With the End Goal in Mind

I am calling this blog-With the End Goal in Mind.

Lately, I find myself constantly redefining my everyday norms as a working parent raising five impressionable humans, ages 5–12, in a noisy and busy world. I’m not okay with my kids simply giving in to every influence, catchphrase, and trend the world convinces them they need. So about two years ago, my husband and I began making intentional shifts in our lifestyle to put our children’s development and well-being first.

This blog shares our journey of raising our own children to be Heartwise Scholars—and inviting our community to grow alongside us. Using a backwards design approach grounded in my research on social motivational theory, social-emotional learning, and restorative practices, we’ve worked to nurture resilient, kind, and socially motivated young people.

What began with our own family has now grown to include more than 18 families and 28 children through the Heartwise model. Heartwise Scholars is becoming more than an educational option—it’s a way of developing the kind of human any young person can aspire to be.

My husband and I have learned that training up hearts and minds takes intention, patience, and the right people and environments. Join us as we share our story, our approach, and our mission to build a socially motivated network of scholars ages 5–18 who learn to care for themselves, their community, and the world.