Our Programs

 

MIDDLE school

The Damariscotta Montessori Adolescent Program provides an innovative land-based educational program in which adolescents can excel academically, engage in meaningful work, acquire leadership skills, and learn to care for themselves, their peers, the environment, and their community.

Montessori philosophy views adolescence as a period of great transformation and extraordinary potential. The primary mission of the adolescent program is to serve the vital needs of adolescents through work that challenges both the mind and the body. This is carried out through a supportive teaching staff that creates a prepared learning environment that empowers adolescents to set and exceed their own goals, to engage in real community experience and meaningful, noble work; all of these contribute to their sense of purpose and worth.

The Damariscotta Montessori School Adolescent Program provides:

  • individualized instruction within small classes

  • logically integrated, challenging and rich curriculum

  • development of life and learning skills: self-direction, critical thinking, time-management, collaboration, and personal responsibility

  • development of community: respect, responsibility, democratic problem-solving and interdependence.

  • development of critical thinking and creativity

  • integration of technology

  • a learning environment that helps adolescents to discover their capabilities through meaningful work and real-life problem solving

Farm

Maria Montessori set forth plans for what she called the Erdkinder (children of the earth in German) as the approach for educating adolescents. Our middle school utilizes class meeting times to determine what they would like to plant and sell. They take on the responsibility for growing produce in hoop houses, harvesting, packaging, and distributing vegetables via a CSA program. This allows them to have hands-on experience in a natural setting, while gaining important business and financial skills. The money is used to fund an annual Odyssey trip to either Washington, D.C or Virginia. 

Students from our lower level programs take advantage of our spacious grounds as well. Past projects have included planting vegetable and flower gardens, and raising chickens.