Four master's degree nursing students tell of their learning experience in a pediatric nursing program based on student-centered teaching methodology. The students relate their initial doubts about the effectivity of the methodology, the difficulties they encountered in formulating a program to be followed, and their observations of the behavior and the attitudes presented by their teacher-facilitator. In order to attain their particular learning objectives for the program, the group chose to start an experiment involving maternal-child care in a slum area of são Paulo. The students and their teacher worked with mothers and other adults responsible for child care, using nondirective communication In this paper it's possible to identify the different necessary elements for a program The authors believe that the main result of this experiment on them wor theer accomphisment as individuals and as professionals, as well as their own development as persons.