Montessori Origins

July 2023

Montessori Origins connects the time-tested and proven framework of Montessori early childhood education to orphanages and underserved communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  In the summer of 2021, Nina Rotello, a Bosnian-American, her husband Adam, and their children were visiting Nina’s homeland when they decided to visit an orphanage in Sarajevo. They thought they would make a charitable donation.

When they visited, they had a light-bulb moment. The children had their basic needs met — the orphanage was doing the best it could with their limited funding — but there was such a missed opportunity. The toddler and preschool aged kids were essentially in a waiting pattern until public schooling started at the age of six.  

They thought back to their first observation of their own childrens’ Montessori school and what a stark difference this model of education made in the foundation of life. It seemed clear that this early-learning framework would make a world of difference in the lives of these orphans. And they began to set up Montessori Origins. They turned to friends and family for help. They put together a strong board with mentors to help them launch Montessori Origins.

Nina and Adam approached an orphanage in Sarajevo (Dom Bjelave Orphanage) to ask them if they could bring a fully functional Montessori classroom into their facility. It was to be a pilot program for the orphanage and its pre-school children.  These pre-school aged children would attend daily under the guidance of a  trained Montessori Directress. All the orphanage had to do was supply the space and cooperation to ensure the children would be present each day. 

The pilot program began in September 2022 and the children are thriving. Montessori Origins’ organization and program have been met well by the orphanage director and the community as a whole.

To transition children into a Montessori environment (e.g., grace and courtesy, how to handle/use materials), 2-3 workshops for the orphanage children were held for a few hours each week prior to operating the learning environment Monday-Friday from 9:00am-3:00pm. The children adapted quickly, but maintaining the balanced flow of the environment has sometimes been challenging because sporadically there are “drop-ins” when orphanage staff bring in and “drop off” children who are not part of the program (e.g., new children who are not familiar with the Montessori environment, or children who are part of the special needs program).

Montessori Origins is currently planning an expansion of its program to incorporate toddler and Nido classrooms. 

To do that, they need materials and furnishings.  This is where we can help.  We can fund the acquisition of these classroom materials and furnishing with donations. 

Every gift contributes to helping the children thrive, from the youngest to the almost formal school-aged child.