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$10K Gift from Osborne Charitable Trust Supports Hershey’s Production & Exchange Program

$10K Gift from Osborne Charitable Trust Supports Hershey’s Production & Exchange Program

Mar 18, 2025 | Featured Posts, School News | 0 comments

Huntsburg, OH, — Hershey Montessori School is grateful to The Jerome T. Osborne and Georgeanne S. Osborne Charitable Trust for a $10,000 gift supporting its Huntsburg 7th-12th Grade Campus Production & Exchange program.

The Production and Exchange program (formerly known as Microeconomy) is a key component of Hershey’s Adolescent Community as it aligns with Dr. Maria Montessori’s vision of preparing students for economic independence. Through real-world business endeavors at markets, events, and online, students develop creativity, problem-solving, and financial acumen.

This funding will help to enhance students’ financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills through hands-on experiences in business management, product creation, and sales.

Located on a 98-acre farm, Hershey’s Huntsburg campus provides an immersive learning environment featuring organic gardens, beekeeping, maple sugarbush, domestic animals, a greenhouse, and dedicated artisan spaces. These experiences foster independence and responsibility, equipping students with essential life skills.

“We deeply appreciate this generous support from The Osborne Charitable Trust,” said Paula Leigh-Doyle, Head of School at Hershey Montessori School. “This gift will empower our students with real-world financial and entrepreneurial experiences.”

 

Hershey Montessori School Hosts Multi-School Peace & Education Summit

Hershey Montessori School Hosts Multi-School Peace & Education Summit

Mar 11, 2025 | Featured Posts, School News | 0 comments

Students enjoy presentation

Student presentation

Student presents on brain science

Students engaged in workshop

Students listen to keynote

Hershey’s Matt Sorrick addresses students

Student presentation on suicide

Keynote speaker addresses students

Students learning from keynote speaker

Hershey Montessori School hosted the Peace & Education Summit on March 6th and 7th. This two-day professional conference involved Hershey middle school students and more than 70 visiting middle school students for an incredible learning experience.

Students from White Pine Middle School in Michigan, Hudson Montessori School, Lake Ridge Academy, Cleveland Montessori School, and Ratner Montessori School engaged with Hershey students for this exciting event.

The theme of the Summit was Global Health & Health Justice. This powerful student-led and student-centered conference was designed to create collaboration and inquiry into topics related to education and peace. Of special focus was the role of global medicine and how global response to health concerns impacts peace in the world. Students researched specific health problems, gathered evidence to support that there are problems, and investigated obstacles and solutions. They planned and prepared interactive and engaging workshops that they presented to middle school students throughout the conference. These were 40-minute workshops in which students shared the knowledge they gained about health issues, engaged the audience members in the topic, and reflected on how it relates to Peace & Education.

Workshops included:
  • Mutation Impossible: The (COVID) Experience
  • Your Mental Health: Why does it matter?
  • Opioids: Understand the Crisis, Know the Risks
  • Gene Editing: Superpowers not included…yet
  • The Hush about Women’s Health
  • The Harmful Environment We Live In

Keynote speakers included Jonathan Sague, DNP – CEO of UH Geauga, Conneaut, and Geneva; Dr. Marlea Miano, MD – Chief Medical Officer, UH Geauga, and Dr. Bob Tupa, DO, who shared his observations made while providing medical mission work in Kenya.

Much gratitude to our staff and students and especially Matt Sorrick, Hershey Upper School Science Guide, for his leadership and coordination of this tremendous event. Questions and interest in future multi-school events can be sent to Matt at msorrick@hershey-montessori.org.

Hershey Family Foundation’s Transformational Gift Strengthens Montessori Education

Hershey Family Foundation’s Transformational Gift Strengthens Montessori Education

Feb 6, 2025 | Featured Posts, School News | 0 comments

Concord & Huntsburg, OH — Hershey Montessori School joyfully announces a generous $300,000 gift from The Hershey Family Foundation in support of the school’s educational programs, services, and daily operations. This gift nurtures the foundation of Montessori education, empowering children and adolescents to develop as capable, compassionate, and engaged global citizens.

