What happens … when families educators the opportunity share their expertise by fully designing and implementing a learning program?
When those educators are guided by the needs and interests of kids?
When grown-ups and children take full advantage of learning outdoors?
When a group of people come together to nurture, care for, support and keep each other safer and healthier under a community care model?

The Hearts and Minds Learning Community blossoms.

WHO WE ARE: The Hearts & Minds Learning Community (HMLC) launched in September 2022. In the 2024/2025 school year, we offer an outdoors-first mixed-age kindergarten for kids ages 3-6, a full mixed-age early elementary program for kids ages 6-9 and a two-days/week early elementary in-person hybrid program for children enrolled as homeschoolers or in online school. HMLC learning is screen-free.

The HMLC program is ideal for kids who are just taking their first steps into independence with a small group of their peers, for kids who thrive in an outdoors-first environment, for children anxious about school or being away from home, for kids on the move and … well, just about any child.

Our elevated health and safety procedures make HMLC an appropriate environment for children with high-risk medical conditions who require protection against exposure to airborne viruses and communicable diseases.

We are currently located on the border of southwest Minneapolis and Richfield and are fortunate to have a bounty of amazing outdoor spaces to explore.

Learners and their families work with experienced, professional educators to set personalized learning goals to work toward. HMLC is not tied to one particular educational philosophy and you’lll see a mix of Montessori, Reggio-Emilia, nature school, Waldorf and more. We are not hemmed in by one specific model. Instead, we’re small and flexible, able to meet kids where they are and guide them through their learning journeys in the style that works best for them. HMLC programs meet the state of Minnesota academic standards for children ages 3-9.

WHY: We are an outdoors-first, safe, nurturing small community featuring play-based learning for all ages. We offer a community of trust for children and their families, including a program that will grow with children, so they won’t have to constantly transition from school to school as they grow, if that’s not the right path.

I’m a parent who started a school. We do learning differently because my own kids learn differently. We celebrate and support each and every learner we’re able to serve at HMLC — for their individuality and in their role as community member.

It is not easy to start a learning program, especially THIS learning program, but it’s important. So, I keep going back to …

BE BRAVE.

We are working hard every day to ensure this nurturing small community blossoms into the safe, outdoors-first, play-based, student-collaborative program that families will find to be a good fit for their educational needs from early childhood through graduation.

The goal is to continue to grow with the kids and their needs, welcoming ages 10-12 in 2024513 to 15 in 2026, etc., through age 18. There will be no more than 12-15 kids in each age group.

I’m creating the educational community that I want for my own children, we hope you’ll BE BRAVE and see how your child can flourish here too.

-Lynne Morioka, founder and volunteer administrator, Hearts & Minds Learning