Mission:  The mission of Montessori Borealis is to employ the philosophy and methods of Dr. Maria Montessori to educate young people to their fullest potential, instilling a deep sense of personal independence and social responsibility.  With the knowledge that they are citizens of the world, they will contribute to that world by making decisions based on the highest order of ethics and conscience. 

History of Juneau’s Public School Montessori Program:  In 1994, an AMI-trained Montessori teacher and 17 students joined the School District to become Juneau’s first public Montessori classroom, serving grades 1-4.  Two years later, this class was split into two classrooms, a lower elementary class (for grades 1-3) and an upper elementary class (for grades 4-6).  An adolescent program for grades 7 & 8 was added in 2005.  The program has continued to grow to its current configuration of 6 classrooms: two lower elementary, two upper elementary, and two combined Adolescent classrooms.

As of the fall of 2009, the Montessori Program is located under one roof, in the Marie Drake building downtown.  There are approximately 115 children enrolled in the program.

The Montessori elementary and adolescent program funding and target enrollment levels are consistent with those of other district classes.  The Montessori teachers are fully certified by both the state of Alaska and the Association Montessori Internationale for the grades that they teach.  The teachers work closely with the principals of the host schools and with the district’s assistant superintendent.  The Juneau School District has established a lottery system to insure that that the Montessori classrooms reflect the diversity in other district schools.

Who was Maria Montessori?  Maria Montessori (1870-1952) was the first woman in Italy to become a physician. She also studied engineering, and did advanced studies in anthropology. She then immersed herself in the study of children and how they learn, and contributed greatly to the burgeoning field of child psychology.  She first worked with developmentally disabled children and devised new materials and methods to help them learn.  Later she turned her attention to all children and applied her skills, talents and experiences to create what is known as “The Montessori Method.”   

She held a deep belief in the potential of each child to develop their intellectual, emotional and physical powers, with a balance of freedom of work through fostering self-discipline.  She trained teachers, supervised programs for children, wrote numerous books about her theories, was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize, and gave birth to an international movement for peace and education which has evolved and flourished.