Montessori Head Start Program at Premier Academy, Inc.

Building Equity Through Montessori Teacher Training

March 2025

Premier Academy, Inc., a longstanding early childhood education provider in Atlanta, is seeking grant funding to expand its groundbreaking Montessori Head Start Program by training two new lead teachers at the Minnie Howell Child Development Center. This initiative builds upon the proven success of the program at the Renaissance Parkway CDC, the first of its kind in Georgia, which has provided transformative Montessori education to low-income, primarily African American children for the past four years.

Montessori education is widely recognized for fostering independence, critical thinking, and social-emotional development, yet it remains largely inaccessible to underserved families due to financial barriers and a shortage of trained educators. Premier Academy is working to change that. With grant support, the organization will certify two new Montessori teachers, strengthen its model of high-quality early learning, and provide consistent, child-centered education for young learners in Head Start programs.

The impact of this work is far-reaching. Students who began their journeys at the Renaissance Parkway site have already gone on to attend Montessori elementary schools, and the program has led to measurable developmental gains and improved school readiness. Beyond classroom outcomes, this initiative will help build a diverse pipeline of Montessori educators, many of whom reflect the communities they serve. By embedding Montessori within Head Start, Premier Academy is not only closing the achievement gap but also dismantling long-standing inequities in access to high-quality early education.

Through this grant MGGF seeks to help Premier Academy create lasting change in metro Atlanta’s education landscape—ensuring that every child, regardless of income, has the opportunity to thrive through the power of Montessori learning.