─── ABout us ───

Rifugio Austin is a holistic project-based school currently serving students ages 4.5 to 9 years old. From inspiration and first-hand experience of the Rifugios in the Italian Alps, Ariana DiNielli wanted to build the same refuge and warmth that each Rifugio provided from the natural elements. Rifugio Austin is built upon that experience, and the school environment is that of a safe and nurturing space where children will feel at home.

At Rifugio Austin, the educational foundation includes the simple belief that each child deserves to have their unique and individual needs fully met. By providing a stable, secure space, children will naturally explore, experiment, inquire, create, dream, believe, and do. The environment is inclusive, and children are respected as individuals who are unique and on their own learning journey. This is a fundamental belief that educators Ariana DiNielli and Sofia Gamba share deeply.

The duo found that they share similar viewpoints on education, children, families and the way teachers can show up for students in the classroom throughout the educational process and in everyday life moments. With sincere interest in the development and the potential of the children in their classroom, Sofia and Ariana bring something special to early education. Rifugio cares deeply about the family unit, and the educators strongly believe in their role of supporting the wellbeing of individual students as a whole.

We understand that we must continuously learn alongside their students, putting new concepts and ideas into practice and reintegrating these into their teaching approach on a consistent basis. It is a work of self-reflection, and it invites them to continuously grow as educators and people. We are in it with their students and support each other in the process of developing the lessons that become integrated into Rifugio’s curriculum. We implement self-regulation methods through meditation, art, movement, and wherever else we see that our students need support.

Great emphasis is placed on observing and listening to their students closely, helping identify their interests, challenges, learning styles, and strengths. 

Rifugio operates from the viewpoint that children are powerful individuals, with the ability to recognize and follow their interests and to develop their own ideas and concepts of reality. Ariana and Sofia believe it’s important to notice the moments that help kids feel autonomous and to recreate them.

The school has created an environment where mistakes are viewed as important learning moments, where there aren’t any judgements on behavior as being right or wrong, and where the spark and flame that each child carries is fueled through thought provoking projects. They encourage collaboration and applying the growth mindset, a core concept in their approach to learning.

At Rifugio, teachers and students want to constantly question the ideas they hold and the world around them. This attitude of inquiry nurtures an environment of constant evolution, mutual respect, love, and civility and allows for students to believe in themselves, and in each other. Children are artists, inventors, creators, and intuitive beings who already have the answers within themselves.