Lu Agosti

Growing up in rural Pennsylvania with woods and water as their playground, Lu grew to love the outdoors. They first fell in love with nature-based early childhood education at Buffalo Valley Recreation Authority Nature School, where they learned about Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Waldorf pedagogies. This experience was life-changing as Lu knew they had found their true path. Most recently, Lu was the Activities and Program Coordinator at Lewisberg Children's Museum. Through their experiences as an early childhood educator and a nanny, Lu notices that when children are offered the opportunity to participate in child-led play, their imaginations wander in the best ways, and they see the world in ways that adults often forget. In this environment of child-directed play and learning, children develop a sense of agency and independence. They see this as the essential experience of childhood, for it nurtures a child’s curiosity, joy and desire to learn. Lu believes that small humans are capable of really big things, and that children are so much more creative, capable and resilient than adults give them credit for. Their passion for children and the pedagogies that best support their development have given them a desire to support children to explore and experience the natural world within a safe and encouraging environment while learning in their own ways. Lu started at BOPN's Arboretum program in September 2020 and now enjoys teaching at the Welleley program.