The Montessori School
The Montessori School is the first authentic Montessori environment in Curaçao. This is a method of education that is based on self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play and letting children make creative choices in their learning while highly trained teachers offer age-appropriate activities to guide the process. The Montessori School in Curaçao offers many programs and benefits for the youth of the island.
They have programs for children between 12 months and 6 years (as of August 2019). They will expand their programs to include ages 6 to 12 in 2020 and 12 to 18 in 2023. The children receive an authentic Montessori education, which encourages each child to develop self-discipline, intrinsic motivation, compassion for others and the environment, and social and individual responsibility. This education method also teaches them traditional academic subjects such as reading, writing and mathematics.
At this school children also receive exposure to the three most spoken languages in the world (Spanish, English and Mandarin), along with those spoken locally (Dutch and Papiamentu), and the freedom to learn at their own pace, using their own learning style.
And due to the multilingual environment and the nature of the Montessori education, foreign students can also attend the school; the Montessori curriculum is based on Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) standards, which are recognized all over the world. And these programs also benefit local students as they will grow up to speak, read and write the above-mentioned languages fluently, which means that they will be highly employable both locally and abroad.
The Montessori curriculum is inclusive too, which means that children with learning disabilities are able to learn in the same environment as children who don’t have those disabilities. And the school is accessible to a broad range of families through their scholarship program. Their adolescent program is also unique in the region, allowing children in that age scope to learn a range of skills. This includes traditional academic subjects and practical skills such as a trade, craft and entrepreneurship.:
The Montessori Village
The Montessori Village can be best described as an ecosystem for social entrepreneurship and green technology while also being a research and innovation center for those fields, education and elderly care. Among the features of this village are; an ecosystem where new technology, ideas and processes can be researched and beta tested, quality education for ages 0 – 18 years based on the Montessori curriculum by Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), quality care for the elderly, including those suffering from dementia and a green living lifestyle.
Sustainability is the basis of the village with regards to technology, education and agriculture and it complies with the Unesco Global Goals as adopted by the Curaçaoan government in the National Development Plan for Curaçao.
Montessori is also open to associations with local and international organizations and its broad and inclusive curriculum offers many lucrative returns for investors as well.
