Forty-five years ago, the Peter Hesse Foundation (PHF) began with a simple idea to improve the lives of children in vulnerable communities through Montessori education. They started in Haiti, by introducing the Montessori concept through meetings with villagers, and seminars with the National Pedagogical Institute in the capital. They did not know then how far this journey would go—only that giving teachers the tools and confidence to use Montessori methods could spark deep and lasting change for children.
In 1986, PHF launched its first Montessori teacher training programme which lasted one academic year. When the first cohort graduated, the Foundation gave the four most capable graduates a full set of Montessori materials, furniture, and small grants to help them open their own schools. That model—training capable teachers and helping them start pre-schools—became the heart of the work. Every year, as more teachers were trained, new schools were opened, and the impact grew. By 2009, the Foundation had trained over 1,000 Montessori teachers in Haiti and supported the creation of 50 pre-schools. From there, the vision spread to Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Mali, carried forward by passionate educators who believed that Montessori education could provide a better future for their children.
Today, the Foundation has helped establish 61 Montessori schools in four countries. More than 1,600 teachers have been trained, and over 80,000 children have attended the Montessori schools. Most of these schools serve remote or underserved communities, where many of the children are the first in their families to become literate.
AMI has partnered with the Peter Hesse Foundation since 2011, as an initiative under the Éducateurs sans Frontières (EsF) umbrella. This collaboration ensures quality and a deep commitment to Montessori principles and practice, offering education that is both locally rooted and globally validated. What began as a single classroom at École du St. Esprit in Haiti has grown into a movement for lasting change. The Peter Hesse Foundation continues to stand by its founding belief: that empowering teachers transforms children’s lives, and that Montessori education can help create a more just and compassionate world.
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