Studio
Located in Ann Arbor (2145 Independence Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI), the A2M Studio offers workshops for expecting and new parents. You will learn Montessori principles and strategies to assist your child’s development and flourishing.
Mission
A2M is a community of peacemakers who use authentic Montessori principles backed by research to prepare children to thrive in the complex 21st century, to prepare young minds to be independent and caring members of a community, and to make this world better, more equitable, and inclusive.
Vision
A2M seeks to help children reach their full potential in becoming confident, independent, capable, socially conscious, and culturally informed citizens of the world.
History
A2M was founded by Paula Manrique G. Pfeffer in 2018. After a year, we secured a new and larger space to expand A2M’s program offerings. In early 2020, as the COVID19 pandemic began, we not only moved our workshops to a virtual format, but we also re-envisioned how our expertise could buffer the immediate effects of the pandemic on children as well as how we could help prepare for a better post-pandemic world:
- We trained local women to become certified Montessori teachers and to help fill the post-pandemic childcare staff shortage. A total of 10 women attained the official Association Montessori International (AMI) certification for age group 0-3 and 10 women the AMI certification for age group 3-6. All of these women are Latina and will help diversify the local teaching pool for years to come and the certification has already contributed to their professional growth. We covered their certification costs through a successful fundraising campaign.
- We provided Montessori materials to more than 10 families to take home each week in support of their home-schooling efforts.
- We provided our space and furniture to the Ann Arbor Community Learning Center, where Paula served as Volunteer Program Director. This learning center provided a safe learning environment for mixed-status students whose parents are considered essential workers. It operated throughout the 2020/2021 school year (Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm) and served a total of 25 students from grades 1-9. With generous support from donors, we were able to assist many Latinx families through the pandemic. You can learn more about this effort from articles by NPR, the Michigan Magazine, MLive, and our Youtube channel.