In the early 20th century, Dr. Maria Montessori observed children and adolescents and developed an educational approach to holistically meet their developmental needs. The Montessori Method is what came out of that! At Mosaic, our guides and administrators are Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)-trained prepared adults. We are committed to undergoing the stringent process of recognition for all ages and classrooms as they open. Our Center for Work and Study for adolescents is undergoing the process of recognition during the 2025-2026 academic year, preparing to be one of the first schools to ever receive this distinction at the adolescent level!

We love the outdoors and are inspired to introduce our students to new ways of connecting with nature. Montessori education emphasizes direct contact with nature throughout a child's life. For teenagers, nature offers a place for calm reflection, opportunities for physical work and movement, economic resources for making money, and a launch pad for lots of adventure!  

The disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math arose from both human wonder and need. In the Children’s Garden, children find great joy in learning the language of science and the precision of math through hands-on experiences. Elementary and Transitions children, Montessori Cosmic Education opens the whole universe and the contributions of humans to the imagination of the child. We inspire and follow the interests of the child, providing materials for follow-up experimentation, creativity, and innovation. For adolescents, we integrate STEAM elements through deep dives into practical and relevant topics drawn from the needs of our community and the world around us. Student experiences of both wonder and necessity demonstrate the origins of civilization, the development of technologies and cultures, and the interdependencies that connect everything in existence. Need and wonder inspire creativity for problem solving and artistic expression.

Life is truly an adventure. At The Mosaic Field School, we embrace the joys of each new day. Learning involves stepping out of our comfort zone, and each student may define "adventure" a little differently. We offer opportunities for developmentally appropriate explorations in risk-taking and making mistakes to help our students build up their sense of self, to push against and find their limitations, and to discover new pathways in life. Adventure rightly undertaken is the trailhead for wisdom, and we enjoy embarking on each new adventure with our students!

Independence is a key element of the Montessori approach. In the Children’s Garden, the goal is functional independence, satisfying the child’s need to be able to care for their personal needs of self-care (dressing oneself or preparing snacks, for example) or communication (speaking to advocate for oneself or writing for self-expression). Self-control and a sense of inner peace result naturally as the child develops functional independence. For Elementary and Transitions children, we are nurturing their sense of intellectual and moral independence, their ability to tackle problems, collaborate, and engage in self-directed learning experiences, their ability to see and imaginatively explore the interdependencies in the world and their ability to interact with and make an impact on those relationships via their moral choices. For the adolescent, conquering social and economic independence is key. In the adolescent community, our students practice the skills necessary to enter the adult world. “Production and exchange” experiences provide a way for teenagers to experiment with roles in society. Through the exchange of goods, services, and ideas in a marketplace, they learn about finances, the details of running a business, the value of work, and how to develop social relationships to discuss the important matters of life in society.

Through community, students come into direct contact with what it means to live, learn, and grow together. For adolescents, the mundane day-to-day negotiations of work and life, as well as the more intense life of a community that travels and lives together during our time off-campus, our students build a microcosm of society-at-large. Through Socratic dialogue, MOSAIC students learn to hold important, meaningful, respectful conversations that lead to an appreciation for the thoughts, ideas, work, and contributions of the entire community. The Children’s Garden children develop respect for one another and experience kindness and compassion. They learn Grace and Courtesy that helps them to understand the way respectful society functions. Elementary and Transitions children build community by negotiating the rules for games or small-group work while they study the ways that communities have functioned throughout human civilization. Students of all ages not only come away with friendships that will last a lifetime, but they also develop a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of humans in society. Dr. Montessori made the bold claim that we have already achieved human unity. What remains to be done is the building of human solidarity. The Mosaic Field School is our contribution towards that goal.