"The Learning Nest is a two-campus early learning academy in Toronto's Junction and North York neighbourhoods, guiding children from infancy through preschool. At the core of our program is Nest-EQ – a proprietary learning method unlike anything in early education. Built on a Montessori foundation and extended by Nest-EQ Learning Systems, we build the human capabilities that children need to thrive in the future - emotional intelligence, adaptability, creative thinking and cognitive capabilities."
Most early learning programs were designed for a previous era. We're designing for what's next. The first five years matter more than any that follow. With 90% of brain development occurring by age five, children's experiences in these years help shape the neural pathways they carry for life.
Nest-EQ is our proprietary framework that organizes learning around four domains: EQ (emotional), IQ (cognitive), AQ (adaptive) and CQ (creative). These are brought to life through Montessori and our four Learning Systems: Feeling, Thinking, Creating and Living. This framework shapes our environments, guides educator practice and supports each child's development over time.
Open year round, our program provides consistency for children and convenience for families, without the need to find alternate care during the summer months.
The outcome: children equipped not simply to be ready for school, but ready for what's next.
At The Learning Nest Academy, we're not a fully play based model. We're intentional about developing the whole child. Play is part of every day, but educators guide experiences toward emotional, cognitive, adaptive and creative growth rather than leaving learning entirely to unstructured exploration.
We also draw on Montessori principles, but we are not solely a Montessori school. We extend Montessori through Nest-EQ, building the adaptability, creativity and emotional intelligence children will need in a rapidly changing world. Because development happens through consistent experiences over time, our programs operate year round, allowing children to remain connected to their educators, peers and learning environment.
The tradeoff is real: this approach asks more of our educators than either a purely play based or purely Montessori model would. In return, children develop confidence, resilience and sound judgment, preparing them not only for kindergarten but for life beyond it.
When Dr. Walter Heidary was expecting his first child, he searched for childcare that truly honoured the extraordinary cognitive development happening in a child's first five years. He couldn't find one. So, he built it. In 1999, he opened Childventures Early Learning Academy designed around long-term educational success, not simply school readiness.
After 25 years proving that model, Dr. Heidary saw the need for something new: an approach that moves well beyond typical childcare, built for a world being reshaped by technology and AI. That conviction became Learning Nest Academy - not an extension of what came before, but a response to what's coming next. Nest-EQ, our four-domain framework, is the direct expression of that founding insight. Every classroom, every routine, every educator now carries that same founding question forward: what will this child actually need to thrive?
Families who thrive with us tend to see the early years as foundational rather than a holding pattern before "real school." They ask questions about curriculum design, not just hours and price. They are looking beyond school readiness and considering the skills, mindsets and capabilities their child will need to thrive throughout life. Some are values-led: they want their child known as an individual, embedded in a warm community. Others are evidence-led: they want to see a framework, understand how it's assessed and hear how it connects to long-term outcomes like adaptability and problem-solving. What unites both is a willingness to trust a defined pedagogical approach - Nest-EQ - rather than assembling their own patchwork of activities and a comfort with paying for depth of program. They're not choosing childcare. They're choosing who their child becomes.
We might not be the right fit for families seeking a fully play-based centre with minimal adult-guided structure. Play is part of every day, but our educators intentionally guide experiences toward developmental outcomes rather than leaving learning entirely to unstructured, child-led exploration.
Families most at home with us trust that this intentionality - not open-ended freedom - is what best prepares a child for what's ahead. If you're searching for a fully play-based philosophy, another program may serve you better.
Families often tell us they chose The Learning Nest Academy because they wanted their child to be known as an individual, not part of a one size fits all program. They value the close relationships between educators and children, the thoughtfulness behind our environments and the confidence that comes from knowing each aspect of the day has been intentionally designed.
Many families are also drawn to the balance we provide. They appreciate that children have the freedom to explore, create and build independence while still benefiting from clear educational goals and guidance from experienced educators. Our Nest Studios, year-round programming and all-inclusive approach create a level of continuity that busy families value.
Above all, parents choose us because they are looking for an educational partner. They want a school that shares their belief that the early years matter and that every experience, relationship and environment should contribute meaningfully to a child's growth.
The Learning Nest Academy is known for its future-focused approach to early childhood education. Through Nest-EQ, we help children develop not only academic foundations, but also the critical thinking, creativity, emotional intelligence and adaptability they will need to thrive.
We're also known for delivering genuinely high-quality care within a true sense of community and for a level of intention families don't necessarily expect. Everything in our centres is designed, from classroom environments to our commercial-grade kitchens and menus, overseen by pediatric nutritionists. That intention shows up in our people too: centre directors, pedagogical leaders and educators who've dedicated their lives to early learning and who approach their work as changemakers. It's this combination - a forward-looking framework, delivered with genuine care, by people who show it - that increasingly defines us in the public eye.
One of the most underappreciated aspects of our school is the value built into our program. Families often focus on tuition without fully considering everything it provides. Our programs operate year-round, eliminating the need to find alternate care during summer months and school breaks while giving children consistency in relationships, routines and learning experiences.
Tuition also includes a hot breakfast, lunch and snacks, parent camera access, enrichment programs that introduce children to new interests and the Second Step social emotional learning program, which helps children develop emotional regulation, empathy and positive relationship skills.
We also offer flexible part-time options in our Toddler and Preschool programs while maintaining full time Infant programs that support consistency during a critical period of development. Families are investing in continuity, convenience and a thoughtfully designed experience that supports the whole family throughout the year.
Families are often surprised by how much of our program is focused on the future. Many assume early learning is primarily about preparing children for kindergarten. While that remains important, our approach goes further. Through Nest-EQ, we intentionally develop the emotional, cognitive, adaptive and creative capabilities children will need in a rapidly changing world.
What often surprises families is that these skills are not taught as a separate program. They are woven into everyday experiences through our Feeling, Thinking, Creating and Living Systems. Over time, families see that we are not just helping children learn letters, numbers and routines. We are helping them develop judgment, adaptability, resilience and emotional intelligence.
Many families enrol because they value our Montessori inspired approach. What they discover is a school asking a bigger question: what will children need not only for school, but for the future?
Our most significant recent change and investment is in our leadership. Melissa Capogna launched North York, then helped open the Junction, building both centres' culture from the ground up. She has now committed to the Junction permanently as Centre Director, bringing 15+ years in early childhood education and multiple industry honours, leading with heart and holding her team to the standard families deserve.
At North York, Ashley Gayle joins as Centre Director to carry that founding standard forward, bringing 18 years in early childhood education, the last five at the executive level. She believes the early years are the most formative window in a child's life and treats high quality as daily practice, not a benchmark. Ashley is currently completing a Strategic Leadership and Management specialization.
Both Directors are supported by our Montessori and Nest-EQ pedagogical leaders, who provide curriculum support, coaching and quality oversight across both centres.
Traditional educational models are slow to change - curricula built decades ago often stay in place long after the world they were designed for has moved on. We won't make that mistake. Over the next five years, we'll continue monitoring the societal, technological and economic shifts shaping what children will actually need and refine Nest-EQ accordingly. Families can trust their children stay on a path to real success, not an outdated one. That means staying nimble: testing, measuring and pivoting our own approach as evidence demands, rather than defending a fixed model out of habit. We'll hold ourselves to the same standard we hold the world to - tracking our own progress closely and making deliberate improvements along the way, so Nest-EQ keeps evolving as fast as the world it's preparing children for.
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