Support young people with presence, connection, and care.
Every young person deserves to feel safe, seen, and supported.
Grounded in over 28 years of learning alongside youth in foster care, Heart-Centered Learning™ translates Peace4Kids’ experience into practical learning for educators, volunteers, caregivers, youth support professionals, and caring adults in a young person’s life.
At Peace4Kids, we have worked closely with young people to understand what helps them feel supported, connected, and able to thrive. Our learning experiences help adults build the awareness, regulation, and relational skills needed to put those insights into practice.
It begins with us.
Supportive adults play a vital role in helping young people feel safe, seen, and supported. How we listen, regulate ourselves, understand behavior, and respond in difficult moments can shape a young person’s experience of connection and belonging.
Heart-Centered Learning™ helps adults strengthen the awareness and practice needed to create more responsive relationships with young people, families, and communities.
From Understanding to Practice
Heart-Centered Learning™ brings together foundational learning, reflection, and practical tools developed through Peace4Kids’ work alongside youth in foster care.
Heart-Centered Foundations™BUILD AWARENESS Explore toxic stress, equity, voice, co-regulation, self-awareness, and connection through a blended self-paced and facilitated learning experience. |
HAVS™ FrameworkPUT CONNECTION INTO PRACTICE The HAVS™ Framework — Hear, Acknowledge, Validate, Shift — is a practical Peace4Kids framework for responding with greater presence and intention during everyday interactions and challenging moments. |
♥ REFLECT | RECOGNIZE WHAT WE BRING
Build awareness of how our own experiences, assumptions, emotions, identities, and responses can shape our relationships with young people.
♥ CONNECT | CREATE RESPONSIVE ENVIRONMENTS
Apply heart-centered principles to communication, relationships, practices, and environments so young people experience greater voice, belonging, and support.
Designed for Real-World Impact
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SELF-PACED LEARNING Move through foundational learning on your own time. |
REFLECTIVE + INTERACTIVE Engage with reflection, facilitated discussion, and practical exercises. |
PRACTICAL TOOLS Apply what you learn in real-life relationships and situations. |
Who Is Heart-Centered Learning™ For?
Educators • Volunteers • Caregivers and Resource Parents • Social Service Professionals • Youth Support Professionals • Health and Mental Health Professionals • Community Organizations • Caring Adults in a Young Person’s Life
What Participants Say
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"The HAVS training was very helpful in reinforcing and teaching best practices of interaction with children who need empathy and understanding to really feel heard." |
"I really appreciated the emphasis on placing equal attention on empathy and self-care so that you can come into these spaces self-regulated and able to be fully present for the child... I really liked how we were encouraged to reflect on how our own lives and experiences can shape how we connect with each other." |
Start with Heart-Centered Foundations™
Build awareness, connection, and practical skills for supporting young people through Peace4Kids’ foundational Heart-Centered Learning™ experience.
