by Camilla Nichols, Senior Director of Montessori Development
and Tori Inkley, Executive Director

At The Montessori Children’s Academy (MCA), we believe in demonstrating to our students how all people can make a difference in our local communities and in the world. We want our children to understand that even from a young age, it is possible to make an impact on someone’s life. Whether that is done through feeding those who are hungry or providing warm coats, gloves, or blankets during the cold winter months, we value the importance of giving back.

Over MCA’s 25 year history, we have chosen various organizations that would welcome our students (beginning with the 2 ½-year-olds), families, and staff to become involved in different projects; leaving our footprints and spreading love and care to those in need. Over the years, some of MCA’s charitable efforts have included:

• Bridges Outreach Program: Our students, families, and staff collected various food items, which were placed in “breakfast bags” that were also decorated by students. Class Parents and some of our Elementary students then dropped the bags off at Bridges for distribution to those in need.
• Puerto Rico Montessori Assistance: During one school year, we were able to earmark the proceeds of our annual Kindergarten Bake Sale to help fund the re-building of Montessori Schools in Puerto Rico following a disastrous storm.
• Paws of War: MCA has sold reusable grocery bags and donated the proceeds to Paws of War. Students were then thrilled afterward when veterans came and brought their therapy dogs to visit our schools.
• St. Peter’s Orphanage: Another memorable organization that MCA worked with was St. Peter’s Orphanage. Our families, staff, and communities donated to a fund that allowed the boys residing at the orphanage to enjoy a festive winter celebration and helped to purchase items to create a Sensory room for the residents. MCA’s incredible staff also spent an In-Service Day cleaning the grounds of St. Peter’s, planting flowers, assembling bikes, and even putting together a skate ramp for the residents to enjoy. Through ties to an alumni family, a member of Zac Brown Band also provided signed drumsticks to all of the boys at St. Peter’s.
• The Valerie Fund: One school year, MCA partnered with The Valerie Fund when one of our alumni students was diagnosed with leukemia. Students, families, and staff joined together to donate teddy bears and various other toys to the fund to be given to children struggling with a cancer diagnosis that required months spent in a hospital.
• The Country Home: Just before COVID shut us all down, MCA worked with The Country Home, a Memory Care facility in Morristown. Our students and teaching staff created handmade Montessori materials for the residents of the facility. Each week, two of our staff members would visit the residents of The Country Home and work with them using those materials. Our motivation for this partnership stemmed from research that has shown that persons with dementia can regain some of their memory by using Montessori materials to stimulate their senses. During the holidays that year, our Elementary students also paid a visit to The Country Home where they read a holiday book and sang for the residents. It was an incredible experience for MCA to collaborate with this amazing facility! 
• Girls on the Run: Through a connection with the Girls on the Run organization, MCA was able to help create a Girls on the Run site for ten young girls at a Newark school. The curriculum for this program is self-esteem based and incorporates healthy living and running. Through donations from our families and staff, we were also able to help purchase new running shoes for the girls, who were extremely grateful for this new opportunity. Our Director of Montessori Development was then able to run a 5K with this group of girls and hand them their gold medals at the finish line.
• Interfaith Food Pantry of Morris Plains: Most recently, in November, MCA participated in a Thanksgiving Food Drive in conjunction with the Interfaith Food Pantry of Morris Plains, as well as Calvary Presbyterian Church in Florham Park. Our students, families, and staff donated food items that went into making hundreds of Thanksgiving meals during the holiday. Some of our Class Parents helped drop off the donations at the food pantry and commented on what a special experience it was for them and their children.

No matter what organization we are supporting or to what charity we may be donating, we at MCA strongly feel that with this charitable giving of items, knowledge, or time, it is most important that our students understand why we are involved in such projects. It is not enough to just give; we also take these opportunities to educate our students on just how differently life can look to our fellow human beings. We do this by reading books, looking at pictures, having in-depth discussions, and whenever possible, inviting these organizations to visit our schools and talk with our students.

The Montessori Children’s Academy is devoted to not only educating our lifelong learners, but to helping build good, caring citizens of the world. We work to illustrate to our students that our communities and our world are better because they each are here and they are capable of making a long lasting impact, even from a young age, on the lives of others. We are all leaving footprints on this Earth and in this world. It is never too early to begin leaving the “good kind”.