Scholarship program
Willa Mae Golden Teacher Training Scholarship
Scholarship applications will open in Oct 2025.
As part of our mission to create a pipeline of Black Montessori educators, the BMEF provides funding to eligible teachers who are pursuing or would like to pursue Montessori teacher training with a MACTE-certified training center or AMI or AMS.
Priority is given to those who have already been accepted or are enrolled into a Montessori training program, but we encourage all Black educators who are interested in obtaining a Montessori credential to apply.
Willa Mae Golden was one of Washington DC’s first Black Montessori-trained public school educators. She passed away in 2022 after an inspiring lifelong career in education and a commitment to making Montessori available to Black children. We are honored to designate the name of our scholarship to her.
Child Tuition Scholarships
Education plays a transformative role in empowering individuals by equipping them with knowledge and skills, ultimately paving the way towards greater freedom and opportunities in life. Yet access to a high-quality, culturally responsive, and transformative education continues to elude far too many Black families and communities, who are often unaware that the Montessori approach exists and unable to access programs.
The BMEF aims to break this barrier by providing scholarships for Black children to access the transformative Montessori educational approach, which places value on the racial, cultural, economic, and spiritual background of all and seeks to support the holistic development of the whole child.
Parents who would like to send their children to a Montessori school are encouraged to apply. Priority is given to those who are already accepted or enrolled into a program and especially for those needing to complete a 3-year-cycle.
Educational Capital
Educational inequity in the US is perpetuated by the placement of quality schools only in certain neighborhoods, and by the unequal provision of resources to school districts. The BMEF seeks to counter this by providing resources to help cultivate the awareness of and access to Montessori education programs. We provide Educational Capital to current and future school leaders who are focused on starting or maintaining programs that aim to provide authentic Montessori environments to Black children and families.
Ideal candidates will have already completed the planning phase of their project, have proof of interest from the community, and can demonstrate the need for capital to support the success of the program.
Research/Evaluation Grants
Statistics help us to see gaps and pioneer for change that is needed to support equal access and opportunity to all.
The BMEF sees the value and importance of research into Montessori best practices and outcomes, and provides funding for Black educational leaders and researchers to organize, study, and promote initiatives that support the mission of the BMEF. Additionally, we are seeking help to evaluate the outcomes and impact of our organization and the support we’ve given over the years.
Candidates who can demonstrate their background and qualifications for conducting their research are encouraged to apply.
This year we were able to provide 45 Black educators, children, and school leaders with scholarships to access Montessori programs. This included 12 Willa Mae Golden Teacher Training Scholarships, 23 Child Tuition Scholarships, and 10 grants for Educational Capital.
See the winners below!
Other resourcesThere are many Montessori schools willing to sponsor their teachers to get their Montessori credentials. Consider talking to the administrator for your school or intended school to see what options you can explore together. Also, check the Facebook group “Montessori Jobs All over the World”.
For a list of some AMI-USA schools offering sponsorships, click here.
For parents
Some schools offer a sliding scale for the cost of child tuition, and some are offering financial aid for families in the US to be able to afford their child’s Montessori school tuition.
For more information click here.
For aspiring teachers
To add your school or training center to the list of sponsors, please contact us.
Support our mission today.