Heart-Centered School

The cornerstone of childhood lies in fostering their energetic well-being.

At Heart-Centered School, our purpose is to support others in nurturing the inherent wholeness of their children. We specialize in all ages, and are particularly driven to support younger children during the vital developmental stage from two to seven years old, while their habit bodies are still forming. We believe that children come into this world complete, and our role is to support and preserve this innate wholeness. During their early years, a child’s brain is still developing, forming their sense of self and experiencing the world with little distinction between themselves and their surroundings. This period is crucial for their overall development.

We focus on supporting those who work closely with children, including parents, caregivers, educators in schools, and school communities. Our approach is to delve deep into the essence of the child, exploring and nurturing four key developmental domains: Energetic Development, Consciousness Development, Intuitive Development, and Physical Development. We recognize that these areas are interlinked and that each child's development is a dynamic interplay of these multiple facets.

At Heart Centered Learners, we emphasize the importance of responding to children in ways that revere their individual experiences, fostering a safe space for their feelings and development. Our approach is rooted in the understanding that younger children learn and develop through their interactions and responses to the world around them. By offering presence, warmth, rhythm, and spaciousness, we aim to cultivate an environment where children can develop a love for learning, an essential foundation for lifelong learning, growth and discovery. Our Heart Centered Pedagogy, developed by founder Halimah Harden, encompasses these four developmental areas as integral components of a child’s journey, supporting their immediate needs while strengthening their core foundation for their ever-evolving self:

Consciousness Development

Aspects of Awareness
Exploration of Concepts
Language Development
Literacy

Consciousness development in childhood is a journey into diverse realms of awareness. Intricately tied to cognitive development, children learn to understand and connect with various concepts and patterns, both as standalone entities and in relation to one another. This stage is crucial for children who are coming into themselves and forming their habit body, as they learn to sense and interpret their inner consciousness as well as the consciousness of the external world.

Energetic
Development

Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Regulation
Inspiration & Imagination
Creative Expression

Energetic development recognizes that feelings are forms of energy. This stage focuses on nurturing a child's emotional inner landscape, understanding their own feelings, and relating these feelings to the energetic landscapes of others. It's about cultivating both self-awareness and sensitivity towards others. Key to this development are inspiration and imagination, which fuel a child's ability to empathize and connect to themselves and others. Presence, being fully engaged in the moment, is also vital, allowing children to deeply experience and respond to their own emotions and those of people around them.

The Heart Centered Pedagogy

The Four Stages of Child Development

Energetic Signatures
Deep Listening Skills
Unique Articulation
Personal Expression

Intuitive
Development

Intuitive development in childhood is about embracing and celebrating the unique soul and energetic signature of each child. This development encourages children to deeply listen to their inner movements and follow their inner compass in every present moment. It nurtures their personal expression and individual way of articulating themselves, recognizing that beneath the spoken language lies a deeper, intuitive and supersensible language. By supporting this remarkable, invisible infrastructure, intuitive development helps children connect with their inherent wisdom and guides them in understanding and expressing their true selves in authentic and profound ways.

Physical Expansion
Sensory Exploration
Fine Motor Skills
Gross Motor Skills

Physical Development

Physical development focuses on nurturing an appreciation for the capabilities of one’s body and physical reality. It's about helping children recognize the wonder in what their hands can do, how their bodies move, and interact with the world. This stage emphasizes the gratitude of form and the innate ability to sense and engage with different forms around them. Through this, children learn to honor and expand their physical abilities, developing a deeper connection with their body and the external environment.

Our breath drives everything we do.

The Six Pillars of Childhood Development

EMOTIONAL

Nurture Wholeness

We emphasize nurturing the wholeness of a child by validating every feeling as worthy of being experienced. This belief is rooted in the understanding that feeling and integrating emotions align a child with their natural circadian rhythms and breathing patterns. We encourage creating a space where children can freely express and release their feelings. This process of feeling and integration is not just an emotional exercise; it is the cornerstone for fostering a sense of wholeness, ensuring that children feel complete and acknowledged in all their emotional states.

