SF Bay Area, August 2022 - June 2023
LifeWays® Early Childhood Certificate Program
Location: Marin County, CA
Director: Marianne Alsop
Email: mariannea@lifewaysnorthamerica.org
The LifeWays San Francisco Bay Area Training is an eleven month long course, meeting two Saturday’s a month, which includes three retreat weekends. Our rhythmical schedule allows you to work and parent throughout the week and attend enlivening and enriching classes on alternate Saturdays starting in early August 2022 and is ideal for those living in Northern and Central California and the Sierra foothills. For the past two years we have successfully taught our classes outside and honoring all covid protocols.
This is our 13th year of the LifeWays Training in the Bay Area. Scholarships and financial aid are available.
Completing the LifeWays Training can open NEW Opportunities for you:
- Childcare providers in homes and centers
- Early childhood assistants, teachers and nannies
- Parents and grandparents
- Parent-child teachers
- Early Childhood Aftercare teachers
- Homeschool parents.
- Become the parent or early childhood professional you long to be.
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.
“Today, as we went from painting to snack to working in the garden, I felt so grateful to have had my Lifeways training so I can support my child during these uncertain times. I’m so grateful for this network and the love and care we show for each other.” Amy Jo, LifeWays 2013-14

Tentative LifeWays 2022-23 Schedule of Class Dates
- August 13, 2022
- August 27
- September 10
- September 24
- October 7 – 9 First retreat weekend
- October 22
- November 5
- November 19
- December 3
- December 17
- January 7, 2023
- January 21
- February 4
- February 18
- March 3-5 Second Retreat weekend
- March 18
- April 1
- April 15
- April 29
- May 13
- May 19-21 Third retreat weekend
- June 3
Your journey toward joy-filled and purpose-full living begins in August, 2022, won’t you join us in the SF Bay Area?
Contact the Student Services Director to learn about the application process.
Core Teaching Staff:
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 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.
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.
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.
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!



Join us!

Financial Aid is Available
Also View all Our Other Courses
Online, view any time for free!
Deepening Self-Care with Spacial DynamicsⓇ
Online, FREE Introductory Session July 9, 2022
LifeWays Early Childhood Fundamentals Course
August 2022
The Living Arts in Song and Dance with Anna Rainville
Online, First Session Starts August 24, 2022
The Living Arts - Cornerstones of Care
Online, September 14 – October 15, 2022
Delightful Developmental Movement & Spacial Dynamics Streams
Online, Fall 2022
Learning in Nature 2: The Mystery and Wonder of Exploring Nature with Children
Online, October 26 - November 12, 2022
Creating Home Away from Home: A Course for Home Childcare Providers
Online - Start Any Time!
Creating Your Family Culture -- An Elemental Approach
Online - Start any time!
Healthy Home Rhythms
Online - Start any time!
Living Arts Through the Seasons ~ Archived
Online Archive of past seasons
What They Say…
- Young Sook Kim
“I really enjoyed the LifeWays training with you at our mountain house. It will be a great memory in my life. Thank you! I read your book "Home away from Home". I love to read every chapter again and again while I'm working with young children . . .” Young Sook Kim