A different vision for education: HART Center eyes permanent home 

By Anthony Collins

LPR Editor

   Since opening its doors, the HART Center has evolved rapidly from a simple educational vision into a growing community-centered movement. According to founders Angela Bartys-Peters and Ethan Peters, the foundation they initially created was strong, but they soon realized they were still trying to operate within a traditional educational framework that conflicted with the deeper purpose of what they hoped to build. Over the course of the first year, the center’s greatest transformation has been learning to trust that their alternative approach to education and community living is not only valid but deeply needed.

   “The biggest evolution in our first year has been trusting that what we are building is needed,” Angela said. “Daily, we are dissolving years of programming that tells us that family, the soil, the sun, the essentials of life are not enough, when indeed they are everything.”

   That rapid evolution has also created the organization’s greatest challenge: keeping pace with its growth. What began with minimal resources, no loans, and only a handful of donations has quickly expanded through increasing community interest and support. The couple says the overwhelming response confirms that many families are searching for a more grounded, human-centered model of education and community connection.

   The HART Center is now pursuing a permanent location, but funding remains the largest obstacle standing in the way of expansion. The founders explained that while the first year was sustained largely through personal investment and grassroots support, the next phase will require outside financial backing and community partnerships.

   “We are experiencing significant growth and need support to reach the next stage,” Ethan said. “We have an opportunity to acquire a permanent location, and the owners are very willing to work with us because they are equally passionate about community and the future of humanity.”

   The couple compares the project to any startup venture: visionaries and day-to-day workers bring the mission to life, while investors and supporters help provide the resources necessary for long-term sustainability. They emphasized that building a lasting institution requires collective effort and belief in future generations.

   “There’s a beautiful saying that a society grows when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in,” Angela said. “For us, this is not for us, it is for our child, and his children, and so on.”

   While the HART Center has been privately funded up to this point, the founders say they are actively open to working with investors and donors who believe in their mission. They envision multiple opportunities for community involvement and long-term collaboration as the center grows.

   The planned expansion would bring a wide range of new opportunities to Caldwell County. The center hopes to create jobs in education, manual labor, and specialty trades while launching programs focused on food, health, and wellness. Plans also include community gardens, culinary education, business management training, and a co-working café featuring products sourced from local farms and businesses.

   The couple believes these programs will offer an alternative to an increasingly technology-driven society by emphasizing human connection, self-sufficiency, and community engagement.

   “We are not anti-technology,” Ethan explained. “We are simply more pro-human.” At the core of the HART Center’s mission is the partnership between Angela and Ethan themselves. They describe their marriage and shared devotion to their son as the driving force behind the organization’s direction and purpose. Angela sees herself as the dreamer and creative force behind many of the ideas and programs, while Ethan provides the structure and practical foundation that helps turn those ideas into reality.

   Looking ahead five to ten years, the couple hopes the HART Center will become deeply woven into the fabric of the community, a place that supports individuals and families through every stage of life. “We dream that HART will be a place fully integrated into the community from birth to death,” Angela said. “A place that supports new mothers and families, guides children as they learn about life, provides food, classes, events, support, and is able to hold families while they grieve. That is the full circle of life.”

   For the founders, the vision extends beyond education alone. They hope to help restore spaces where people gather, learn, celebrate, heal, and support one another, something they believe modern culture has increasingly lost. “This cannot be done alone,” they said. For more information in the HART Center visit their website at www.thehartcenter.life.