Halloween
🎃👻 Happy Halloween from all of us at Open Heart Leaders & Heart Leaders Academy! 🧡🕸️
Wishing you a day full of spooky fun, sweet treats, and magical moments! Stay safe, smile big, and don’t forget to share the candy! 🍬🦇
Workshop with Seema Shokooh
✨ Join this FREE online workshop! ✨
Inspired by My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem, this powerful 60-minute session with Seema Shokooh explores how racialized trauma lives in the body and is carried across generations. Click the link to Register!
Veterans Day
📣 Veterans Day Closure Notice 🇺🇸
Open Heart Leaders (OHL) and Heart Leaders Academy (HLA) will be closed on Veterans Day, November 11th, in honor of those who have served. We will return on Tuesday, November 12th.
Thank you to all veterans for your service!
Workshop with Jazlin Carswell
Join Jazlin for “Mind Over Money”! ✨💸
Ready to feel calmer and more confident about your finances? 💪🧠
Let’s explore how your mental health and money are connected — and how understanding that link can bring you real peace of mind. 🌿Click the link to Register!
Workshop with Seema Shokooh
Join Seema Shokooh for “Finding Balance Online: Social Media and Mental Health”! ✨📱 Social media can be amazing… but it can also be overwhelming! 🌈💻 Click the link to Register!
HLA - Thanksgiving Break
📣 Thanksgiving Break Notice! 🍂
Heart Leaders Academy will be out of session for ALL students during Thanksgiving Break. 🦃✨
Enjoy your time off—school will resume on December 1st! 💛
OHL CLOSED
OHL corporate office is closed in observation of Thanksgiving Holiday! Enjoy Your Family Time!
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 - Friday, November 28, 2025
Thanksgiving
📣 Thanksgiving Closure Notice 🦃
Open Heart Leaders (OHL) and Heart Leaders Academy (HLA) will be closed for Thanksgiving to allow our team time to rest and celebrate with loved ones.
✨ We will return on Monday, Dec 1st. Wishing you all a joyful and peaceful holiday! 💛
Back To School
📚✨ We’re Back, Heart Leaders! 🎒💛
Welcome back from Thanksgiving break! School is officially back in session at Heart Leaders Academy! 🎉
We’re so excited to welcome our students back for a new season of growth, learning, and leadership. Let’s make this year our best one yet! 🌟
Workshop with Jesse Codere
Join Jesse Codere for “Breaking Generational Cycles: Healing Patterns in Family & Community 🌟
Ever wonder why some family patterns keep repeating? 🤔💭 This interactive workshop dives into how family dynamics and epigenetic influence behavior and how awareness can help you make new, healthier choices. 🌿💛 Click The Link to register !
HLA - Winter Break
📣 Winter Break Announcement! ❄️
Heart Leaders Academy will be out of session for ALL students from December 11th through January 6th. 🎄✨
Enjoy a safe and restful break—school will resume on January 7th! 💙
Workshop With Vanessa Romero
Join Vanessa Romero for “From Surviving to Thriving: Reentry with Strength & Support”! 🌟
Returning from incarceration? 💪 This one-hour community workshop is designed to help you rebuild your life with confidence and resilience. 🌱 Click the link to register!
Workshop with Kesha Mayes
Save the Date! More details coming soon — mark your calendar! ✨
Christmas Eve
🎄✨ Merry Christmas Eve & Christmas Day from OHL x HLA! 🎁❤️
Wishing you all the warmth, joy, and magic this holiday season brings. May your days be merry and bright, and your hearts filled with love and peace! 🎅🏽🌟
Please note: OHL & HLA will be closed for the holiday and will resume on December 29th.
From our family to yours—Merry Christmas! 🎄🎉
Christmas Day
🎄✨ Merry Christmas Eve & Christmas Day from OHL x HLA! 🎁❤️
Wishing you all the warmth, joy, and magic this holiday season brings. May your days be merry and bright, and your hearts filled with love and peace! 🎅🏽🌟
Please note: OHL & HLA will be closed for the holiday and will resume on December 29th.
