Why a Montessori Cooperative?
Supporting one another through grace, courtesy and respect is critical in any authentic Montessori classroom. We seek to extend these values beyond the walls of our classroom as a cooperative learning community, where education and development of the adults happens alongside that of the children.
What is Montessori?
The Montessori Philosophy of early childhood education was derived from the work of Maria Montessori in Italy in the early 20th century. Maria Montessori was one of the first women in Italy to receive a medical degree and her work in this field eventually led her to study pedagogy and educational theory. Applying her background in the scientific method of observation and experimentation in her work with children, Montessori began to advance a new form of early childhood education.
This new style of education focused on the child and moved the teacher into the background. While the child/teacher relationship is vital in any form of education, Montessori found that children learn more fully and deeply when they are allowed to initiate their learning and its pace. The teacher, in the Montessori method, is a well-prepared guide available to assist the child further in development and understanding. Montessori education continues to be relevant today, as a proven framework for nurturing and respecting children, their natural curiosity, and their love of learning.
Preschool Cooperatives
The co-op preschools model offer learning environments to children ages birth to 6 years and their grown-ups. Although every school is structured differently, the approach is marked by a willingness to work with others, a focus on play-based or child-lead curriculum and parent-family involvement.
Our Philosophy
We know that children learn more fully and deeply when they are allowed to initiate learning at their own pace. Authentic Montessori in practice fosters each child’s independence, self-care, care for others and the environment through grace and courtesy. The teacher, in the Montessori method, is a well prepared guide available to assist the child further in development and understanding. With these foundations in place, children can bloom into compassionate global citizens.
A day in the life
Each morning our community is welcomed to classrooms tailor-made for children and their particular plane of development. Starting with an uninterupted morning work cycle involving sensorial, math, geography, practical life or other work of their choosing. Moving outside after both the morning and afternoon work cycles invigorate children of every age. Snacks are available throughout the day, and everyone will enjoy a packed lunch for group meal at midday. For those needing it, a nap time will follow.
Our Tiered Tuition Model
Everbloom is devoted to all families and children and we have purposefully structured our funding model to reflect our beliefs in the importance of equitable access to quality early education. Each classroom has a designated number of spots per income tier and preference will be granted to those families seeking a 5-day schedule for their infant-toddler aged children. Tuition rates listed are for a traditional academic calendar from late August to early June. Summer rates and schedule options will be announced not later than the first quarter of the upcoming school year.
Our Classrooms
Everbloom currently supports six distinct classroom environments, which will grow to nine in fall 2025, consisting of four different age groupings. In our Infant Room we care for children from approximately 3 to 15 months. In our Young Toddler and Toddler environments we support children roughly 15 to 36 months and in our Children’s House we work with children from 2 years 9mo to 6 years old. Classroom grouping by age in months is an estimate of developmental readiness. Classroom placement may vary and will be made at the discretion of our guides.
Our standard day runs from approximately 8:30am to 3:30pm, with affordable options for extended care offered before and after. As part of our commitment to high-fidelity Montessori learning, each classroom provides an uninterrupted work period. This time is fundamental to the Montessori environment, in order to give children the opportunity to work through various tasks and responsibilities at their own pace.
“This uninterrupted work period is vitally important, as it provides the time necessary to build coordination, concentration, independence and order, and it is when the assimilation of information is able to occur.” - The American Montessori Society
To best preserve this, we do not offer half-day schedules but understand some families may not wish to utilize a full day of care. Tuition rates listed are for a traditional academic calendar from late August to early June. Fall 2025-26 enrollment, and tuition rates are now available on our Enrollment page, with summer rates and schedule options for enrolled families to be announced. Please join our mailing list for the latest on enrollment, open houses and other opportunities at Everbloom!
Our prepared and sensitive teachers are not only delivering a child-centered curriculum, they have a valued voice in leading the direction and growth of our community. They are the heart and soul of this cooperative learning community and we’re so grateful for the hard work and dedication they put forth everyday.
