Dr. Louisa Penfold

Biography

Louisa Penfold is a Lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she co-chairs the Arts Learning Concentration. Her areas of expertise include Arts Education, Early Education, and Informal Out-of-School Learning. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Nottingham, awarded in 2019. Penfold is the project director for Project Zero’s Art/Play, an NEA-funded study aimed at integrating modern contemporary art practices into public schools. In partnership with the Department of Early Childhood at Boston Public Schools, as well as institutions such as the Smithsonian Learning Lab, MoMA, and the Harvard Art Museums, she explores creative practices that support both children's and teachers' learning and curriculum design. Her doctoral research investigated the design of children's play spaces in modern art museums and is supported by various fellowships and grants from the Smithsonian Institute, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Ian Potter Foundation. Penfold's writings have appeared in several prestigious publications including MIT’s Journal of Design Science and Journal of Childhood Studies, and she is represented by Curtis Brown Literary Agency.

Research Interests