Montessori Community School of Rhode Island

July 2024

As stated in their application, MCS RI pioneers accessible, liberatory Montessori education, with a mission of cultivating a love of learning in a racially and socioeconomically inclusive community. 

Half of their student population identifies as BIPOC and benefits from financial aid. MCS RI has stood as the sole Montessori institution serving this specific demographic in Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Department of Education approved MCS RI to become a designated state funded Pre-K program for one of their primary classrooms. As a result, they will operate a tuition-free classroom for three to six-year-olds starting Fall 2024, advancing their mission to make Montessori education more equitable and inclusive.

MCS RI believes that access and liberation in education must also be extended to their teachers, especially those from historically resilient backgrounds. The scarcity of Montessori-credentialed BIPOC teachers, both nationwide and in RI, underscores a critical gap hindering the mission. Montessori training for educators is extremely expensive and therefore often inaccessible to historically resilient educators.

Support from MGGF will enable MCS RI to continue making critical investments in those BIPOC educators that are core to their work. Providing programs for mental health and wellness to their educators and teachers in training is a crucial part of the holistic and practical training the teachers receive. This will ultimately help them achieve their goal of building a robust BIPOC teacher pipeline for their school which will in turn sustain them over the long term.