THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN IN THE VICKERY MEADOW NEIGHBORHOOD

Comprehensive afterschool programming

At Heart House, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe environment where self-expression, creativity, and diversity are celebrated. For more than twenty years, Heart House has been that safe space for numerous children in the Vickery Meadow neighborhood.

The majority of students at Heart House are first- or second-generation refugees and immigrants. The challenges that come with resettlement into a new country are immense; while parents focus their energy on building a new life in the Vickery Meadow neighborhood, we are honored to play a small part in the lives of their children, who not only participate in our programming but actively shape and improve it.

Heart House incorporates students’ unique interests, talents, and specific needs into a holistic educational model where academic learning takes place alongside Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). We are committed to providing this holistic educational experience for students, because Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is equally essential to the healthy development of children as academic learning. When students are able to build meaningful friendships and gain a new understanding of their emotions and its effects on others, they are in a better position to succeed academically. Additionally, when students excel academically, a newfound confidence and belief in themselves facilitates their social emotional development. These twofold processes inform programming at Heart House, and that is what makes Heart House unique.