Heather Church was born in northern Ontario and has lived near the Great Lakes all her life—though not always the same one. Her childhood was steeped in nature and carried a sense of wonder well into her teenage years. As a parent, she longed to offer her own children that same richness, a dream that gradually widened to include all children.
Although she did not know it at the time, Heather herself grew up with experiences deeply aligned with Waldorf early childhood education. Her mother, a teacher, intuitively offered what Waldorf later gave language to: an understanding of the human being as one of body, soul, and spirit. For Heather, this understanding does not end with childhood, nor does it end at adulthood—or even with death. It is a lifelong path of becoming and learning.
Heather’s formal Waldorf journey began when her eldest child, at just six years old, wanted to leave school altogether. Disheartened and uninspired, he found new life, new interest within days of entering a Waldorf setting. That single decision rippled outward—first to Heather’s daughter, and eventually to Heather herself. Though initially reluctant, she soon heard her mother ask, “What took you so long?”
Heather went on to teach in mixed-age Waldorf kindergartens for fifteen years. Her work with children eventually led her toward a deeper question: in a school community, how do adults, educators, and parents continue to grow and learn in ways that truly meet them body, soul and spirit? This question began to be answered in her experiences with New Adult Learning. Through the Connections course and her engagement with Arlene Thorn and Coenraad van Houten’s work, her thinking and inner life and therefore outer life were profoundly transformed. This work deepened her understanding of children, strengthened her relationships with colleagues and parents, sharpened her capacities of observation, and supported her in researching her own work in the world. Today, she teaches New Adult Learning and offers courses that draw on this wisdom for working with and teaching adults.
Following her years in kindergarten, Heather’s professional path broadened. She spent three years at the My Child Myself Centre, where she developed and taught parent courses and helped host weekly community meals. She has since served in various schools in roles focused on pedagogical leadership, parent education, mentoring, and evaluations. Throughout this work, her central impulse has remained the same: to support the healthy development of Waldorf education by strengthening teachers in their service to the children coming toward us.
Heather currently serves as Co-Director of WECAN (the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America), a role she shares part-time with Meggan Gill. She began this work in July 2023, initially alongside Susan Howard, and has been a member of the WECAN Board since 2015. Her committee work includes Membership, Teacher Education, and the February Conference, as well as the Birth to Three Working Group, which supports programs, conferences, online parent evenings, and teacher training initiatives across North America.
Her work also extends into national and international adult education research initiatives. Heather is a member of the Council of Anthroposophical Initiatives (CAO), participates in the International Teacher Educators Forum (ITEF), is involved with the IASWECE Teacher Trainers’ Meetings, serves on the WECAN Teacher Education Committee, and is a member of the Pedagogical Section Council of North America (PSC).
At the heart of my work with New Adult Learning is a deep commitment to supporting teachers in their lifelong learning journey—so they, in turn, can become the fullest version of themselves in service to the children and communities they courageously meet each day.
I am interested in working with both teachers and teacher trainers to support them in their work through New Adult Educators in week long retreat format. The weeks integrate art processes, nature study, night learning/dream journaling, presentations, discussions and movement. These are usually offered in three one-week blocks. They are Learning to Learn, Karma and Destiny Learning and Creative Spiritual Research. These weeks are inspired by the archetypal prinsiple at work in the sevens. I also offer consulting to school communities when I am able.
I would be happy to talk with you about initiating a new program in your community.