You’ll also see a few more faces highlighted on this page—our volunteer board of directors, made up of family members, staff and other community supporters. This group of folks are an integral part of making our program run effectively and sustainably. If you have interest in joining the Everbloom team, reach out to us at hello@everbloommontessori.com
Matt Van Sweden
Board President, Community Representative
Matthew VanSweden is a national expert in climate justice and regenerative design with over 20 years of experience in architecture, engineering, and construction. As Sustainability Lead at Progressive AE, he advances decarbonization efforts, sets sustainability strategies, and drives impactful, climate-responsive designs. With a BFA in Collaborative Design, Matthew is dedicated to fostering a healthier, more equitable future for communities and the environment.
Kate Robinson
Treasurer and Director of Partnerships & Growth
Kate Robinson is a co-founding parent and board member at Everbloom Montessori, with over 15 years of experience supporting startups, businesses, and nonprofits. As a Design Strategist and Partner at Further Degree, a strategy innovation studio in Grand Rapids, MI, she helps organizations translate their vision into meaningful impact.
Kate’s commitment to Montessori education is rooted in its potential to instill in every child a profound sense of self-worth and confidence, and the hope of fostering a generation of critical thinkers, unafraid to face the challenges of the future. Kate also served on the board of West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science in Walker, MI from 2014-2020
Emily Jacobson
Board Secretary and
Head of School
With 29 years in Montessori education, Emily Jacobson is a passionate advocate for early childhood learning. She has spent 28 years as a lead Montessori toddler guide and is American Montessori Infant-Toddler certified. As a founding director and Head of School at Everbloom Montessori, Emily is committed to creating inclusive, child-centered learning environments. She has served on multiple committees advocating for accessibility in early education. A mother and stepmother of five, her personal experience fuels her dedication to Montessori. Emily’s leadership and vision continue to shape Everbloom, making high-quality Montessori education accessible to all families.
Isis
Luna
Board Member,
Family Representative
With over 10 years of real estate experience, Isis Luna began her career in residential real estate in New York, continued in Los Angeles, and now focuses on commercial real estate in Grand Rapids, Michigan with Fancy Realestate. A bilingual professional, Isis uses her Spanish language skills to serve the Latinx community, empowering small business owners and local non-profits. As a parent and board member at Everbloom Montessori, she supports the school’s mission of providing an inclusive, community-centered education
Annie Cloyd
Board Member and Director of Education & Admissions
Annie holds a M.A.T. in Secondary Education and came to Montessori in 2012 as an assistant in the infant room at Stepping Stones Montessori School. She completed her studies for Infant/Toddler Certification from the American Montessori Society in 2020.
Annie loves working with infants and toddlers, and has a passion for working with new parents as a support to them as they move into a new and momentous life experience.
David Douglas
Board Member,
Family Representative
David is a retired teacher who spent 36 years serving children in public schools as a counselor, elementary teacher and administrator. He believes that children are our communities most precious treasure. Like tender plants they must be nurtured and developed so that in the fullness of time they become partners in the progress our entire human family.
Elly Barnette-Dawson
Board Member,
Community Representative
Open Seat x2
Seeking Board Member, Community or Family Representatives
Everbloom Montessori is actively seeking to fill two open board seats with Family or Community Representatives from the global majority, ideally residing in the 49507 area. These new board members will play a vital role in advancing our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, helping to ensure our school reflects and serves the needs of the diverse communities we support. Please reach out to hello@everbloommontessori.com for more information
“The teacher, when [they] begin work in our schools, must have a kind of faith that the child will reveal [themself] through work.”
- Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind
Interested in getting involved? We have an incredible team in place and are looking forward to bringing other equally passionate and capable professionals into the mix. We are also currently seeking candidates to join our Board of Directors and as well as volunteers to participate in committee work. Reach out for more information!
We’re Moving!
A move to 1575 Jefferson Ave in Fall 2025 represents an incredible opportunity to create a thoughtfully designed early childhood education center that will bring all of our programming under one roof, and grow our capacity by more than 50%, creating opportunities for more families to find the high-quality, early childhood education they deserve.
The new campus is just 3.5 miles (less than 10 minutes) from our current facilities, 1 mile from the Hall Street ramp to US-131, and under 2.5 miles from downtown Grand Rapids. It is also one block from The Rapid’s Silver Line stop at Cottage Grove and features dedicated bike lanes running north and south along Jefferson, providing a safer commute for those who prefer to cycle.
