Abstract/Notes: It is a very difficult task to provide adequate education in the United States for children living in an inner-city environment, with problems of poverty, minority status, drugs, crime, gangs, suicide, despair, and many single-parent households. This is a Case Study of how one Arizona inner-city poverty community has risen to answer these educational demands for its children through a Montessori theory-based Charter Pre-12 school. The 650 student population served in this school is approximately 80% Hispanic American, 12% African American, and 8% Native, Asian and European American. Data were gathered from extensive interviews, observations, and document analysis. They were analyzed and evaluated in three ways: first, according to a literature review of the educational theories of Maria Montessori, then according to those of Paulo Freire, and lastly, according to a review of Charter school books, articles, and government documents available up to January of 2000. The results were an in-depth description of first, the history of this community's needs, its struggle to establish and fund the school, then the resulting educational program which it developed and implemented, and lastly, the community's positive evaluation of it's efforts. The curriculum described had extensive use of ESL and cultural appreciation programs, hands-on student initiated and student-implemented programs, integrated curriculum and critical thinking programs, job-skills related programs, self-esteem and character development programs, and Sustainable Systems Ecology Education demonstration programs. All these findings were presented in a manner which could be useful to other Administrators, who might desire to use this school's example to begin or to improve their own programs for a similarly disadvantaged inner-city population. Conclusions were that after five years of operation, this community empowerment school has indeed found methods, curriculum and programs that have successfully helped to meet the emotional, cultural, moral, and educational needs of the children in this particular poverty community. Conclusions were also that this community's experiences are valuable and appropriate for examination by other prospective Charter school Administrators from similar communities.

Language: English

Published: San Francisco, California, 2000

Language: German

ISSN: 0944-2537

Language: English

ISSN: 0039-8837

Language: English

ISSN: 0040-7887

Abstract/Notes: The first edition of 'The Absorbent Mind' was published in English by Kalakshetra (Madras, India) in 1949. In 1952, Montessori wrote a fully revised edition in Italian, published by Garzanti in 1952. This was the first Italian edition, entitled 'La Mente del Bambino'. This current edition is a translation by Claude Claremont of the Italian 1952 edition.

Language: English

Published: Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company, 2007

Series: The Montessori Series , 1

Language: English

Language: English

ISSN: 0010-700X

Language: English

Language: English

Language: English