Vegan Preschool to Open in Cincinnati

Mother Caroline Cadwell—along with a team of educators—will open private vegan preschool and kindergarten, Heärt Montessori, in Cincinnati next year. The school will follow the mindful teaching techniques developed by Italian educator Maria Montessori, which emphasizes building self-esteem and compassion through meditation and yoga, while simultaneously focusing on a traditional academic curriculum. “It’s not that other schools don’t teach empathy and compassion, but we wanted it to be the focus,” Cadwell said. “Optimally, we’ll be cooking food that we grow in season. We’ll have healthy, plant-based meals that are organic and amazing.” The school will also encourage children to interact with rescued animals at the nearby Jubilee Animal Sanctuary—which currently houses rescued horses but plans to expand to include farmed animals such as cows, goats, and pigs. Once open, Heärt Montessori will join several vegan schools across the country—including California-based MUSE school (opened by director James Cameron and his wife Suzy), which became the first school in the nation to go fully vegan in 2015.