Aster Montessori opened with a simple but ambitious question: How can we make high-quality Montessori education accessible to more families in Cambridge, MA—while building a school where teachers thrive? In a city known for innovation, diversity, and commitment to early childhood education, Aster’s Teacher Leaders saw an opportunity to create something rare: a small, community-embedded Montessori school that could serve a mixed-income population.

A new national study offers strong evidence that public Montessori preschool supports lasting gains for children—while costing less to deliver than traditional programs.

Inside a groundbreaking Salt Lake City housing initiative that helps low-income residents build wealth, Pinyon Montessori is showing how schools and communities can grow together.

In 2025 alone, the Sunlight Loan Fund provided $1.2 million in loans to 22 childcare centers and schools, with 73% of those dollars reaching institutions in low-income areas. The Girasol School is one of many powerful examples of how access to capital fuels educational opportunity.