about us

Leadership

Interim Executive Director

Julie

♥︎ Paint by Numbers + Cooking + Her Two Cats

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Julie Baczewski earned her BA from CSULA with a triple major in Speech Communication, Psychology, and English. She began her career in Early Childhood Education first and foremost by becoming a parent herself and falling in love with early childhood education and development. Shortly after the birth of her children, she began working as the Director at the parent co-op that she attended as a child. Years later, her children continued the legacy by attending the same co-op.

While her children went to preschool, Julie went back to school to earn her Master’s Degree in Education from Pepperdine University, with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. Before joining Growing Place as the Interim Executive Director, Julie spent the last 25 years as Director of a faith-based preschool in Pacific Palisades. It was here where she hand-crafted and created the school’s philosophy, based on elements of the RIE, student emergent and teacher emergent curriculum. She also incorporated the combination of the education of the whole child with play-based development into her curriculum which became the foundation for her education philosophy.

Julie led her former preschool to become the first preschool in Los Angeles County to be a demonstration site for the Outdoor Classroom. Shortly after, she became part of the Executive Committee and traveled to various preschools educating teachers in the development of their own Outdoor Classroom. Over those 25 years, Julie touched thousands of children’s lives, helping to create a community of parents, teachers, and children where learning and advocacy for the children was at the forefront of everything she did. Julie is excited to bring that enthusiasm to Growing Place and hopes to keep the renowned program running smoothly, while serving as the Interim Executive Director.

BA Speech Communication, Psychology, and English from CSULA

MA Education ECE Emphasis from Pepperdine University

Lab School director

Amanda

♥︎ Beach + Family + Nature Walks

Amanda Honda began working in early childhood education after earning her Global Studies degree at UCSB. She’s worked in Montessori and Forest Schools, but became most passionate about the Reggio Emilia and RIE approaches to education. She earned her Master’s Degree through the University of Colorado, studying alongside teachers and faculty at the Boulder Journey School. Amanda believes in fostering positive relationships between children, families, and staff to promote the best possible opportunities for community growth and children’s education.

B.A. Global Studies, Minor in English from University of California, Santa Barbara

M.A. Early Childhood Education from University of Colorado, Boulder

Marine Park Site

director

Cecilia

♥︎ Sustainability + Coffee + Reading Science Fiction

Cecilia Carrillo began teaching in Early Care and Education while attending undergraduate school at UCLA. During this time, she became the co-director of The Mentor Program at UCLA, a program dedicated to advocating for children's academic opportunities in low-income areas, while teaching at the Krieger Center at UCLA. In 2011 she joined the infant classroom at Growing Place Marine Park as the lead teacher, increasing her understanding of bridging the RIE and Reggio Emilia approach theories into our context and practice. She continued to hone her mentoring skills by becoming a mentor teacher in 2012 for the California Early Childhood Mentor Program, guiding early childhood education practicum students and novice teachers in the field, specializing in infants and toddlers.

Cecilia is dedicated to advocating for quality practices with young children, which ultimately benefit the experience for young children, parents, and teachers.

B.A. Sociology from University of California, Los Angeles

Ocean Park director

Losmeiya

♥︎ Cuisine + Golfing + Ridiculous Sitcoms

Losmeiya Huang began her teaching career as an AmeriCorp member where she worked with middle and high schoolers in the Bay Area. Her experiences there convinced her that education was her calling and she began her journey as a classroom teacher for the next eight years, successfully leading teaching teams in private and public school systems to create thriving environments for children ages 3 months through 8 years old. Losmeiya has a passion for early intervention, special education, research-based practices, and language immersion. She was a part of an inclusive classroom at Bank Street College's Family Center and the Stanford Bing Nursery. Losmeiya was a founding faculty member at Avenues: The World School in NYC and Westside Neighborhood School's Reggio Inspired Preschool Program in Playa Vista. Losmeiya has served as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leader in the many school settings she's worked at and applies her skill sets and principles in her leadership at Growing Place since 2019.

B.A. Human Biology from Stanford University

M.S. Early Childhood and Special Education from Bank Street College

Director of Pedagogy

Sarah
♥︎ Family + Exploring Nature + Farmers Markets

Sarah Ruben joined Growing Place in 2021 as part of the founding team at the Santa Monica Early Childhood Lab School. She brings years of experience in the field of early childhood education, having worked in the classroom and in school leadership across the country. Her first work in early childhood was when she was still a child herself, as an assistant ballet teacher. As she grew, she shifted her teaching from the dance studio to the classroom, focusing on play-based, constructivist, and Reggio-inspired preschools, including Stanford’s Bing Nursery and Zabar Nursery School at JCC Manhattan. Throughout, Sarah has been drawn to early childhood education for its possibilities in discovery and imagination. She is passionate about developing reflective documentation, strengthening constructivist pedagogy, and fostering individual and school-wide growth. Alongside her work in early childhood, she honed her leadership and mentoring skills working with pre-teens, teenagers, and adults at summer camp.

B.A. Cultural and Social Anthropology from Stanford University

M.S. Early Childhood General Education from Bank Street College

Christine Richard has been actively involved in the field of Early Childhood Development for nearly 30 years and is currently adjunct faculty at Santa Monica College in the ECE department. She has worn many hats over her 25 years at GP, including afternoon coordinator, classroom teacher, atelierista, and now pedagogista. Additionally, Christine is a California Mentor teacher and has worked through a grant with First5 Monterey County as a Technical Assistant for nearly 10 years. She is passionate about human development and how educational systems support this process; she has traveled extensively over the years to visit programs to gain a global perspective, as well as conducted lectures around the world to bridge quality pedagogic models and practices.

B.A. Educational Psychology from California State University Northridge

M.A. from California State University Northridge