Our Mission

To advance the Kingdom of God through Christian Montessori by educating infants through adolescents to love, learn and lead; we offer individual, innovative, inspirational lessons through which learners can experience purpose for today and be prepared for tomorrow.

Problem

Education comes from the Latin term “educare” which means to bring into the light. However, much of education is a dark and lifeless experience for the millions of children 18 years and younger. Stateside, the education model favors behavioralist-methods, with desks, homework, tests, and a cycle of boredom. Worldwide, there is a depravity of options and some of the most underserved populations are the most forgotten.

Solution

Children matter to Christ both on earth and for eternity.  Because of our love for Christ, commitment to children, and passion about constructivism, we want to make Christian Montessori education available to as many children as possible – both stateside and worldwide.

We seek to create more invitational, educational models that are enticing by:

  • ENCOURAGING parents
  • NORMALIZING children
  • TEACHING truth
  • INCORPORATING Christ
  • CREATING constructivist classrooms
  • ENGAGING in community

Our Beliefs

We are in the Lord’s hands. He created us with His HANDS and loves each of us. He has written all our names in His Book of Life if we believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord.

Jesus took children seriously and called them to Himself, placed His HAND on them and blessed them, and said the Kingdom of Heaven belonged to those who were like children.

True learning occurs when the child can do things for himself/herself and have the activities in HAND along with freedom and boundaries, and an open work cycle.

Parents are an essential part of education and should be encouraged, educated and embraced with a HAND-shake style partnership.

All of life is better HAND-IN-HAND, as parent to child, parent to instructor, instructor to child, child to child, parent to parent, and all to God.

Our Foundation

Hand In Hand Christian Montessori is foundationally a Judeo-Christian educational institution, where Christ is the Cornerstone (1 Peter 2:4-7).

Christ

Jesus is the only way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). Therefore, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will be encouraged for the students and modeled and affirmed by our faculty and staff (Romans 10:9)

Scripture

We believe in the Bible, cover to cover as the inspired and inerrant Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Joshua 1:8)

Unity

We agree with saints and apologists of old who wrote “In the essentials – unity, in the non-essentials – liberty and in all things – charity.”

Our Motto

We write on the hands and hearts of our children the truths of God’s Word and God’s World as we rise up, and lie down, as we talk and walk with them.

(Based on Deut. 6:7)

Our Philosophy

Unique Child

We believe each child is a UNIQUE CHILD, with inquisitive, creative, inspiring natural bents. They move through development stages, called sensitive periods, in which particular learning is at its optimum level. We hold to the truth that God deeply loves all people and has a plan for each of our lives (Jeremiah 29:11).

Prepared Environment

For children, education can be a joyful process in a PREPARED ENVIRONMENT of continuous learning, using proper educational tools that are hands-on and encouraging and self-correct. We believe in creating a cooperative classroom that is child-sized, safe, and sensorial-based that fosters respect, responsibility and resourcefulness. A Montessori-style classroom houses beautiful, natural materials of religious education, practical life, sensorial refinement, mathematics, language arts, natural science, history, geography and creative arts. Children respond differently to lessons because they are created uniquely by God (Psalm 139:14) and have special gifts (Romans 12:6).

Equipped Teachers

Hand In Hand’s purpose is to provide learners, infant to senior high, with a carefully prepared environments that are brought to life by EQUIPPED TEACHERS, who serves as mentors and guides, and who have been trained in this work to help children learn for themselves. Our educational goal is to provide children with a positive, self-initiated learning environment emphasizing God’s unconditional love (Romans 8:38). We hope that this educational experience assists them in growing in holiness, discerning vocations, and preparing for a lifelong ministry for the greater glory of Christ and His Kingdom.

Passionate Parents

Hand In Hand invites PASSIONATE PARENTS to participate in presentations and discussions related to children and families in a context of godly values and spiritual support (Titus 2:3-5). As advocates of the home, our mission is to strengthen families by educating parents in their role as their child’s first and most important teacher, nurturer, and role model (Proverbs 22:6). Parents of preschool, elementary, junior and senior high children who are intentional about continuing purposeful activities at home and/or in home education will feel supported with our educational philosophy and resources.

Meaningful Activities

Hand In Hand desires to engage parents and children in MEANINGFUL ACTIVITIES in the classroom context, community activities as well as at home (Deuteronomy 11:9). We have planned a balanced year of days both at Hand in Hand and at home designed to encourage families to play and learn, work and worship together. Our Family Events and Fundraisers are ways that we celebrate together.

We share Dr. Maria Montessori’s dream…

That millions of children enter into a hands-on, individual, nurturing place with trained Christian Guides who will inspire them to love, learn and lead. In 1910, Dr. Maria Montessori dedicated herself to the work with young children and said, “I offer myself as a [sacrifice] to Jesus Christ, our Lord, desiring to follow the path of his divine will.”

E.M. Standings, her close friend and confidant challenged: “those who have read [this vow] and appreciate its contents would join in praying for the intention that Almighty God, in his love and wisdom, would raise up some individual or group of individuals, who under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, would found such an order – which would in fact be…the Children of Light.”

Join us in making this dream a reality both stateside and worldwide.