Join us for a Visitor's Morning
Join us for a Visitor's Morning on Saturday, January 31 or Saturday, April 11 from 9am to 1:30pm at the Mountain School in Corte Madera.
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Observe the morning lesson with our current LifeWays class, meet our students, enjoy a question/answer time over lunch (organic, vegetarian with gluten free options) with alumni and teachers! A packet of information is provided.
Space is limited so please contact Marianne Alsop to reserve your place.
The LifeWays San Francisco Bay Area Training begins in August, 2026, meets at the Mountain School in Marin County, two Saturday's a month, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and at local LifeWays early childhood programs in Marin and Sonoma Counties. Also included in this schedule are three long-weekend, overnight, retreats at a farm in Sebastopol: Friday 2:00 p.m. to Sunday noon, for cooking festival celebrations, outdoor observation, circle games, doll making, wet felting, puppetry, storytelling and more. No additional fees are charged for the retreats and both indoor sleeping and outdoor camping are available. Please ask about families attending.
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The LifeWays Training consists of 220 hours of in-class and independent reading, study and observation. Students may choose to take the full training with mentoring for a LifeWays certification or without mentoring in order to deepen their understanding of the young child and family life. Independnet learning includes reading, observations and writing between sessions For those who wish to receive the LifeWays certification there are also monthly telephone conversations or meetings with a mentor, who will observe you for two half-days during your training.
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Applications will be accepted in early 2026 and the class size will be limited and every applicant will have a personal interview. Scholarships and financial aid are available. For full information about this Training contact the Completing the LifeWays Training can open NEW Opportunities for you:
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Childcare providers in homes and centers
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Early childhood assistants, teachers and nannies
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Parents and grandparents
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Parent-child teachers
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Early Childhood Aftercare teachers
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Homeschool parents.
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Become the parent or early childhood professional you long to be.
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LifeWays students learn from master teachers in 200+ in-class hours over a year’s time. Additionally, mentor-supported independent study enriches learning between sessions. The LifeWays curriculum is divided into four categories:
Human Growth and Development
based on the insights of Rudolf Steiner and others
Child, Family and Community
home health care practices, unique and beautiful handwork, gardening and meal planning, meaningful celebrations and festivals, self-care and more
Program Curriculum
deepening your classroom and in-home practices (artistic and practical, nature and nurture); fundamentals of establishing child care, parent-child, after-school and daily homeschool rhythms; and more
Living Arts
learn the Living Arts as developed by LifeWays and the keys to joyful, purposeful living through Practical Activity, Nurturing Care, Creative Exploration and Social Awareness
LifeWays students graduate with a renewed sense of joie de vivre in their daily lives. Strengthened by an amazing view of the developing human being, a lifted experience of personal growth, guidance in establishing successful programs and a sense of being grounded in the practical, artistic and nurturing skills, they tell us over and over again that this training was a life-changing experience for them.
Housing and Childcare
While LifeWays does not directly provide housing or childcare, we are happy to provide applicants with contact information for local resources..
Meals
Snacks and daily organic hot lunches are included in tuition. Students provide their own breakfast and dinner
Your journey toward joy-filled and purpose-full living begins in August 2026. Join us in San Francisco Bay.
Learn to create magical puppet shows for young children using silks, hand-made puppets and natural materials.
Learn songs and lullabies playing the lyre.
Learn watercolor painting for young children.
The San Francisco Bay Area LifeWays Training meets at the Mountain School in Corte Madera and at LifeWays centers and home programs in Marin and Sonoma County. Three long weekend retreats are included at a beautiful farm in Sebastopol. Please contact Marianne Alsop at mariannealsop@lifewaysnorthamerica.net for full details.
Meet Your Core Teaching Staff
Cynthia Aldinger
Cynthia Aldinger is founder and Executive Director of LifeWays North America; author of Life is the Curriculum and Home Away from Home: LifeWays Care of Children and Families.
Christine Margetic
Christine Margetic has taught for many years in the LifeWays San Francisco Bay Training. She has taught in Waldorf early childhood programs since 2004. She is particularly interested in supporting families with young children.
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Theresa Walker
Teresa Walker has a LifeWays home farm program, is a LifeWays graduate and teacher and completed Waldorf Teacher Training. She has homeschooled her two children. Teresa will be our Student Services Director.
Kate Hammond
Kate Hammond is a Waldorf trained Birth to Three teacher and longtime LifeWays teacher. She brings her work in Spacial Dynamics and love of handwork and crafting to our course. Kate also teaches in the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training.
Anna Rainville
Anna Rainville is a long-time early childhood educator, Waldorf teacher and LifeWays teacher. Her singing games, seasonal circles and songs inspire our students to move with joy! We welcome her back for another year!
Rosarioa Villasana
Rosario Villasana, Child Development and Family Studies Department Chair at City College of San Francisco and Director of the LifeWays Training en Español, joins us as a teacher of our Diversity classes. Rosario is also on the LifeWays North America Board of Directors.
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Financial Aid is available
For all the information about how to apply please contact the Student Services Coordinator
Contact: Marianne Alsop
Email: mariannealsop@lifewaysnorthamerica.net