Why Arts? is a video podcast series created by Nanvi Jhala—educator and designer, and a recent graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Drawing from her experience in Reggio-inspired schools, public education systems, and democratic learning spaces, Nanvi explores how the arts shape the way we learn, relate, and imagine. Through conversations with educators, artists, and thinkers, the series looks at arts beyond it's final products to the processes of creating, questioning, and making that nurture meaningful learning.
Why Arts?
Claim This Podcastby Nanvi Jhala at Emergent Inquiry Studio
25 episodes
Updated Daily
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Podcast Overview
Why Arts? is a video podcast series created by Nanvi Jhala—educator and designer, and a recent graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Drawing from her experience in Reggio-inspired schools, public education systems, and democratic learning spaces, Nanvi explores how the arts shape the way we learn, relate, and imagine. Through conversations with educators, artists, and thinkers, the series looks at arts beyond it's final products to the processes of creating, questioning, and making that nurture meaningful learning.
Language
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Publishing Since
1/1/2026
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Recent Episodes
July 12, 2026
Episode 24 of Why Arts? — Reggio Emilia, Documentation & Children's Agency with Vaidehi Desai and Maggie Oliver
<p>In this episode, I am in conversation with <strong>Vaidehi Desai</strong> and <strong>Maggie Oliver</strong>, educators at Newtowne School, a Reggio Emilia-inspired early childhood programme in Cambridge, Massachusetts.</p><p><br></p><p>Vaidehi began her journey working with young children in Mumbai before moving to the United States to pursue an M.A. in Special Education from the University of Texas at Austin. She later earned an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education with a focus on the Reggio Emilia approach while teaching at Boulder Journey School. Her work is deeply rooted in inclusion, anti-bias education, and supportive social learning, with a strong belief that children are capable citizens with inherent rights.</p><p>Maggie Oliver is an early childhood educator and graduate of Clemson University, where she studied Elementary Education along with American Sign Language and diversity in education. After teaching at a Reggio Emilia-inspired school, she joined Newtowne School, where she continues to cultivate environments that honour children's curiosity, relationships, and collaborative learning with families. She also then got masters in curriculum and teaching from Boston University. </p><p>In our conversation, we explore how thoughtfully designed environments can nurture creativity, why documentation is more than recording children's work—becoming a powerful tool for reflection, communication, and research—and how giving children meaningful choices strengthens their agency and ownership of learning. We also discuss integrating creativity across academic disciplines, creating learning experiences that are both intellectually rigorous and deeply meaningful, and what it takes to build classrooms where children, educators, and families learn alongside one another.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Episode 24 — listen on YouTube and Spotify — </strong><strong>Why Arts?</strong><strong> by Emergent Inquiry Studio.</strong></p>
July 6, 2026
Episode 23 of Why Arts? — Dance Education & Project-Based Learning with Jada Wooten
<p>In this episode, I am in conversation with <strong>Jada Wooten</strong>—educator, choreographer, and founding dance teacher at <strong>City Arts and Sciences Academy (CASA</strong>), a STEAM middle and high school where she is building the school's inaugural dance programme. Outside of teaching, Jada continues to deepen her artistry by training and performing with Urbanity 2, Dancing Legacy, and Modern Connections. She did her undergrad from Brown University and Masters in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Jada is developing a project-based dance curriculum for sixth and ninth graders that explores movement, play, social dance, and a range of dance techniques. Alongside teaching, she is designing CASA's first advanced dance company, advising a cohort of sixth-grade students, co-teaching interdisciplinary STEAM projects, and continuing her own artistic practice as a performer.In our conversation, we explore the role of dance within a project-based learning school, what it means to centre creativity, movement, and humanness in education, and how dance can become a powerful language for inquiry, identity, collaboration, and self-expression. We also discuss interdisciplinary learning, cultivating belonging through movement, and why the arts are essential in helping young people make sense of themselves and the world around them.Episode 23 — listen on YouTube and Spotify — Why Arts? by Emergent Inquiry Studio.📲 Follow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whyarts_wnanvi?igsh=aHRkYWhuMHB2MWVz&utm_source=qr</p>
June 22, 2026
Episode 22 of Why Arts? — The Atelier, Reggio Emilia & 100 Languages of Children with Sarah Browne
<p>In this episode, I am in conversation with <strong>Sarah Browne — Atelierista, presenter, and Social Media Curator for the Africa Reggio Emilia Alliance (AREA)</strong>, whose work explores the role of the atelier, creativity, and children's rights through the Reggio Emilia approach.</p><p>Sarah has worked in education for nearly three decades across a range of contexts in South Africa, teaching children from birth to age 12. She is currently the resident atelierista at Reddam House Waterfall Early Learning School, where she leads Reggio Emilia-inspired professional development and has developed innovative spaces such as the Everywhere Atelier and South Africa's first Digital Landscapes Atelier.</p><p>In our conversation, we discuss the role of the atelier and the atelierista, the importance of the arts in children's learning, and what it means to honour the hundred languages of children. We also explore the Reggio Emilia approach in the South African context, children's rights, creative pedagogy, documentation, and how schools can cultivate cultures of curiosity, research, and meaning-making.<br></p>
25 total episodes available
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- What is Why Arts??
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
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This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
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Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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