In the Press

Background about us

Here’s a story about us, our history, and what we’re striving to accomplish. It was published online on VoyageDallas, September 1, 2022.

 April 2, 2021

Baden Montessori School Receives $5,000 Grant from the Montessori Global Growth Fund

ST. LOUIS – Baden Montessori School received a $5,000 grant from the Montessori Global Growth Fund. The grant allowed the school to purchase Montessori materials and other classroom items needed for its grand opening, which is set to occur this spring.

The fund supports grassroots, community-based schools that typically cannot get funding from traditional sources.

“This grant has provided a life line of support for us as a start up organization,” said Kimberly Kendle Roberson, guide and Head of School. “With it, we have been able to purchase Montessori materials and other items for the classroom, which are expensive.

“The significance of this grant can’t be understated,” Roberson added. “We were awarded and received the grant before our opening. Since we are a new organization, we can’t get a loan or compete for other grants until we officially open. I even tried going to the Small Business Administration, but they don’t provide loans to nonprofits.”

In addition to purchasing Montessori materials, the grant provided funding for furniture, cabinetry and operating expenditures that included liability insurance and admissions software.

Robeson said that she learned of the Montessori Global Growth Fund last year after speaking with Lynne Lawrence, executive director of the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI). AMI is the organization founded by Dr. Maria Montessori, of whom the Montessori pedagogy originated in Rome, Italy in 1907.

The school plans to open this month and is currently accepting enrollment applications for the end of the school year for a small cohort of students, ages 3 to 6. Baden is also accepting applications for a small summer program called Montessori Mornings. Preference for the summer program will be given to families who also enroll in the school for the 2021-22 school year.

Baden Montessori is located in the Baden neighborhood, near 1-70 and Broadway, just 5 to 10 minutes from downtown. The school will open with one classroom and expand as resources become available.

For more information, contact Kimberly Kendle Roberson, guide and Head of School, at 314-266-8176.

The Montessori Global Growth Fund is a 501c3 organization based in Dallas, Texas. Its mission is to free the child’s infinite potential; its broadened vision: to realize Maria Montessori’s vision of a more peaceful world; its values: to fund grassroots Montessori initiatives that support optimal human development.

Baden Montessori is a private, nonprofit, 501c3 organization. Its mission is to provide a fully implemented Montessori school that serves students ages 2 1⁄2 to 6 in the City of St. Louis. The curriculum will be taught within an environment that values, actively seeks and practices racial and socio-economic diversity; equity and inclusion; social and restorative justice; community support and restoration; and entrepreneurial thinking.

###