Our Team

Vanessa Cid (she/her/hers)

Founder and Lead Teacher

Vanessa is a DEEC Certified Lead Preschool Teacher whose been teaching in the Boston area for more than 15 years. She's worked in the Boston Public Schools, the Eliot-Pearson Children's School at Tufts University, and at The Advent School. In addition, Vanessa coaches early childhood educators and facilitates workshops in the Boston area that help to promote teachers' self-reflection and curiosity about children and their development. Inspired by the Reggio-Emilia approach and her training in Child and Adolescent Intervention at the Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, Vanessa strives to create an educational experience that supports a children’s growing sense of self, centering the interests, questions, and problems that arise in their play.

In her spare time, Vanessa enjoys writing, nature sketching, reading, and venturing into the woods with her partner and their Australian “Cuddle” Dog.

Patrick Shea (he/him/his)

Program Partner

Patrick is a DEEC Certified Preschool Teacher and has been an early childhood educator for the last four years, teaching at the Tobin Children's School in Natick and most recently at The Eliot-Pearson Children's School at Tufts University. He takes a child-centered approach to teaching and believes play is the cornerstone of learning for young children. He loves the excitement, curiosity, and fun that children bring with them every day. He has a B.A. in Psychology and an M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning from Drew University.

In his spare time, Patrick enjoys listening to music and podcasts, watching sports, and finding and cooking new recipes after a trip to the farmer’s market. He loves spending time outdoors and hopes to one day visit all the dog-friendly national parks with his dog and his partner.