About

Our story

THE BORN WISE STORY

creating safe spaces for childhood

Gill Howarth

I’m Gill Howarth, a Teacher, Educator, an Educational Changemaker, Storyteller and Mother to 3 bright, beautiful and wild boys.

I welcome you to Born Wise.

This is my space in the world where I feel most inspired and most myself.

It is the space where I feel I’m able to offer my soul’s work – creating time and space for children to be children.

The Born Wise Story

I created Born Wise in 2017 as a vessel for delivering a school of the heart to humans of all ages. After spending many years working in the school system I had witnessed, both as a parent and an educator, growing amounts of stress and anxiety. Born Wise aims to bring the heart, mind, body and soul equally into learning.

With over 20 years experience working in education, studying and travelling across the world, I spent my early years immersed in a world of nature and the imagination. Days were spent mixing sand into water, playing with the earth, asking questions, making up stories, and listening to the trees. I now find myself an advocate for nurturing these same elements in childhood – to create a strong foundation for learning (and life) via a strong connection to our inner world.

I have always felt a connection to Teaching/Learning. I am a university qualified Early Childhood Educator and I also hold a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Philosophy. I have studied and practiced different forms of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness since the age of 16 and am a qualified yoga and meditation teacher. Books are sacred to me and libraries are my happy place.

Born Wise provides me with a space to merge my past experiences and qualifications in my work with children, families and educators.

Gill Howarth ~ Born Wise Education Creator

A school of the body, mind, heart and soul.

The story continues......like the natural world, we are always growing & evolving!

Early into the Born Wise journey, Mama of three, Natalie Salisbury, brought her middle child along to one of Born Wise Education’s first programs. Back then we were called The Heart Centred Kindy – but Natalie and her son made up their own name for the class – Crystal Kindy (how good is that? One day we WILL create a program using that very name!). Natalie & Gill would chat before and after class and clearly shared a passion for education, wellbeing and creativity. But it wasn’t until a couple of years later, after reconnecting during an Instagram Live Interview, that Nat would come on board as the Born Wise Art & Wellbeing Educator.

Read a bit more about Nat below!

Natalie Salisbury

THERAPEUTIC ART COACH & ART TEACHER

I’m Natalie Salisbury. A mum to three spirited children as well as a 3D Design Artist, Reflexologist and Therapeutic Art Life Coach. My background is in textiles, print, ceramics, jewellery and fashion – I love supporting people of all ages in their creative ideas and art skills.

I believe there is a strong connection between our sense of wellbeing and creativity – and so I am passionate about helping children and women process their emotions through creative practices and art.

I began working alongside Gill at Born Wise Education in 2020 after coming on board on a casual basis to support the children’s art skills in an ongoing project.

Nat runs The Born Wise Studio – a space for children in middle childhood & teen years.

We are always learning – whether we are conscious of it or not. We learn through the cracks and corners of our day. We learn in resting moments. We learn through our pain, anger, and happiness. We even learn while we are sleeping! Within the landscape of our dreams. Our learning is our growth.

GILL HOWARTH