learning environments. Beyond this, she is a certified teacher in Lightyear Leadership, where she guides individuals through transformative courses that empower them to set and achieve meaningful goals. Additionally, as a Geotran International Instructor, Priscilla imparts her expertise in this unique and holistic modality to help individuals explore their potential for personal growth and healing. Her multifaceted approach to education and personal development is driven by a deep commitment to nurturing the growth and potential of individuals and communities.

Priscilla has a master’s degree in Administrative Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Colorado Denver, and is a Buell Early Childhood Leadership Program Alumna. Priscilla is now an active member of the Buell Early Childhood Leadership Network (BECLN) and supports the continued growth of that community. She has been in Early Childhood Education for over 35 years as a mom, nanny, licensed home childcare provider, preschool teacher, mentor/coach for pre-service teachers, and Director of Student Learning at the Early Childhood Center at Colorado State University, (CSU) and now is a new grandma.

One of her biggest strengths is futuristic thinking – she is always looking at the big picture. She is also a life-long learner and willing to grow her own mental capacity. She has incorporated a philosophy into her life, the ‘Reggio Emilia Approach.’ This philosophy embraces a positive ‘image of the child,’  looks at early childhood ‘environments as a third teacher,’  and supports teachers and parents to take the child’s perspective, observing and documenting what children are trying to learn and understand about the world around them. Priscilla makes connections and can bridge others from different disciplines together to work on social problems that need different viewpoints, which allows for inclusivity and all voices being heard.  She also inspires others and brings out their best selves. Her motto is, “Do your best and allow others to do the same.”  Her core values are integrity, learning, equity, fun, and vision. Her developmental focus for 2022 is ‘Living with Wisdom, being discerning, not being judgmental, and staying in curiosity and wonder.’

Priscilla is a certified ‘Lightyear Leadership’ level-one coach and leads others through two Lightyear courses, Personal Legacy and Education Transformation. She has worked alongside a group of diverse Lightyear educators to create positive change in the field of education. The Lightyear principles and concepts, created by ‘Lightyear Leadership’ founder, Susanne Conrad, support individuals in being their best selves.  She is also an active member of the Geotran community, Geotran International, founded by Dorothy Espiau. Along with her daughter, Chelsea Onderco, she teaches a ‘GEMS of Excellence’ introductory course. Priscilla practices Lightyear and Geotran teachings on a daily basis to be 100 percent her authentic self. 

Priscilla was blessed to travel abroad to New Zealand and Scotland for two week-long study tours. The first study tour she attended was hosted by Margie Carter of Harvest Resources. She learned about the Te Whariki early childhood curriculum in New Zealand and also learned how to write Learning Stories, an authentic, story-based assessment used in that country. The second study tour was in Scotland hosted by Claire Warden on Nature Pedagogy, something that Priscilla is passionate about, connecting children to nature and the natural world.  

Priscilla was born and raised in Salida, a beautiful area in south central Colorado. This foundation gave her an appreciation for nature and a love of the natural world. She is the youngest of ten children and she loved growing up in a large family. She moved to Fort Collins to attend CSU, graduating with a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies. Later, she attained a teaching Certification from CSU’s School of Education. She met her husband, SJ, while attending school at CSU, and they have been married for 36 years. They have two grown children, a son-in-law, and twin granddaughters.