Partners

Montessori for Kenya works with partners in supporting the proliferation of Montessori education in Kenya.  The organization plays the following roles towards the partnerships:

  1. Quality assurance, and Professional Development Supports:  Ensuring pedagogical and implementation quality among the Corner of Hope Schools, the Samburu sites, and other Montessori school sites as they arise, and develop a roadmap towards enhanced National and International AMI training in Kenya.
  2. Administration and project management/oversight:  for schools, facilities, and supplies.  This requires administrative excellence and attention, and strong project management support.  It also includes bringing on vendors and other resources to ensure project learning and growth, such as pedagogical experts and ethnographic researchers.
  3. External relationships and partnerships: Development of relationships with other entities in the space (Kenyan government, Catholic Church, other partners such and private institutions, Samburu schools and other stakeholders in education).
  4. Long-range planning and strategic growth of Montessori in Kenya: Examining avenues for new models to propagate quality spread of Montessori in Kenya; examining new funding sources including philanthropic, earned revenue, and potential impact investment capital.

AMI: Corner of Hope

The Corner of Hope is a pilot initiative to show how Montessori Teacher Training and Schools can be delivered to the most vulnerable communities such as those in refugee, transit and IDP Camps. Its aim is self-reliance not dependence, community not school. Self ownership and control, dignity and self worth which all play an important role in overcoming the effects of trauma experienced by the inhabitants of the camps. It has the added advantage of building for the future and creating transferable skills that will accompany both adults and children wherever their final destination may be.

The key objective was to engage the community in all aspects of the process, from construction, making materials and teaching. Since 2010, 48 teachers have been locally trained from the Internally Displaced Community at the 3-6 level. 27 teachers have been locally trained at the 6-12 level in the first ever elementary course in Africa, run under the guidance of Jean Miller (AMI Trainer) and mentors Eric Gumah, Eileen Spalla and Poinsy Pino (all AMI 6-12 teachers). 10 teachers were from Corner of Hope, 9 from other parts of Kenya and 8 from Tanzania.

10 years into existence, the Corner of Hope school in New Canaan is thriving and has become a community centre. A second location has opened at a nearby location at the request of the community in Kisima. Corner of Hope has become a model for analysis and replication, demonstrating a strong foundation in community, skilled and engaged teachers and flourishing children. For more information, visit https://montessori-esf.org/corner-hope

 

Sarara Foundation: Montessori Samburu

The Samburu nomadic school initiative has started in 2018 with a community engagement programme. Four Samburu teachers are undertaking their 3-6 training and two teachers from Corner of Hope have moved to the region and will act as senior members of this new team. A central resource centre will be established in the latter part of 2018 and subsequently the teachers will set up satellite schools that will follow the movement and settlement patterns of the Samburu who, as pastoral nomads, travel for water and fresh pastures for their animals. A team of four teachers (2 senior teachers from Corner of Hope and 2 Samburu trainees on attachment) is now based in the Namunyak Conservancy and visits the Ntaparani and Tintil settlement areas to work with the children and parents in temporary Montessori environments. 

For more information, visit http://www.sararafoundation.org