We value our community.

Desert Montessori has emphasized sustainability and global education as it directly relates to our mission. We strive to teach global responsibility throughout each child’s day, complementing Maria Montessori’s cosmic curriculum.

Our pledge to students, parents, and teachers: Our aim is to use non-toxic materials in the school and on our grounds whenever possible. By adopting this mission we aim to:

Improve indoor air quality
Remove toxic materials from places where children learn and play
Employ sustainable purchasing and green cleaning practices
Improve environmental literacy in students
Decrease the burden on municipal water and wastewater treatment
Compared to traditional products, green cleaning products minimize health risks, reduce pollution, and conserve resources.
Children are more susceptible to the effects of cleaning chemicals and other toxins because they are still developing and they behave differently than adults—rolling around on the floor of a classroom, for example.

Desert Montessori is proud to have one of the first environmentally and socially responsible retirement plans in the country. Our plan was built by Longview Asset Management, a local Certified B-Corporation, here in Santa Fe, NM. We believe it is important to protect the future we are investing for, and are working with LongView to make money a force for good. Our teachers’ 403(b) plans are ingrained with a dedication to harnessing the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. Unlike traditional corporations, Certified B Corps are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions not only on their shareholders, but also on their stakeholders, which includes employees, suppliers, clients, community, and the environment.

“If help and salvation are to come, they can only come from the children, for the children are the makers of men.”

Maria Montessori

Non-Toxic Products

We have begun adopting a green cleaning program at our school in order to positively affect the health of each and every person who enters its doors. Our staff aims to use environmentally friendly cleaning products for a more healthy environment for the children. Carpets are steamed annually using natural products, and the older students are encouraged to clean up using healthier methods that have less potential to aggravate breathing issues such as asthma and allergies.

Gardening

The school’s campus contains a butterfly peace garden and raised garden beds compliments of Grow Y’Own and La Montanita Coop. Great care is taken on our property to honor native plants and leave as much wildlife as possible. Students also regularly participate in composting and other environmental pursuits, such as worm gardening.

Recycling

We implement a comprehensive recycling program throughout the school, in every classroom and office space. From paper to aluminum to plastic, bins are placed around the school to encourage participation from all of the building’s occupants, from toddlers to adults. We utilize local refill stations, like SOAP Supply in Santa Fe, to reduce plastic waste when re-upping our cleaning products.

Service

Service is an incredibly important part of the Montessori curriculum. Our goal is for students to develop ecological consciousness, community awareness, and empathy for others. Our elementary classrooms choose a community outreach focus for the year, then students and the teachers work together to develop service contributions focusing around each organization’s needs and goals.