The UNM College of Fine Arts congratulates Dr. Gigi Schroeder Yu, Assistant Professor of Art Education in the Department of Art, on a remarkable series of scholarly accomplishments that highlight her leadership and expertise in the field of art education.
In 2023, Dr. Yu co-authored the book “Affirming the Rights of Emergent Bilingual and Multilingual Children and Families” highlighting how the philosophy and practices of Reggio Emilia’s Municipal Preschools and Infant-Toddler Centers promote social justice and linguistic human rights, particularly for immigrant and refugee children and families.
In 2024, she worked collaboratively with other early childhood leaders (Sarah McKinney, Pam Remstein, and Baji Rankin) to organize the “Mosaic of Marks, Words, Material” exhibition and atelier from Reggio Children, Italy, hosted at Albuquerque’s Explora Museum (May–August). Coinciding with this event, Dr. Yu helped coordinate the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance Conference, centered around the theme: “Advocating for the 100 Languages as an Educational Right for Children, Families, and Educators.” Featured speakers from Reggio Emilia included Marina Castagnetti, teacher and pedagogista and Isabella Meninno, atelierista
Dr. Yu also published “The Language of Collaboration: Art Inquiry Among Art and Early Childhood Educators” in Arts Education Policy Review, November 21, 2024. This collaborative study with early childhood scholars Dr. Jane Broderick, from East Tennessee State University, and Dr. Seong Bock Hong from University of Michigan, investigated how the economic focus in early childhood education policies can limit arts-based inquiry learning. Their findings reveal how collaborative, material-based artmaking fosters a transformative language of expression and discovery from young children and educators.
Most recently, on February 18, 2025, Dr. Yu’s article “A Collection of Children’s Artworks as Imaginative Openings” was published in the International Journal of Art & Design Education. In this study, Dr. Yu guided UNM art education students in curating an exhibition that placed 1977 Central and Latin American children’s artworks in dialogue with contemporary pieces. Through this process, students explored new pedagogical frameworks that center children’s voices and artistic expressions as legitimate forms of inquiry. As Dr. Yu states in the article: “[It is] unusual in the art world and in art teacher preparation to consider children’s artwork as a form of inquiry, and much of what they can reveal about society from the child’s perspective is often overlooked.”
Dr. Yu is also the recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, supporting a K–12 Educator Summer 2025 Institute at UNM: “Reimagining the US/Mexico Border: Transcending Boundaries through Multimodal Storytelling.”
Dr. Gigi Schroeder Yu’s scholarship, leadership, and dedication continue to elevate UNM’s Art Education program and enrich the broader educational and cultural community.
GET TO KNOW Professor Gigi Yu by visiting her faculty profile within the UNM Department of Art, at https://art.unm.edu/profile/gigi-schroeder-yu
TAKE A DEEP DIVE into the Reggio Emilia Approach by exploring Brenda Fyfe, Yin Lam Lee, Juana M. Reyes, and Gigi Schroeder Yu’s 2023 book, “Affirming the Rights of Emergent Bilingual and Multilingual Children and Families,” available for purchase on Amazon and through the North American Reggio Amelia Alliance https://www.store.reggioalliance.org/products/affirming-the-rights
KEEP IN TOUCH with Dr. Yu by following her on Instagram at @gigischroederyu
