🌿 Our Story | Authentic Montessori Education Since 1981
The Maria Montessori Center was founded in 1981 by Mr. and Mrs. Kerbawy with a clear and heartfelt vision: to create a school where they could raise their own children while offering an authentic, international Montessori education to the broader community. From the beginning, the school was grounded in the true principles of the Montessori philosophy, emphasizing respect for the child, strong academics, and education as a lifelong foundation.
As one of the long-standing Montessori schools in the area, The Maria Montessori Center has remained committed to providing a learning environment that supports intellectual growth, independence, and character development.
Continuing a Legacy of Montessori Excellence
In November 2017, Mona Ahuja, the current Head of School, proudly continued this legacy of educational excellence. With a strong foundation in Montessori methodology and extensive experience working with children—including founding a Hindi language school—Mrs. Ahuja brought renewed passion, dedication, and leadership to The Maria Montessori Center.
Driven by her belief in purposeful, child-centered education, she relocated across states to fulfill her dream of guiding children through the Montessori method while preserving its authenticity, academic integrity, and developmental focus.
A Montessori School Focused on the Whole Child
As a Montessori school, The Maria Montessori Center nurtures intelligence, curiosity, and imagination while recognizing and supporting each child’s unique talents and developmental journey. Our approach goes beyond rote learning or performance-based outcomes. Instead, we focus on cultivating confident, capable, and compassionate learners who develop a genuine love of learning.
Strong Academics, Discipline, and Independence
The Maria Montessori Center stands firmly on the pillars of strong academics and discipline, as guided by the Montessori philosophy. Children are encouraged to explore and discover independently within a carefully prepared, structured, and guided environment. This balance of freedom and structure supports the development of responsibility, concentration, and self-discipline.
Independence is central to the Montessori approach. Through meaningful engagement with hands-on, concrete Montessori materials, children learn by doing—touching, manipulating, questioning, reading, listening, and reflecting. This active learning process allows children to internalize concepts deeply and meaningfully, fostering independence, confidence, and critical thinking skills.
Preserving a Legacy of Montessori Education
Today, The Maria Montessori Center remains dedicated to honoring its founding vision while continuing to grow with purpose. Our mission is to preserve a legacy of academic excellence, authentic Montessori education, and respect for the whole child, ensuring that each student is prepared not only for school, but for life.