Building Social Capital Through Relationship-Based Microschooling

Invited Speaker: Dr Crystal Goins, Heartwise Scholars Inc. In this case study presentation, Dr. Crystal Goins shares how Heartwise Scholars Inc. uses relationship-based education to intentionally build social capital, motivation, and pro-social development in children. Grounded in social-emotional learning, restorative practices, and social motivational theory, Heartwise Scholars practices an interactionalist approach to classroom management designed to better meet the social and academic needs of Generation Alpha learners. Participants will learn about PART, a cognitive framework used to help scholars make Heartwise decisions connected to self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship skills in everyday learning experiences. Now completing its second full year of practice, Heartwise Scholars will share lessons learned, observed outcomes, challenges, and reflections from building a microschool model focused on developing scholars ages 5–18 who learn to take care of themselves, their communities, and the world around them. About the presenter: Dr. Crystal Goins is the founder of Heartwise Scholars Inc., a relationship-based microschool serving families in Coastal Virginia. Her work focuses on translating research into everyday educational practice through social-emotional learning, restorative practices, social motivational theory, and interactionalist classroom management. As both an educator and working parent of five children, Dr. Goins created Heartwise Scholars to support academic growth, belonging, and pro-social development in ways that are responsive to today’s learners. Heartwise Scholars recently completed its second year of practice and continues to explore how relationship-centered educational environments can strengthen social capital and community well-being.