COGNITIVE

Foster A Love of Learning

In cognitive development during childhood, our primary goal is to foster a love of learning. Recognizing that the mind continues to develop until the age of seven, we focus on laying the foundations for a lifelong interest in and wonder about learning. This leads to inquiry and a deeper understanding of themselves and the world. Our approach integrates the exploration of concepts with an enhanced awareness related to consciousness. By doing so, we aim to instill an intrinsic curiosity and joy in learning during these foundational years.

EXPRESSIVE

Encourage Exploration & Creativity

We nurture each child's unique energetic expression. We recognize that every child possesses a distinct energy and temperament, which guides their intuition and personal expression. Our role is to deeply listen to these individual energies, providing tools and support for children to explore and creatively express themselves. This expression often transcends visible manifestations, residing as an invisible, internal experience. By supporting children in this intimate exploration, we encourage children to engage in deeper self-listening, strengthening their connection with the invisible aspects of expression.

LANGUAGE

Inspire Intimacy & Uniqueness

Our language pillar in childhood goes beyond the conventional understanding of language; it's about expressing one self through their unique sound and tone. This period is crucial for exploring and experimenting with different forms of sound and articulation. We focus on encouraging this exploration, celebrating the distinctiveness of each child's vocal expression. By providing this support, we allow children to embrace and develop their personal linguistic style, recognizing that language in childhood is as much about finding one's own voice as it is about learning to communicate with others.

SOCIAL

Model Sovereignty & Collaborative Learning

We emphasize the importance of modeling sovereignty alongside collaborative learning. We teach children to embrace their sovereignty, empowering them to meet others with authenticity. This fosters the ability to engage empathetically and collaboratively without losing one self. Collaboration here is understood not merely as agreement, but as a dynamic interaction where differing perspectives may coexist. By nurturing this balance, we guide children in navigating social interactions with confidence, empathy, and a clear sense of what is authentic to them in every now moment.

PHYSICAL

Provide Rhythm & Spaciousness

We deeply honor the natural rhythms and spaciousness inherent in each child. Recognizing that a child's breath and circadian rhythms are a dance of patterns and pauses, we mirror this in their physical environment. Our aim is to provide a rhythm throughout the day that resonates with this innate tempo, balancing structure with the spaciousness that allows for organic growth. This reflection of internal rhythm in their external world supports a harmonious physical development, fostering a profound connection between the child's body and their surroundings.

"Childhood is asking for a heart-centered and regenerative approach that is not a relic of the past, but something living, evolving, and breathing, an approach which embraces change, adapts to the dynamic needs of today's child, their family, and the ever-changing world around them."

Halimah Harden

Founder

Halimah Harden, the founder of Heart Centered Learners and the Heart Centered Pedagogy, is at heart a pedagogue, as well as an accomplished professional in the field of child development and education. With a degree from Florida State Honors College, The New College of Florida, she specialized in the philosophy of education and authored a thesis on this topic. Her further education led her to multiple pedagogical trainings, including the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training. Her career has seen her collaborating with childhood educators, as well as on advisory boards both nationally and internationally, including significant work with the Himalayan Trust Foundation and initiatives in South Africa supporting children from low-income families.

In 2011, Halimah served as an early childhood education specialist for the Reggio-inspired International Child Resource Institute (ICRI), where she worked with numerous families. Following this, she became an educational specialist for Wonderschool, an innovative $300 million startup, helping to shape its early childhood educational platform in 2015. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to establish Angel Academy, a highly reputable heart-centered preschool in the Bay Area, where she led a dedicated team of teachers and built strong community ties. Halimah's journey then took her to Maui, Hawaii, for consulting work, further solidifying her expertise and impact in education & development.

Today, Halimah continues her impactful work in the realm of child development and education. She collaborates with various intentional communities worldwide, as well as developers and individuals keen on establishing childhood centers and schools. Her expertise spans a broad spectrum, encompassing pedagogical realms, licensing, budgeting, design, marketing, curriculum development, relations, operations, and team management. Her comprehensive skill set makes her a valuable asset to any project dedicated to nurturing children and shaping the future of childhood education.