Montessori Education in Public Schools

Making Montessori accessible to all.

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In April 2018, the Y2 team attended the annual AMI meeting in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where delegates from around the world shared their own projects in progress. The presentation from a Kenyan delegate demonstrated that, despite a lack of resources, Montessori philosophy could still be put into practice in creative ways. In Taipei, the Municipal Wanhua Preschool also proved the possibility of incorporating the Montessori philosophy in the public school system through efforts of the kindergarten director and teachers.

While these cases may differ from traditional Montessori schools, the guiding principle that unites educators and communities is always the Montessori philosophy of believing in children. Outcomes of children educated under this belief are the best testimony of how education can ignite the limitless potential of human beings.

By promoting Montessori as an option in the public school system, we hope to make Montessori education accessible to more children and families. In working toward this goal, the Foundation launched the Montessori for Global Impact (MGI) Project, which centers on three pillars: research & development, training & orientation, and an education platform. We seek to incorporate the essence of the century-old Montessori philosophy into the Taiwanese education system in a way that suits local culture and social context. The goal of this effort is not only to offer quality education alternatives for all but to return, to the children, their innate ability for self-directed learning and the power to impact the future.

MONTESSORI FOR GLOBAL IMPACT (MGI)

Asia’s First Project Dedicated to “Montessori Education in Practice” with national university.

Y2-MGI-MONTESSORI

Y2 Foundation for Future Education, in cooperation with National Chengchi University in Taiwan, is dedicated to contextualize world-renowned Montessori pedagogy and to support quality education for all.

MGI – Montessori for Global Impact, is Asia’s first project, focusing on Montessori education in practice. The project functions under three pillars: pedagogical research and development, professional teachers’ training, and education platform.  With Taiwanese cultural conceptualization and social progress at heart, MGI aims to explore education methods to better prepare children for the future.

Y2 will promote affordable Montessori education for all.  Outreaching via its global platform, Y2 hopes to share positive results of Taiwan’s alternative education and connect Taiwan to the world.

Three Pillars of MGI Project

  • RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Work with university research institutes to conduct research on the application of Montessori philosophy in local cultural contexts specifically relevant to Taiwan, host Montessori alternative education symposiums, establish a Montessori education database, and increase public awareness of Montessori theory and practice through research publications.

  • TRAINING & ORIENTATION

Sponsor teachers to attend authentic Montessori training overseas, while concurrently bringing international resources to Taiwan.  The aim is develop a Montessori training and orientation program that is effective and appropriate for Taiwan’s education professionals.

  • EDUCATION PLATFORM

As the mid to long-term goal, create a student-centered “open source school” which serves as the prototype for curriculum design, Montessori theory in practice, and affordable, quality education for more children.

MGI Research Team


National Chengchi University
— Taiwan Montessori Education Center (TMEC)


TMEC is an online, Montessori open-source platform for educators, parents, or anyone who just wants to learn more. Throughout the year, the Center organizes workshops and conferences to promote the Montessori approach at elementary and adolescent levels, while consolidating and translating global Montessori writings to provide a deeper understanding and practical application of Montessori theories in Mandarin-Chinese.

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YUNG-KANG HSU

COLLABORATIVE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Chief Executive Officer Taiwan Experimental Education Center

Postdoctoral Fellow Taiwan Experimental Education Center

TUNG-LIAO CHENG

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigator Taiwan Experimental Education Center

Associate Professor Department of Education National Chengchi University

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GRACE WANG

PROJECT ASSISTANT

M.S. Graduate Institute of Environmental Education National Taiwan Normal University

B.Ed. (Bachelor of Education) in Civic Education and Leadership National Taiwan Normal University

JOANNA TSENG

PROJECT ASSISTANT

B.A. in Sociology National Chengchi University



National Taiwan Normal University
— Montessori Translation Talent Development Program (MTTDP)


MTTDP integrates global and local resources for the Mandarin translation of Montessori-related texts and research. Moreover, the Program aims to build a professional Montessori translator talent pool in Taiwan.

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TZE-WEI CHEN

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Associate Professor and Director of the Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation,
National Taiwan Normal University