About Pueblo
Our Story
Pueblo was founded on the belief that our cultures and histories are integral to who we are as parents, and that self-knowledge and reflection are the keys to empowered parenting.
Pueblo was born out of Melina’s experience as a parent educator and mother of two multicultural children. Her work with families and her own self-reflection led her to a recognition of the unique needs of multicultural and multiracial families. Pueblo is an attempt to meet those needs.
When it comes to raising children, we know there is no single answer that is right for all of us. At Pueblo, your story, your values, and your questions are as important as our experts.
We're here to help your child and family thrive on your own terms.
Meet Melina
When I became a mother in 2017, I had over a decade of experience working with families and two masters degrees with an early childhood focus. Applying my expertise sometimes came easily, but, like all parents, I also found myself looking outwards for support. What I encountered was a world of parenting advice, strategies, and scripts that asked me to leave parts of myself at the door.
Thanks to my education and experience, I was mostly able to discard advice when it went against what I know about how children develop. It was harder to discard or adapt advice that was not culturally sustaining, or that spoke to my husband’s values but not my own. As co-parents in a multicultural home, the two of us are bringing together multiple perspectives. Finding common ground is crucial.
I created Pueblo to help families like mine find that common ground. All of our classes are rigorously researched and peer reviewed so you know you’re getting the facts. But we’ve also built in a framework for reflection and dialogue so you can explore how to build bridges between the research and the personal.
Pueblo was born out of a desire to see myself and my family represented in the landscape of virtual parenting support. As a Latina immigrant mother raising two children with a white, Jewish-Italian co-parent, Pueblo is the support I hope for when I’m looking for advice. A company that sees us, that understands the joy and challenges of raising multicultural children, and that provides advice that can weave our different perspectives together.
Melina Gac Levin, MSEd
Our Team
Melina Gac Levin, MSEd has over a decade of experience supporting children, families and educators. She teaches graduate courses in child development at Bank Street College of Education, from which she holds dual masters degrees in Infant and Family Development, Early Childhood General and Special Education, and Early Intervention.
Her undergraduate degree is from Columbia University, where she studied visual arts, Latino studies, and dance. Melina presents regularly at professional conferences including at Bank Street's Infancy Institute, the Language Series, and the NYSAIS Diversity and Equity in Curriculum Conference. She is a partner in Premier Pediatrics' First Month Project and a contributor to Motherly.
Melina began teaching child development classes and offering consultations for parents in 2018 under the name Babies and Toddlers Understood. Many of the classes offered at Pueblo have grown out of her reimagining of her most popular offerings using culture as a lens.
Melina is raising two multicultural, bilingual daughters with a loving partner who is equally committed to centering culture and self-reflection in their home. Their days are full of dress-up, storytelling, and cooking.
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Régine Brioché, MD
Régine Brioché, MD is a board certified pediatrician and mother based out of Brooklyn, NY.
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Virginia Casper, PhD
Virginia Casper is a developmental psychologist and teacher educator. She served in instructional, administrative, and clinical roles in the Bank Street Graduate School of Education for over 30 years.
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Yasmin Dorrian, MSEd
Yasmin Dorrian works as an advisor and course instructor with graduate students from both Bank Street College of Education and Hunter College.
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Natalie Flores, MEd
Natalie holds a Masters of Education degree from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her experience and research focus on utilizing culturally sustaining pedagogy and practices in early childhood education.
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Torie Goode, MSW, MSEd
Torie Goode currently serves as an Associate Director at the Bank Street Education Center, supporting the Family Child Care partnership with the NYCDOE.
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Gina Pfeifle, PhD
Gina is a pediatric neuropsychologist. She serves as training director for the UCSF Division of Developmental Medicine's pediatric neuropsychology externship.
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Grace Veras Sealy, CLC, AdvPCD
Grace is a Certified Advanced Holistic Birth Doula, Certified Postpartum Doula, and is a Certified Lactation Counselor from the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP). She has also achieved certifications as a Newborn Care Specialist.
Our Promise
We give you the facts.
There is a lot of noise and opinion out there, but you won’t find any at Pueblo. We’re raising the bar on “evidence” by contextualizing the research and always asking ourselves how we know what we know.
We are here for all of you.
We know that there are many ways to be a good parent. We center your needs and support you in exploring what feels right for your family. Your experience matters.
We are in it for the long run.
Long term change comes from meaningful transformation. We use a reflective functioning framework to ensure that what you learn here has an impact way beyond the toddler years.
Our Values
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Empathy
We’re in it together. Open minds, open hearts.
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Responsibility
What happens in our homes matters in the world.
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Creativity
There are many ways to parent, many ways to be.
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Joy
Light and humor will carry us through.
Commitment to Serving All Families
Every family should have access to support. Our classes are available at no cost to families who cannot afford them. Please reach out if you need access to a class and the cost is prohibitive.