From our family to yours—Merry Christmas! 🎄🎉
New Years Eve
🎉🥂 Happy New Year from OHL x HLA! ✨🎊
Open Heart Leaders and Heart Leaders Academy will be closed for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day to celebrate the start of 2025! 💫
We will resume regular operations on January 2nd.
Wishing you a joyful, safe, and inspiring New Year! 💛
New Years
🎉🥂 Happy New Year from OHL x HLA! ✨🎊
Open Heart Leaders and Heart Leaders Academy will be closed for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day to celebrate the start of 2025! 💫
We will resume regular operations on January 2nd.
Wishing you a joyful, safe, and inspiring New Year! 💛
Back To School
📚✨ We’re Back, Heart Leaders! 🎒💛
School is officially back in session Jan 6th at Heart Leaders Academy! 🎉
We’re so excited to welcome our students back for a new season of growth, learning, and leadership. Let’s make this year our best one yet! 🌟
Workshop with Jazlin Carswell
Save the Date!
Join Jazlin Carswell, APCC from Open Heart Leaders for an inspiring upcoming workshop on Jan 8th.
✨ More details coming soon — mark your calendar! ✨
Workshop with Kesha Mayes
Save the Date!
Join Kesha, Associate Clinical Social Worker at Open Heart Leaders, for a powerful upcoming workshop on Jan 15, 2026 ✨ More details coming soon — mark your calendar! ✨
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
🖤✊🏽 MLK Day Closure Notice 🕊️
In observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Open Heart Leaders (OHL) and Heart Leaders Academy (HLA) will be closed on January 19th.
✨ We will resume operations on January 20th.
Let’s take this day to honor Dr. King’s legacy through reflection, service, and unity.
Presidents' Day
🇺🇸 Presidents' Day Closure Notice 🎉
Open Heart Leaders (OHL) and Heart Leaders Academy (HLA) will be closed on February 16th in observance of Presidents’ Day. 🏛️
✨ Operations will resume on February 17th.
Wishing everyone a safe and relaxing holiday! 💙
HLA - Spring Break
🌸📚 Spring Break Alert! 🌞💐
Heart Leaders Academy will be out of session for Spring Break from March 23rd, 2026 to April 6th, 2026. ✨
Take this time to relax, recharge, and enjoy the season—school will resume on April 7th! 🌷💛
Easter
🌷🐣 Easter Holiday Closure Notice ✨
Open Heart Leaders (OHL) and Heart Leaders Academy (HLA) will be closed from April 3rd to April 6th in observance of Easter.
✨ Operations will resume on April 7th.
Wishing everyone a joyful and peaceful holiday season! 💛
HLA - Back To School
🌼📚 Welcome Back, Heart Leaders! 🎉💛
We hope you had a restful and fun Spring Break! 🌞✨
It’s time to jump back in—school is back in session starting April 7th! Let’s finish the year strong together! 💪🏽🎒
open heart leaders Day
Open Heart Leaders is the only African American female-led organization in San Diego providing full wraparound services focused on mental health and education. We are an organization that shifts with the climate, adapting to current needs, while maintaining our commitment to mental health wellness. At Open Heart Leaders, we welcome everyone to participate and benefit from what we offer. Our unique whole-self approach and solutions-focused mindset are breaking down the barriers constructed from generational cycles, statistically proven to be destructive. As a leading community partner for resources, accountability, and healing, we collaborate with local businesses and agencies to funnel lost resources and networks back into the communities. We offer a diverse range of programs and services that help combat communities and people who have been heavily impacted through systemic trauma. We deliver an eclectic approach to healing and growth through a combination of therapeutic assistance for individuals and families, wraparound services, professional and life-skills workshops, and course facilitation. In conjunction with our tailored community forums and interactive discussions, we rebuild, restore, and empower people and neighborhoods. We are transforming the world, one open heart leader at a time.
Memorial Day
🇺🇸 Memorial Day Closure Notice 🌟
In honor of Memorial Day, Open Heart Leaders (OHL) and Heart Leaders Academy (HLA) will be closed on May 25th as we remember and honor those who have served and sacrificed.
✨ Operations will resume on May 26th.
