Just a hop & a skip from a
Chicago treasure - Lincoln park

Sonnets Academy - Lincoln Park is steps from the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Farm at the Zoo and the vast green space of Lincoln Park. In the warm months, you'll find us at the farmers market or at Cummings Playground for climbing, swinging and sensory time in the sandboxes. The school has a large indoor play space as well, great for gross motor activities during winter, big projects & yoga classes. 

Our preschool has a loading zone for easy drop-off and pickup for families who drive to school.

BRIANNE Walsh, MS, CCLS

Director, Lincoln Park

Brianne Walsh has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from The University of Iowa with a focus on Child Development and Family Counseling and holds a Master of Science degree in Child Development with a Child Life Specialization from Erikson Institute in Chicago. Prior to joining Sonnets Academy in 2014, she worked as a Developmental Therapist in a therapeutic preschool; a Family Play Specialist for a non-profit organization working with families on how best to incorporate play into their unique families; a Child Life Specialist in a pediatric unit incorporating purposeful play into the hospital experience; and as an early childhood teacher in infant, toddler, and three year old classrooms.

Brianne believes all children learn best through sensory exploration and individualized social-emotional attention and wants to help children become confident individuals who are excited to engage in activities with their peers. She wants each child to view school as a safe, loving, and predictable environment so they can feel comfortable to experience any and all emotions and behaviors that may arise as they go through these developmental changes. Brianne is a firm advocate that all behavior is a form of communication, and it is the job of early childhood educators to support each child to figure out what they are trying to communicate in that moment. 

As a mom of two young daughters, Brianne has had the opportunity to see early childhood programming from a parental view and is excited to use that mindset while supporting the Sonnets community.