Meet Simone Henriques | Preschool Founder/CEO/Childhood Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Simone Henriques and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Simone, as a parent, what do you feel is the most meaningful thing you’ve done for them?
The most important thing I have done to impact my children was to foster the love for learning and to nurture grit so they could achieve what they wanted since they were very little.  As an Early Childhood Educator, I have provided a vast opportunity for them to explore and develop cognitively. In order for me to balance and promote a healthy cognitive development for my children while being a working parent, I had to make sure I provided them with plenty of time to play and opportunities to expand their fine and gross motor skills along with the importance of nutritious meals and enough sleep throughout the day and night. Yes, routine was a thing in our home for the first 7 years of our lives. As a parent, I was not worried about whether my children were able to recite all the alphabet, colors, and numbers at young age. Of course they knew them, but my main focus was on their learning process and not the ending product. Were they understanding? Were they engaged? Were they finding solutions? Were they asking questions? Were they kind to others? Were they generous? When we focus on raising children as a whole, it involves more than just letters and numbers.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Ekobé School of Learning ( a new Reggio-inspired preschool in Clairemont – San Diego) was created to provide an educational environment that fosters a positive approach to respecting children’s ability to learn and grow in an open-ended learning experience through exploration, creativity and collaboration. In our preschool, we are committed to creating a nurturing environment that inspires learning while stimulating the social, emotional, cognitive and physical well-being of the child to fully thrive in a diverse and inclusive community. And, we value the communication among children, teachers and parents to create a challenging and joyful space that promotes the potential of all children.
We believe children are active learners. We believe they are capable. And together, we nurture the learning process. We create the environment for growth.

We help them thrive…one child at a time!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We have so many great places in San Diego that is hard to pick just one! I would certainly start by showing the area I lived when I moved here from Brazil. I would take them to Ocean Beach. Ocean Beach has a good place in my heart. I no longer live there but i always find myself remembering great memories spent by the beach. I would take them to Hodad’s for burger and some fun time at Sunshine bar.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I recently lost my mother and I could not pass on the opportunity to recognize how much she was my core and the source of my inspirations for what I am and what I do today. She was brave, generous, and a hardworking woman. I also have found great support among friends, families, and motivations from great business women over the years. In addition, books helped me find grit and resilience throughout the time. The most recent book I read was Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts and Douters by Kara Goldin- founder of Hint Water. Her story and success demonstrates that no matter how big or small your endeavour can be, we all face similar challenges when starting a business.

Website: www.ekobeschooloflearning.com

Instagram: @ekobe_school_of_learning

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