Awarded the 2019 IN!spirational Person of the Year, CO Initiative for Inclusive Higher Education

Teacher education faculty and director (F2F and online), 21 years

Trainer, Trauma and Resilience Practitioner

Published author of articles and 2 textbooks in ECE Foundations, Diversity and Inclusion, Social Emotional Learning, Trauma and Resilience Informed Practice

Grant projects leader and team member (PI for over $4.3 million career/in progress)

Extensive experience building partnerships with child care and school district settings

Child care center/lab school administrator (2.5 years)

Classroom teacher/curriculum specialist- toddlers through elementary (4+ years)

Dr. Lissanna Follari has been working with and for young children and families for 23 years. She began her teaching career as a teacher of infants and toddlers, and has worked in classrooms throughout the elementary grades. Lissanna has spent the past 14 years as an Early Childhood Development and Education faculty with colleges and universities in 5 states. Her work focuses on diversity studies and innovative approaches to inclusive early care and education, and she actively participates with numerous community agencies and schools advocating for high quality practices in inclusive early care and education. Lissanna has authored two books: Foundations and Best Practices in ECE and Valuing Diversity in Early Childhood, both published with Pearson, and her research and scholarship focus on diversity in early childhood and teacher education. She joined the College of Education at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs in January 2014.  Lissanna also provides coaching and mentoring for early childhood teachers to enhance their implementation of effective inclusion and trauma and resilience informed practices. Lissanna lives in Fountain with her son, and together they spend most of their free time in the mountains and exploring our great outdoors.

Ph.D., Education 
Capella University Minneapolis, MN - 2005
Dissertation: Impact on Head Start teachers' practice of training on arts-based curriculum

Master of Education Early Childhood/Elementary Ed
Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ - 2000

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & Administration of Justice
Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ - 1997     

• Teacher education faculty and program administrator (F2F and online), 23 years
• Extensive experience building school district-college partnerships
• Published author, two Pearson Higher Education textbooks
• Child care center/lab school administrator, 2.5 years
• Classroom teacher, toddlers, preschool, and 4/5th grade, 4+ years
• Grant projects leader and team member

Follari, L. (2022). Relationship-Centered Education in Primary School: An Ethnographic Case Study, Journal of Research in Childhood Education, DOI: 10.1080/02568543.2022.2025961.

Follari, L. (2022). Social Emotional Learning and Trauma and Resilience Informed Practices in the Early Years. Pathways to Research: EBSCO. Invited submission.

Follari, L., & Lawless , A. (2022). Insights from the Early Childhood PLACE (Program for Language Acquisition and Community Engagement): A case study in early intervention. Pathways to Research: EBSCO. Invited submission.

Follari, L., Larsen, J., Goldman, M., & Marquardt, C. (2021). Taking Learning to New Heights: Exploring Ecology, State History, and Geology Through a Field Trip to 4,200 meters (14,000 feet). Science Activities, 58, 1, 34-42. https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/NB83EHVAWHIPIUPAWUDH/full?target=10.1080/00368121.2021.1885335  

Follari, L., & Kasa, C. (2019). The Golden Key to Effective Inclusion: Co-Teaching! Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity. Honolulu, Hawai'i: Center on Disability Studies, University of Hawai'i at Manoa. https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/69317/The_Golden_Key_to_Effective_Inclusion_Co-Teaching_Follari.pdf  

Follari, L., Pearson, L., & Navaratne, M. (November 2019). Effective Strategies for Inclusive Education in Preschool and Kindergarten. Dimensions of Early Childhood: Southern Early Childhood Association, 47, 3, 16-21.

Follari, L., Navaratne, M. (November 2019). Artists First, Teachers Second. Childhood Education: Innovations, 95, 6, 14-23. ACEI: Association for Childhood Education International. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00094056.2019.1689053?casa_token=mlNN4MYgReIAAAAA%3AHg1FOuAumApS6KM6j1_vsojLHoT98VprASx-hSRib00dU3kvOPS1GYKSFZxEMuqhDIw8nwPtQmOP

Follari, L., Lawless, A. (September 2018). Educating Young Children, 24 2, 56-58. ECTA: Early Childhood Teachers’ Association of Australia.

Peer-Reviewed Published Books

Follari, L. (2018, 2015, 2011, 2006). Foundations and Best Practices in Early Childhood Education: History, Theories, and Approaches 4^th Ed., Boston: Pearson.

This 12-chapter, peer-reviewed textbook presents foundational theories and approaches to early childhood education as well as exploration of influential models for working with children and families.

