AEME: Empowering Kids to Explore, Learn, and Play
When you walk into an Alliance for Equity in Montessori Education (AEME) classroom, it is apparent that it is a space designed specifically for the children to explore, learn, and play. The teachers are guides as the children choose materials that appeal to them. One group of children carefully folds t-shirts and jeans with the guidance of an adult, two children pour water from one child-sized vessel to another and then clean up spilled water with a cloth, while another child grabs a sparkly rainbow boot from a shelf and asks an adult guide to give her a lace-tying lesson.
“The Montessori model allows kids to have ownership over their space and their work, and we really honor their skills and abilities,” says Liora Berry, AEME Executive Director. “The kids are confident to try things, and know it is okay to make mistakes. The children have the freedom to work with their friends or alone, and they can learn from and teach each other.” SVP staff saw that confidence in action when they made a site visit to view the classrooms full of joyful and curious preschoolers. “Just sitting in a classroom totally fills me with happiness,” reflects Liora, and we couldn’t agree more.
The site visit only reinforced why we recently reinvested in AEME, with a $25,000 grant and Partner time. AEME provides tuition-free Montessori schools for preschool-age children.
The AEME classrooms at Alder Montessori serve 45 students, most of whom are from families impacted by economic and racial inequities. There are ten languages spoken in the school right now, which can be a challenge, but parents are actively involved in their childrens’ education. AEME provides new parent orientations, monthly parent coffees, parent nights, and family lesson nights. And the nurturing educational environment doesn’t stop with AEME. Students at Alder Elementary are supported by Greater Than, an organization that empowers students from poverty-impacted communities to thrive in school, college, and career. AEME provides sturdy building blocks for future success throughout their educational journey.
