The Providence Montessori Middle School opened in 2014 in an historic building on West Fourth Street in Lexington, Kentucky.  The middle school serves adolescents aged 12 to 14 years, to whom Dr. Montessori referred as “Erdkinder” or “Land-Children,” in recognition of the importance of the natural world and real work in the environment. 

Consistent with Dr. Montessori’s emphasis on human interdependence with the natural world, students at the Erdkinder level perform significant work on the land, including gardening, beekeeping, animal husbandry, and aquaponics.  Land work also serves as an anchor for other tenets of the Erdkinder curriculum.  For example, students learn how the work they are doing has evolved over time, tying into the history of the universe and cultures of man, and make real-world applications of classroom science concepts.  Students also develop and manage small businesses using the products they grow and create, such as selling produce, jam, honey, and eggs.  Further preparing adolescents for adult life, Providence students engage with members of the local community to perform service work and complete projects, enabling them to develop important communication and presentation skills.  The sense of community created through the students’ shared work is bolstered by three overnight trips throughout the year, including a curriculum-based trip the students help plan, putting into practice skills like scheduling, money management, and navigation and fostering both cooperation and independence.  The Montessori approach to the Erdkinder phase of learning has proven to yield young adults who are well prepared to excel in high school, college, and beyond.

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