Stepping Stones Village
Where character development becomes community creation, one stepping stone at a time.


Welcome to Stepping Stones Village
A Community of Growing

In the landscape of every child's mind exists a village–a place where character takes shape and community understanding grows. Stepping Stones Village is an immersive journey into this internal world, where children discover the six fundamental traits that transform them from individuals into caring community members: Kind, Responsible, Mindful, Safe, Empathetic, and Honest. Each stepping stones represents both personal growth and community connection, showing children that who they are inside directly shapes the world they create together
Children enter as explorers of their own developing character, navigating the full spectrum from imaginative play to real-life relationships. The Village serves as their beacon of safety and security–an anchor point that honors both realities, allowing them to expand outward while remaining centered within. Through hands-on discovery, they experience the profound truth that healthy communities don't just happen–they are created by individuals who have done the internal work of character development. Here, every child discovers they carry within themselves the power to create community, one stepping stone at a time.

The Pillars

Kind
"When I treat others with respect, everyone matters."
Responsible
"Taking care of myself and others helps everyone."
Mindful
"Knowing my emotions helps me make better choices."
Safe
"I'm smart about safety and brave about asking for help!"
Empathetic
"I try to understand the feelings of others."
Honest
"When I'm truthful, it shows courage."


Annual Programming Highlights

300+
Interactive role-play scenarios
450+
hours/year of community-based literacy and communication activities
75+
community and civic storytelling workshops


What's in Healthyville?

Good Foods Café and Market: Play scanner and register; Interactive food and nutrition manipulatives
Community Health Center: Child-sized Doctor’s Office; Veterinarian Clinic for stuffed animal check-ups
Community Garden: Plasma screen with seasonal and weather-responsive digital backdrop
Neighborhood: Child-safe stationary “circle bike” for active movement play
Park: Storytelling space; Puppet cart and performance space for Puppetry Arts
And More!


The Funding Imperative

To keep Healthyville®, U.S.A. vibrant, equitable and evolving, we must invest in its future. This one-of-a-kind, child-sized city depends on philanthropic support to sustain and expand its immersive, multilingual programs. Public funding alone cannot meet the demand for high-quality, community-centered learning. Your investment ensures that every child—regardless of background—can access transformative experiences that promote literacy, wellness and civic belonging.
Your investment in the future
At Healthyville, U.S.A., children learn that reading, writing and communication empower them to shape amore just, inclusive and healthy world. Please join us in building a generation of children who understand that healthy communities begin with them.
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Gold
M&T Bank
Ernest and Joan Trefz Foundation
Silver
Yale New Haven Health/Yale New Haven Children's Hospital
Yale School of Medicine
Bronze
Ridgefield Thrift Shop
BMW of Darien
Copper
Whole Foods Market
Bigelow Tea
Enterprise Mobility Foundation
Brass
Rotary Club of New Canaan
Bob's Discount Furniture
MBI, Inc.
Titanium
$50,000
Brass
$1,000
Aquarion Water Company
Bankwell
Bespoke Veterinary Services
Bigelow Tea
Cornell University Veterinary Specialists, Inc.
USI Insurance Services, LLC
Bronze
$5,000
Conair LLC
Day Pitney LLP
Diserio, Martin, O'Connor & Castiglioni, LLP
EMCOR Group, Inc
First County Bank
Gen Re
Lone Pine Capital LLC
Northern Trust Company of CT
Nuvance Health
Nuvance Health - GoHealth Urgent Care
Ring's End, Inc.
Stanley M. Seligson Properties
Union Savings Bank
Platinum
$25,000
Gold
$15,000
M&T Bank
Silver
$10,000
Eversource
Tauck
Copper
$2,500
American Life
Animal Wellness Veterinary Center
Bank of America Corp.
Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessy LLP
Enterprise Mobility Foundation
Garavel Auto Group
Krauss Whiting Capital Advisors LLC
Linde
Siegel & Kaufman PC
Terex Corporation
Whole Food Regional Office