HeartFirst Education is on a mission to change the way we educate. We imagine a world where hearts are educated as much as minds. We envision an education system that emphasizes social and emotional learning, placing character development above intellectual ability and achievement.
We believe that education should serve humanity’s highest good, which we feel is love. Ultimately, love is more important than knowledge and our education systems must reflect that. Knowledge is important. But, knowledge alone cannot change us.
We recognize that the world has many pressing and urgent challenges socially, politically, environmentally, and economically. The root cause of these problems is not a lack of knowledge or technology, but rather, a lack of love, compassion, and community amongst human beings.
We acknowledge that every person has the innate ability to embody the highest virtues of the human heart (love, empathy, patience, tolerance, compassion, etc.) and that holistic education can help foster the actualization of these virtues.
Our Mission
To Educate the Whole Person, Heart First
We engage, guide, and support educators, students, and families in opening their hearts and leading with love, compassion, and empathy.
Our Vision
We imagine a world where hearts are educated as much as minds.
Our Strategy
- We create, distribute, support, and share social and emotional learning content that is engaging, impactful, and relevant for students around the globe.
- We collaborate with parents, teachers, and other educators to create individualized curriculum that serves the unique needs of its target students.
- We offer online and in-person courses, downloadable workbooks, parent and teacher trainings, workshops, and coaching programs.
- We provide free resources for educators and families to improve social and emotional learning at home and in the classroom.
Our Vision
A world where hearts are educated as much as minds.
Our Strategy
- We create, distribute, support, and share social and emotional learning content that is engaging, impactful, and relevant for students around the globe.
- We collaborate with parents, teachers, and other educators to create individualized curriculum that serves the unique needs of its target students.
- We offer online and in-person courses, downloadable workbooks, parent and teacher trainings, workshops, and coaching programs.
- We provide free resources for educators and families to improve social and emotional learning at home and in the classroom.
Our Method
Whole Person Education that Starts with the Heart
An educational initiative for holistic education that encompasses all dimensions of the human experience:
mental, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual.
mental, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual.
Mind
Curriculum that teaches students how to think instead of what to think.
Body
Embodied learning that engages the senses and creates deeper levels of understanding.
Heart
Heart-centered approach that places love at the center of education – cultivating empathy and compassion, and developing kind, emotionally intelligent human beings.
Spirit
Education that supports and nourishes the individual’s beliefs and values.
Community
Community building that strengthens learning, emphasizes social skills, and improves overall quality of life.
Heart
Heart-centered approach that places love at the center of education – cultivating empathy and compassion, and developing kind, emotionally intelligent human beings.
Mind
Curriculum that teaches students how to think instead of what to think.
Body
Embodied learning that engages the senses and creates deeper levels of understanding.
Spirit
Education that supports and nourishes the individual’s beliefs and values.
Community
Community building that strengthens learning, emphasizes social skills, and improves overall quality of life.
Core Values
Our Core Values are the foundation of everything we do. We recognize that these values constitute some of the highest human virtues and that is why we chose them. While we do not believe in perfection, we do believe that every human being holds within his heart the ability to actualize these virtues. It is our mission to educate in such a way that people feel inspired and supported in opening their hearts and minds and becoming the highest version of themselves.
Our Inspiration
We are inspired by love and its power to heal our planet and unite humanity. We feel that love is the solution to all of our human problems and that to create true, lasting change we must begin in our schools. HeartFirst Education was created to fill a need; a need for a balanced education system that educates and nourishes the whole person, rather than focusing so heavily on the intellect alone.
A message from our founder Brittany Tackett, MA, RYT-200:
I felt called to birth HeartFirst Education after working in the education system for more than 3 years as a school-based mental health therapist. After just a few months in my role, I already began to realize the disparity in our education system. Elementary aged students were taught math, science, and social studies every day but were in counseling class for only 1 hour every 2 weeks. After elementary school, students were left virtually on their own. They could visit the guidance counselor if they needed help, but they no longer had any formal social and emotional education.
As a therapist, I routinely worked with only those children who were exhibiting social, behavioral, or emotional problems or who had knowingly been through some sort of trauma. These kids started spontaneously referring to me as “The Feelings Teacher” and they came into sessions excited to share their feelings with me and learn skills to manage them in a healthy way.
I felt strongly that all students should be given this type of emotional education and support,and that it should be a part of their daily routine at school. And so, HeartFirst Education was born.
