The Origins of Heartwood's Inner Core

Think about the current news. Name calling, senseless shootings, drug overdoses, tragedies from war-torn countries, the bombing of a truck filled with humanitarian aid. The list appears endless. What can one individual do to alter this? Many years ago the frustration of trying to answer this question led three elementary teachers, Patricia Flach, Barbara Lanke, and Patricia Wood, and one criminal attorney, Eleanore Childs, to action. Their common desire was to move beyond their personal families to focus on addressing universal values within their own school settings. They began by creating an approach that could be used in each of their own classrooms - a first, third and fifth grade. Naming the program Heartwood to reflect the inner core of a tree, these four desired to work with families to promote ethics.

Although the non-profit organization, Heartwood, is no longer in existence, the Heartwood Team is pleased and excited that their message continues. Ellie, Barb, Pat, and Patti dreamed of sharing and giving away Heartwood to others. This Heartwood team is thankful to the Carnegie Mellon University Children's School for making this happen.

Patricia B. Flach, Ed.D.
Professor Emeritus
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania