Hope Montessori Academies (HMA)

We serve the needs of our community.the Hope Educational and Research Center network of schools serves more than 2000 Missouri children every year. Our families have the option of selecting either a montessori-based approach or a traditional approach to education for their children. Both alternatives afford children the benefit of learning in state-of-the-art, Educational environment and both alternatives afford children the benefit of learning from fully trained and certified faculty and staff. In addition, Hope Educational and Research Center provides oversight and management of its controlled affiliate, Hope montessori academy (hma). Hma operates 8 montessori schools in Colorado serving aporoximately 2000 children. Hma files a separate form 990. Hope Educational & Research Center is the sole corporate member of hma.our schools are characterized by a highly diversified student body as relates to race, religion, ethnicity and nationality. The breadth of our diversity is unmatched by any other school or Educational program in the greater st. louis area. This is a unique advantage that serves to promote collaboration, understanding and a sense of community within the student body and among the families we serve.we maintain the highest professional standards. The professional standards to which we hold our organization, our faculty and our staff routinely exceed any state guidelines or mandates, especially as relates to student-teacher ratios, continuing education requirements, cpr training, first aid training, etc.as a demonstration of our commitment to upholding the highest professional standards, we suspend all school operations on the second friday of february each year in order to host an organization-wide professional conference designed to serve the continuing Educational needs of our faculty and staff. The interests and needs of our employees guide the focus of our conference each year. As a supplement to this event, our schools host various workshops, lectures and other training programs throughout the year to insure plenty of opportunities for faculty and staff to acquire the training they need to perform at the highest possible professional and Educational standards.our faculty and staff are recognized for professional achievement.our faculty and staff make meaningful contributions to professional associations and civic organizations each year. They are routinely recognized by independent Educational and accrediting bodies for outstanding work in the field of education. Awards previously conferred on our faculty and staff include the teacher of distinction award by the independent schools of st. louis (issl), the emerson electric company's excellence in teaching award, the creve coeur olivette chamber of commerce's businessperson of the year award (for accomplishments of the chamber's education committee), among many others.in addition, our faculty members conduct classes, workshops, seminars and lectures at our own schools, at competitor schools, at regional and national professional conferences and at local institutions of higher education. Presentations have included venues such as webster university, maryville university, st. louis cooperative school district, st. louis child day care association, american montessori society regional and national conferences, among many other training Center programs.we support the Educational aspirations of our faculty and staff.as a demonstration of our commitment to our faculty and staff, we offer employee assistance programs as a way to encourage Educational advancement within the ranks of our organization. The Hope Educational assistance program provides financial assistance to part-time employees who are working their way through an undergraduate degree. The Hope montessori assistance program provides financial assistance to employees interested in pursuing montessori certification.we are committed to excellence in education.we believe that our commitment to excellence in the education and care of our students, our families, our faculty and staff is what separates us from any other private school in greater st. louis and the central Missouri region.

Hope Educational & Research Center offers montessori training and certification for adults seeking to become professional montessori teachers at the infant-toddler (0-3 yrs. Of age) level and at the early childhood (3-6 yrs. Of age) level.the hmei education course provides comprehensive preparation for adults interested in working with children in multi-age groupings, using the montessori method. The education courses are designed to prepare and transform adult students into montessori educators. This is a certificate course, approximately twelve months in duration, with discrete periods of study designed to run consecutively and without interruption. In addition to the periods of study, advanced seminars are required for certification. The academic and practicum hours required for hmei course completion meet and exceed the minimum standards established by the ams.the hmei montessori teacher training program adheres to the highest possible academic and professional standards. Hmei is:- affiliated with the american montessori society (ams), - accredited by the montessori accreditation council for teacher education (macte) and- certified by the state of Missouri as a school for higher education growing interest in montessori education within the st. louis area, throughout the midwest, the u.s., and around the world, has fueled a surge in demand for qualified montessori educators. In response to this demand, and in order to serve the needs of future Hope families and the montessori community at large, the mission of the Hope organization has been extended to include a new objective - the education and development of montessori teachers. Hope montessori Educational institute (hmei) was launched in september 2011 to fulfill this objective. The summer of 2012 marks the beginning of its inaugural year. Excellence in education is the hallmark of the Hope organization. Over the past four decades the Hope montessori academies have earned respect and recognition within the montessori community and the public at large, as a superior source for private, montessori education. It is the intention of the organization to carry this tradition forward into the Hope montessori Educational institute as a way to further promote quality montessori education in the u.s. and around the globe. Mission statement of hmei:it is the mission of the Hope montessori Educational institute to insure the transmission of quality montessori education through the development of teachers and schools that nurture creativity, curiosity, compassion, respect and a joyfulness for life. Our objective extends beyond educating adult learners in the technical and procedural requirements for acquiring montessori certification. At hmei, certification is a byproduct of our mission to ignite our students' passion for the process of learning, to inspire them to explore and create new, innovative ways in which to extend and expand their own learning and that of the young students for whom they will soon be responsible. By preparing our teacher education students for the responsibilities of leadership within the global montessori community, we will enable them to carry the spirit of dr. montessori's work into the future, for the benefit of generations to come. Through this and through the promotion and advancement of quality montessori education, we Hope to make a meaningful contribution to a more harmonious and peaceful world. Vision statement of the Hope montessori Educational institute (hmei):hmei is dedicated to excellence, to advancement and to the promotion of quality montessori teacher education around the world. We strive to support this vision by:- first understanding and then supporting the needs of the students we serve; - making quality montessori education accessible by expanding our teacher education programs domestically and around the globe; - embracing and supporting Research that will extend and expand our knowledge about learning and education in general, and about the application of montessori theory and philosophy, in particular; - investing in technology and harnessing its power within our teacher education programs to benefit not only our students, but ultimately the children they will serve - tomorrows leaders. Brief history of the Hope organization:the Hope organization began more than 40 years ago, originating in st. louis, Missouri, where it has earned widespread respect and recognition as a proven leader in the greater montessori community. Most commonly known for our quality montessori preschools, we now carry forward this same tradition of excellence into montessori teacher education. The Hope organization operates the Hope montessori infant and toddler community, the Hope montessori academies, and the andrews academy elementary schools. More than 2000 children are educated in the classrooms, halls and on the grounds of these schools every year. Although the organization offers both montessori and traditional alternatives in education, it is most widely known for the montessori preschools from which it originated. Hope has become a leader in montessori education, evolving from a single campus in the heart of creve coeur, Missouri, a suburb of west st. louis county. Over the course of its 40+ years of operation, the Hope organization has expanded to comprise a network of 16 schools throughout the greater midwest.