about the director

The Other Hearth is community... YOU are the bringers of joy and keepers of wonder.

The first glimmer of this dream, now named The Other Hearth, is hard to pin down. Was it when Nicol was on her homeschool journey as a child and student? Was it when she culminated her studies in communication theory with a paper on teacher to preschool-student communication styles? Was it when her first child was born?

Nicol Lawrence is a homeschooling mom in the Santa Ynez Valley, a nature-lover, and wonder enthusiast. This collaboration of community, learning, and outdoor experiences has woven together a myriad of life threads to create this living, immersive experiment that is The Other Hearth.

With a BA in Communication Theory, a minor in Spanish Language, and numerous years in various community volunteer roles, she is also passionate about nurturing clear communication and child-led social-emotional problem-solving.  Drawing from a variety of experiences, exposure, and training in different forms of education (including traditional schooling, “un-schooling”, home-based curriculums, home-based unit-study, Montessori, Waldorf, and Agile Learning), she meets children “where they are”, discovers their learning style, and gets excited alongside them about the wonders of our world.

As a dedicated “forever-learner”, whenever you see her around, feel free to nerd out with her on anything related to permaculture, education-styles or neuro-cognitive sciences!