This month, Bezos Academy announced its plans to expand free preschools into Texas and Florida through its Instagram page. Five of these Montessori-inspired preschools are already operational in the state of Washington, Geek Wire reported.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos created the nonprofit program, which is financed through his $2 billion Day One Fund.
“We are excited to announce that we’ll be expanding our network of tuition-free preschools beyond Washington state to Texas in 2022,” the post reads. “It will allow us to serve even more students and their families. Our new preschools will be located on the Dallas College Mountain View and Cedar Valley campuses. A huge thank you to our partner, Dallas College, for sharing our vision to nurture the potential in every child to become a creative leader, original thinker, and lifelong learner by increasing access to early childhood education in underserved communities.”
The first schools in Washington opened in October 2020, according to GeekWire, and 130 kids are currently enrolled. In addition to free tuition for students, the program also pays for teacher training.
According to Montessori Public, the former Amazon CEO made a commitment three years ago to “launch and operate a network of high-quality, full-scholarship, Montessori-inspired preschools in underserved communities.”
In an interview, Bezos Academy Head of Education, Mike Abello, said the program’s approach to education puts the child first.
“The child is at the center of every decision we make,” Abello told Montessori Public. “Each child’s culture, strengths, challenges, interests, and dreams inform our program design, instructional methods, and individual goals. Our child-centered approach meets children where they are and prioritizes all areas of their development.”
Abello added, “Children develop a love of learning when it is child-directed and centered around their interests. When children find joy in learning, it deepens their natural curiosity and eagerness to discover.”
“Earlier this week, we announced that we’d be opening preschools in Texas in 2022, and today we’re thrilled to add Florida to the list,” the Bezos Academy organization said on Instagram. “These will be our very first schools outside of Washington state. We’re grateful to our wonderful partners on the ground, Dallas College in Texas and Ability Housing in Florida, for sharing our belief that all children deserve the great start that an excellent preschool provides.”
According to Montessori Public, Bezos Academy looks at Census data and similar information to find which communities they can best serve. They will then contact community leaders and try to create a partnership to host a school.
Abello told Montessori Public, “Our partners, whether a host site, service provider, or community member-at-large, are our trusted advisors and help to ensure that our educational and child development offerings are holistic, reflecting and celebrating the unique assets, history and culture of our students and the communities that surround our schools.”
While there is no opening date released for the Florida and Texas schools, Bezos Academy has said more information should be available in spring 2022.
