"It takes a village to raise a child."
ancient African proverb
...where school, family and community come together to enrich, engage and nurture children in an intentionally small, child-empowered learning environment.
Meet Our Village
...the team of teachers, volunteers and community members who are dedicated to providing a safe, warm and enriched learning environment for your child.
Director/Lead Teacher
Christine Carasso
Christine graduated with distinguished honors from Rowan University's College of Education and is a Highly Qualified 3x NJ Standard Teaching Certificate holder, across all grades levels, specializing in Literacy. She was also trained in the methods of Orton-Gillingham by The Institute for Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE). With 13 years of early elementary teaching experience as both an interventionist and first grade teacher, Christine is known well for her kind and calm demeanor towards caring for children. She is passionate and enthusiastic about cultivating a lifelong love of learning.
Christine is the visionary behind The Village Microschool mission. As founder, she saw the need for an intentionally small school that honors a child's natural development, while prioritizing social and emotional well being and safety. The perspective of being both a teacher and parent has inspired and driven her to create an environment where children feel safe, engaged and empowered to take a lead in their learning experiences.
Christine realizes the importance of making connections within your community. As a young adult she was an instructor for recreation summer camps and after school programs. She and her husband Sam have always been closely connected to community through various organizations in Milltown, where both of their grandparents were raised. Now, they are joyfully raising their own son in that same beloved town. One of the cornerstones of The Village Microschool will be to create strong connections in the communities it serves.
As director and lead teacher, Christine welcomes you to be an integral part of building our foundation, and to grow with us as we create a lasting legacy. In partnering together, we can provide an exceptional learning experience that nurtures the whole child, and in turn, betters the future of our community and the world beyond. As the saying goes, “It takes a Village…”; We are here!
Assistant Teacher/Volunteer
Laura Carasso
With 25 years teaching experience in Preschool, Kindergarten, First and Fourth Grade, Laura was valued for her innovative ideas and leadership skills. Her passion for designing curriculum and instruction that celebrates the uniqueness of each individual child, will certainly bring value to our "Village". For her last ten years in Milltown and West Windsor-Plainsboro, she was a certified Reading Recovery teacher, providing 1:1 individualized literacy instruction for first graders. Laura retired in 2020 to spend more time with her three amazing grandchildren, Gabriela, Sammy and Enzo.
Prior to beginning her teaching career, she volunteered in the classroom, was active with the PTA, Girl Scouts and Recreation Department as a volunteer coach. As a Library Story Hour consultant, Laura engaged young children in literacy activities. She has developed programs and participated many community organizations over a span of 40 years in Milltown, where she has lived for 57 years.​
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Laura is honored to support her daughter-in-law, Christine, in her mission to bring a valuable learning environment in the communities The Village Microschool will serve. Her skills and passion in working with children will certainly enhance the experience of all of our students.
Village Volunteers
Support Personnel
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Marie Olesinski
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Samuel Carasso
Are you a local community member who is interested in sharing your skills or expertise with our village?
Experiences we plan to deliver to our students include, but are not limited to:
Visual Arts, Theater Arts, Music, Gardening, Crafting, Yoga, Creative Movement, S.T.E.A.M Activities, Science, Culture, Foreign Language, Athletics, etc.
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If you are interested, please click here and complete our Contact Form.
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Community Contributors