Black Montessori Education Fund

Public schools across the country are struggling to meet the needs of many students, especially Black children—too often offering outdated methods, overcrowded classrooms, and under-funded environments that don’t fully support their potential or the potential of education to be used for liberation and change.

The Black Montessori Education Fund (BMEF) is working to change that by supporting an alternative approach: Montessori education. Developed over 110 years ago, Montessori is a revolutionary method that centers on each child’s unique strengths, curiosity, and pace. It fosters independence, confidence, and a lifelong love of learning. Montessori education offers a path not just for individual success but for building peaceful, just communities. Yet Black children and educators remain vastly underrepresented in Montessori classrooms and leadership. Many face financial and systemic barriers that prevent access to this transformative education.

BMEF provides critical funding, mentorship, professional development, community support to Black educators, families, and leaders—helping to train more Black Montessori teachers and start new programs rooted in cultural affirmation, inclusion in practice, and equity of access.

Our work is essential—not only for Black children and families but for creating a more inclusive and compassionate world. Supporting BMEF means investing in an educational movement that lifts up Black voices and leads us all toward a future of justice, opportunity, and shared humanity.