Meet MGGF's Latest Grant Recipients

These five Montessori initiatives span the globe. ?They serve under-resourced communities in cities, villages, and remote pastoral areas in the US, Europe, and East Africa. ?In each case, they are making their community stronger with child-centered Montessori education. ?

MGGF is proud to be able to assist these efforts.

Texarkana Montessori School, Arkansas, USA

Texarkana Montessori School serves the two-state city of Texarkana, a city that straddles the Arkansas-Texas border. Located in Texarkana, Arkansas, it’s the first and only Montessori school in this sprawling growing city that has a very diverse population, socially, economically, and culturally. ?The parents and small businesses in the community have embraced this school, helping them in a myriad of ways as they’ve launched this effort to offer a strong Montessori program.

Our grant is helping them acquire appropriately sized furnishings and materials for their toddler and primary classes. ?These classes maxed enrollment within just a few months of opening.

Que la joie demeure (May the Joy Remain), Veronne, France

Located in a small village, Veronne, (pop. 41) in the Dr?me region, the Que La Joie Demeure Montessori School has been in existence for ten years. ?Today it welcomes 57 children aged 3 to 12 from the village and surrounding area. In their application, they describe traveling to the school. “To get to this exceptional natural site, a carpooling system has been set up. The last kilometer is covered on foot every morning, allowing the children to immerse themselves in their environment, refocus before starting school, and enjoy the peace and quiet of the neighborhood on their way to this country school. A village without a public school, our school brings dynamism to Veronne and this rural area.”

This school asked MGGF for funds for Montessori materials to restore their environments. ?During the school’s 10-year existence, some classroom materials had worn out, some had broken and some had disappeared. ?It was time to restore their environments. ?We were so pleased we could assist in restoring their classroom materials.

V?? Garsty?ios Grūdelis (The Mustard Seed), Kaunas, Lithuania

Located in Kaunas, near the center of Lithuania, The Mustard Seed started in 2022 as a 1-3 program by three mothers seeking an authentic Montessori learning environment for their young children. ?It currently serves 17 children ages one to six years old several of whom have learning challenges. ?

The school is one of very few true Montessori programs in the area. ?Its teachers are all Montessori AMI trained or in AMI training and the children are thriving. ?Parents asked the founders to add a 3-6 classroom, which they did in December 2023. ?

They requested funding from MGGF to purchase Montessori classroom materials for this new classroom. ?While they had some 3-6 materials, given that more children are enrolling, the 3-6 classroom needs additional materials. ?We feel so honored to help this program grow.

Montessori for Kenya, East Pokot, Kenya

Several years ago, MGGF paid the tuition, room and board, plus transportation for one of the first teacher trainees from East Pokot, a district in the Kenyan Rift Valley Province. Located in the semi-arid to arid savannah plains north of Lake Baringo, the district is one of the poorest areas of Kenya, characterized by rapid population growth, weak infrastructure, and high illiteracy rates. A large proportion of the population are pastoralists and live a traditional life with limited access to resources such as electricity and sanitation. ?

East Pokot is one of the most challenging areas within Kenya for a child to grow up in. Through Montessori education, these young boys and girls will get a wider choice of viable activities that are developmental and appreciative to humanity. As a result of this intervention, it is also expected that children will develop important capabilities such as greater social competence, enhanced thinking and reasoning skills at school age and fewer behavior problems.

Thus far, 10 young people from East Pokot have received training from St. Ann’s Montessori College in Nakuru, Kenya. ?We are thrilled to fund the training of another Montessori teacher from East Pokot. ?

Spruce Pine Montessori, Spruce Pine, North Carolina, USA

Spruce Pine Montessori School is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, and its children come from Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey Counties. ?In this tri-county area, the poverty level surpasses the state average by 5%, impacting 42% of its student body. Many students qualify for financial assistance.

MGGF is very pleased to award a grant to help train upperlevel and primary teachers for this impactful school. ?As their grant application stated, “The project extends its reach to benefit the broader community, contributing to the creation of a cadre of well-educated individuals. These community members will carry with them a robust foundation in Montessori principles, influencing not only their personal and academic lives but also contributing to the development of a more knowledgeable and engaged community at large.

This ripple effect underscores the enduring and far-reaching influence of quality Montessori education, transcending individual classrooms to shape the fabric of the community itself. In essence, the Montessori teacher training initiative at Spruce Pine Montessori School is not merely an investment in the present but a catalyst for long-term positive change.”