• (2019) Fully translated into Chinese and release through Pearson Global in China
• (2017) Licenses sold for publication in China and Australia
• Chapters:
  • • Welcome to the Field of ECE
    • Historical Overview: 1600s to today
    • Professionalism in ECE
    • Influential Theories Shaping Practice Today
    • Diversity in Today’s Classrooms
    • Head Start and Early Head Start
    • High/Scope Foundation
    • The Project Approach
    • The Schools of Reggio Emilia
    • Montessori Education
    • Waldorf Education
    • Bringing it All Together: UDL, Multiple Intelligences, 21^st Century Learning; Professional Dispositions and Portfolio

Follari, L. (2015). Valuing Diversity in Early Childhood. Boston: MA, Pearson.

This 11-chapter, peer-reviewed text takes a social justice perspective in developing professionals’ cultural competence and ability to teach and engage all children in exploring and appreciating diversity. An original model of responses to diversity is presented, with discussion around engaging teachers in moving responses to the most positive end of a spectrum.

• Chapters:
  • • What, Why, and How of Exploring Diversity
    • Development of Cultural Identity
    • Spectrum of Responses to Diversity
    • Race and Ethnicity
    • Language and Nationality
    • Socioeconomic Factors
    • Religion
    • Families
    • Abilities
    • Supporting Individual Learners
    • Teaching in a Diverse World

Editor-Decision Published Articles

Follari, L. (June/July 2019). Supporting Children’s Processing Through Grief. Child Care Exchange. Dimensions Educational Research Foundation.  

Follari, L. (September/October 2018). Not a typical back-to-school letter: I welcome my families forward. Child Care Exchange, 52-54. Dimensions Educational Research Foundation.  

Follari, L. (2023). Creating Trauma Sensitive Inclusive Schools: Planning for School-Wide Innovations. Impact Early Childhood Education Summit, NC, PBSNC/UNC. Asheville, NC.

Follari, L., & Lawless, A. (2023). Five Impactful Practices from the Program for Language Acquisition and Community Engagement. NAEYC Professional Learning Institute. Portland, OR.

Follari, L., Rutter, A., & Gillanders, C. (2023). Changing the Landscape of ECE Professional Preparation: A State-Wide Collaboration to Enhance Access, Prior Learning Credit, and Content Innovations. NAEYC Professional Learning Institute. Portland, OR.

Follari, L., & Lawless, A. (2023). Raising Children’s Voices: Lessons Learned from the Early Childhood PLACE (Program for Language Acquisition and Community Engagement). Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity, Workshop Presentation, Honolulu, HI.

Follari, L. (2021). Relationship-Centered, Trauma Informed Practice in the Elementary Grades: Implications for District-Wide Implementation. NAEYC Annual Conference, 2021, virtual.

Follari, L. (2021). Social Emotional Learning Through Trauma Informed Practice in ECE. Southern Early Childhood Association Annual Conference, virtual.

Follari, L. (2020- conference cancelled). Walking the Talk: The Whole Child Approach in Elementary School. ASCD Empower20 Conference, Los Angeles, CA.

Follari, L. (2020). Whole Child Education in Elementary: An Ethnographic Case Study. Conference on Academic Research in Education, Las Vegas, NV.

Follari, L. (2019). Making Kindness the Curriculum. Transforming ECE Conference. Durham, NC.

Follari, L. & Kasa, C. (2019). The Key to Successful Inclusion: Co-Teaching. Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity, Poster Presentation, Honolulu, HI.

Follari, L. & Maida, K. (2019). The Push-UP Curriculum: The Whole Child Approach in Elementary School. Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference. Denver, CO.

Kasa, C. & Follari, L. (2018). Inclusion in Higher Education. Courage to Risk Inclusion Conference, Colorado Springs, CO.

Follari, L. & Kasa. C. (2017). The Golden Key to Successful Inclusion: Co-Teaching! Council for Exceptional Children, Division of Early Childhood International Conference, Poster Presentation, Portland, OR.

Follari, L. (2017). Making Diversity and Inclusion Work in EC Classrooms. Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference, Denver, CO.

Follari, L. & Kasa. C. (2017). Positive Behavior Supports in ECE Classrooms. Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference, Denver, CO.

Follari, L. (2017). Essential Top 10: Let’s Make Inclusion Successful!. Courage to Risk Inclusion Conference, Colorado Springs, CO.

Follari, L. (2016). Making Diversity and Inclusion Work in ECE Classrooms. Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference, Denver, CO.

Follari, L. & Lawless, A. (2014). What’s New in ECE Teacher Education? INNOVATION! NAEYC Annual Conference, Dallas, TX.

Berlin, R. & Follari, L. (2014). Using CLASS in Early Childhood Teacher Education. NAEYC Annual Conference, Dallas, TX.

Berlin, R. & Follari, L. (2014). Using CLASS in Early Childhood Teacher Education. National QRIS Annual Conference, Denver, CO.

Follari, L. (2014). Using Learning Trajectories to Bridge Practice Across the Early Years. Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference, Denver, CO.