Adolescent Program Re-Opening in 2027

Montessori adolescent programs provide an essential bridge between childhood and adulthood, helping young adults to successfully launch into adulthood. During the first three years (12-15), adolescents are ready and anxious to take on more practical work and responsibility in order to acquire the skills requisite to become fully independent adults. They yearn to learn and practice the skills in real-world contexts beyond the classroom, a process known as valorization.

Puberty can be a confusing, awkward time when students are developing social awareness and a sense of identity. Adolescent Montessori provides a purposeful community in which students can find themselves through productive contributions. Unlike the younger age groups, where the prepared environments are largely self-contained and prepared by the teacher, adolescents need to interact with the “unprepared” environment of the real world. Academics become all the more relevant in this rich context.

The Joliet Montessori Adolescent Program applies the spirit of Montessori’s vision to an urban environment. Academic pursuits are integrated with practical skills such as cooking, building, gardening, caring for animals, internships, and a microeconomy. Academic studies are harmonized with practical work. Biology is more meaningful when students work with plants and animals. Physics and math have self-evident value when building a chicken coop, exploring a construction site, or managing the revenues and expenditures of the community.

Whereas high school can become an intense preparation for post secondary education, middle school offers the opportunities to focus on fundamentals. What does it look like to look at the world with a spirit of scientific wonder and mathematical curiosity? What can great books teach us about the human condition and help us to discover purpose? What does it feel like to work as a team solving real world challenges? What is involved in creating products and services that people want to buy, and how does one manage the resulting revenues? How does one plan and prepare a meal for the community or plan and carry out meaningful trips to discover the broader world? What is involved in drafting an effective business letter and résumé in order to secure an internship?

Middle school is truly a magical time. Montessori describes it as a “social rebirth”, and at Joliet Montessori, we have created an environment which allows students to flourish, moving on to high school and life with the confidence, awareness, and valorization that come from acquiring the requisite knowledge, skills, and independence to thrive.