Studio Demo — Montessori Makers School is a fictional school built by Montessori Makers Studio to demonstrate web design capabilities.
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Our Mission
To prepare children not for the next grade level, but for a life of purpose, curiosity, and contribution.
Montessori Makers School opened in 2009 in a converted coach house on Orchard Street in Lincoln Park. Twelve children enrolled that first year. We now serve 148 students across three classrooms.
In fifteen years, the building has changed. The belief hasn’t: that children, given the right environment and the freedom to use it, are capable of far more than most schools ask of them.
What We Believe
Six beliefs that shape everything.
Independence
Children choose their own work. The environment — not the guide — sets the invitation.
Observation
We watch before we intervene. Understanding a child's actual needs comes before instruction.
Continuity
Three-year cycles deepen relationships and let growth happen on a child's own timeline.
Prepared environment
Every material, arrangement, and daily rhythm is intentional. The room itself teaches.
Whole child
Academic development is inseparable from social, emotional, and physical development.
Family partnership
We consider families the primary educators. The school extends that work — it doesn't replace it.
Head of School
Dr. Amara Osei-Bonsu
AMI Diploma · Ed.D., University of Illinois Chicago
Dr. Osei-Bonsu joined MMS in 2015 after eleven years as a Montessori guide and administrator in Chicago and Atlanta. Her doctoral research focused on how Montessori environments support executive function development in early childhood.
She believes the most important thing a school can do is take children seriously — their questions, their pace, and their readiness to be trusted.
Faculty
100% of lead guides hold AMI or AMS credentials.
Dr. Amara Osei-Bonsu
Head of School
AMI Diploma, Ed.D. — University of Illinois Chicago
Sarah Lindqvist
Primary Lead Guide
AMI Primary Diploma, M.Ed.
Marcus Treviño
Primary Lead Guide
AMS Early Childhood Credential
Yuki Nakashima
Lower Elementary Lead
AMI Elementary Diploma, M.Ed.
Kezia Abara
Lower Elementary Lead
AMS Elementary Credential, M.Ed.
James Kowalski
Upper Elementary Lead
AMI Elementary Diploma
Accreditation & Memberships
American Montessori Society (AMS)
Illinois Alliance of Montessori Schools
National Association of Independent Schools
Midwest Association of Independent Schools
Come see what we’re about.
The clearest way to understand this school is to walk through it during a work cycle.
Schedule a Visit