Wishing you a safe and reflective holiday. 💙
Juneteenth
✊🏾✨ Juneteenth Closure Notice 🇺🇸
Open Heart Leaders (OHL) and Heart Leaders Academy (HLA) will be closed in observance of Juneteenth as we honor freedom, resilience, and the ongoing journey toward justice.
Wishing everyone a meaningful and reflective day! 💛
HLA Last Day of School
🎉📚 It’s the Last Day of School at HLA! 🎒✨
Congratulations, Heart Leaders—you made it! 💛 Today marks the end of another incredible school year filled with growth, learning, and unforgettable memories. We are SO proud of each and every one of you! 🌟
Enjoy your well-deserved break and keep shining all summer long! ☀️🌈
Workshop with Vanessa Romero
✨ Join this FREE online workshop! ✨ This 60-minute online workshop, led by Vanessa Romero, offers a supportive space for immigrant communities and allies to explore racism’s emotional, social, and intergenerational impacts. Includes brief reflection prompts, grounding exercises, and practical healing resources. Click the link to Register!
Workshop with Jesse Codere
Jesse Codere PCC Trainee guides participants to identify emotional triggers, understand patterns, and respond with awareness rather than reaction. Activities include journaling prompts, group discussion, and the “name it to tame it” method.. Click the link to Register!
HLA - Indigenous People's Day
📣 Indigenous Peoples’ Day Closure 🪶
Heart Leaders Academy will be closed on Monday, October 13th in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
✨ School will resume on Tuesday, October 14th.
Let’s take this time to honor and reflect on the history, culture, and contributions of Indigenous communities. 💛
Labor Day
Open Heart Leaders (OHL) and Heart Leaders Academy (HLA) will be closed for Labor Day and will return on Tuesday, September 2nd. 💼✨
Wishing everyone a safe and relaxing holiday! 💙
First Day of School
📚✨ FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: AUGUST 25TH! ✨📚
Get ready, Heart Leaders! 🎉 School is back in session starting Sunday, August 25th, and we can't wait to welcome you all back for an exciting new year of learning, growth, and purpose!
SD SWAP MEET
Support local artists. Discover hidden treasures. Bring the whole family!
Join us for a day of art, culture, and community vibes at the Southeast Art Team’s Swap Meet, where creativity meets commerce!
We will also still enrolling students for Heart Leaders Academy! It’s not too late! We are accepting new students even after the first day. If you're looking for a school that sees you, supports you, and helps you thrive—come join us!
HLA Orientation
Heart Leaders Academy Orientation
Calling all new & returning families — join us for our 2025-2026 school year orientation!
Date: August 9, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: Malcolm X Library (Multi-Purpose Room), 5148 Market St, San Diego, CA 92114
Meet the HLA Team
Turn in paperwork (Birth Cert., Transcripts)
Receive school packets
Light snacks & good vibes
New student registration — open year-round!
619-320-5282
www.openheartleaders.org/heartleadersacademy
HLA@openheartleaders.org
First day of school: August 25th!
#HeartLeadersAcademy #Orientation2025 #SanDiegoSchools #BackToSchool #OpenEnrollment #MeetTheTeam
Heart To Heart Gala
Open Heart Leaders Heart To Heart Gala is an annual fundraising event that focuses on raising money for the Heart To Heart Counseling Program. This gala is designed to bring notoriety to the unspoken measures behind the providing of mental health services to the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated population. This gala allows participants, donors, community members and local businesses to come together every May to celebrate mental health awareness month. Also during this month we celebrate Open Heart Leaders Day every May 24th. During the Gala we highlight the program and the many aspects of how we can impact more of the justice impacted community through everyone’s help.
Open Heart Leaders Day
A day designated to Open Heart Leaders County wide in San Diego, CA.
OHL Mentoring Program
OHL Launches it’s mentoring program for the new active year from August 2022 - June 2023. The program will build and enhance culturally responsive leaders while engaging them in workshops, field trips, seminars, internships and conferences. This program caters to those ages 12-18 , in both a prevention and intervention based format. Youth mentoring programs have reportedly increased self-esteem, positive relationships with other adults, and school attendance. Enhancing the life of one young adult allows for them to share their knowledge to other community members.