School of Joy
Where stories become shared experiences
School of Joy is a story-based educational program that helps children explore friendship, kindness and belonging in a natural and engaging way.
Built around Hedgehog’s Heart: A Tale of Friendship Across Lands, the program transforms reading into conversation, movement, play and creativity. Children are invited not only to listen to a story, but also to express themselves, connect with one another and discover what friendship can mean in their own lives.
School of Joy is also available as a workbook for teachers and parents. It includes the story, guided questions, activities and space for reflection, making it possible to organize meaningful sessions and continue the experience over time.
The Workshop Experience
A School of Joy session usually lasts between 40 and 60 minutes and may include:
- shared reading of Hedgehog’s Heart;
- open conversations about friendship and belonging;
- the Friendship Dance;
- role-play through Meet the Hedgehog;
- a creative activity in which children make a small gift for a friend.
The program also includes short games and activities lasting approximately 5–10 minutes. These can be easily integrated into everyday classroom life and help children gradually develop healthy ways of relating to one another.
A Long-Term Journey
School of Joy is designed as a long-term educational project and has already been implemented in children’s classrooms in schools in Bucharest, Romania.
The program can run for one to three months or continue throughout an entire school year. Its flexible structure allows teachers to combine longer sessions with short activities focused on empathy, cooperation, mutual support and respectful communication.
Creating a Classroom Where Children Feel They Belong
The aim of School of Joy is to help create a warm and harmonious classroom atmosphere — a place where children come to school with joy, feel safe to express themselves and see one another as partners in the learning process.
Through shared stories, games and creative experiences, children are encouraged to support one another during classroom activities, enjoy the time they spend together and discover that school can be a place of connection, curiosity and belonging — not a burden.
What Children Gain from the Experience
Through the program, children are encouraged to:
- become more aware of their emotions;
- connect more easily with others;
- build friendships through shared experiences;
- practise kindness and cooperation;
- offer and receive support;
- feel seen, valued and included in their classroom.
Who Is It For?
School of Joy is created primarily for children aged 6–10. It can be introduced from the age of five and adapted for children up to approximately Grade 5.
It is suitable for:
classrooms · after-school programs · small groups · families
From Story to Experience
Hedgehog’s Heart can be enjoyed as a standalone picture book, while also serving as the narrative heart of the School of Joy workbook.
Together, the book and the workbook create a complete journey:
read · talk · play · create · connect
Bring School of Joy to Your School
Would you like to organize a School of Joy program or learn more about the workbook?
I would be happy to hear from you. Please use the email address provided on the Contact page.
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Școala Bucuriei
Școala Bucuriei este un program educațional bazat pe povestea ”Inima Ariciului”, creat pentru a-i ajuta pe copii să descopere prietenia, bunătatea, cooperarea și sentimentul de apartenență.
Programul poate fi desfășurat timp de 1–3 luni sau pe parcursul întregului an școlar și a fost deja implementat la clase de copii din școli din București.
V-ați dori ca proiectul Școala Bucuriei să ajungă și în școala dumneavoastră?
M-aș bucura să îmi scrieți folosind adresa de e-mail disponibilă în pagina Contact.