Since its founding in 1978, Hershey Montessori School has provided authentic Montessori environments where learning is seamlessly integrated with purposeful work and community engagement. Serving students from Ohio, across the U.S., and around the world, the school’s two campuses—Concord (infant to age 12) and Huntsburg (ages 12-18 including a boarding program) — offer a fully immersive Montessori experience from birth to adulthood.

With heartfelt gratitude, the Hershey Montessori community celebrates this meaningful partnership. The foundation’s generosity sustains core operations, enhances administrative needs, and advances essential programs that shape the future of young learners. The hope is that this gift inspires others to give an annual gift, sponsor, or otherwise invest in the school’s mission – reinforcing this shared commitment to peace, humanity, and the boundless potential of every child.

To contribute, please go to: Hershey Montessori School | Hershey Montessori School Giving | Donate

Hershey Montessori School Welcomes French Exchange Students

Hershey Montessori School Welcomes French Exchange Students

Jan 23, 2025 | Featured Posts, School News | 0 comments

Hershey Montessori School announces the arrival of adolescent students and adults from Mios Montessori School, based in France, for a three-week exchange experience.

Hershey Montessori’s Upper School community welcomed the group‘s arrival on Tuesday, January 21. Due to frigid temperatures, classes were canceled, giving our French guests additional time to assimilate and connect with Hershey’s current boarding students, some day students, and staff members.

“We are excited to welcome eight students and two adults from the south of France into our Upper School community for three weeks,” said Stori Zinkhann, Dean of Enrollment Management and College and Career Counselor. “These adolescents will enjoy an immersive experience at Hershey Montessori School as they explore new perspectives in global education, create life-long friendships, and learn new ways to engage in our world. “

School in France is not in session this time of year, which made the January exchange a perfect time for the group to travel to the United States. In return, the group from Mios Montessori invited Hershey students to France in June for a similar exchange experience.

Hershey aims to provide opportunities to connect with Montessori schools across the globe as an enrichment opportunity for all involved. Experiencing diverse cultures and customs, and exposure to foreign languages and traditions helps elevate students’ understanding of a global society.

Zinkhann said, “Hershey’s adolescents are excited to explore a new culture through the eyes and hearts of the French visitors as well as learn a bit of their language, history, and culinary techniques!”

Any school that is interested in an exchange experience at Hershey may contact Stori Zinkhann at szinkhann@hershey-montessori.org or by calling 440-935-4880.

Campus visits, tours, and student shadowing opportunities are also available and can be scheduled through Ms. Zinkhann.

Hershey Upper School’s Environment-Friendly Passive House Design

Hershey Upper School’s Environment-Friendly Passive House Design

Dec 16, 2024 | Featured Posts, School News | 0 comments

A little-known fact about Hershey Montessori’s Upper School is that its ninth through twelfth grade academic building was the first in the Midwest United States designed and constructed with Passive House Institute United States (PHIUS) criteria, making it both environmentally friendly and energy-saving through design technology.

What is Passive House?

Passive house design is a construction standard that uses architectural design to reduce energy consumption for heating, cooling, and lighting. The goal is to create comfortable, environmentally friendly buildings that require little to no energy input to control the indoor climate.

“Passive House” was established by the Passivhaus Institute in Darmstadt, Germany in 1996, and was one of the pioneering concepts for building low-energy houses and is today a leading building standard. The design is focused on making the best use of the “passive” influences in a building – like sunshine, shading, and ventilation instead of air conditioning and central heating. These “passive influences,” combined with high levels of insulation and airtightness, make it possible to use 90 percent less energy than a typical structure.

Passive House buildings provide better indoor comfort due to consistent temperatures and good air quality. They also reduce internal and external noise due to the high levels of insulation – a wonderful and greatly appreciated added benefit!

Why did we do it?

Hershey Montessori School is committed to the care of our environment and thus committed to implementing as environmentally friendly and sustainable construction principles as possible.

We are proud to be the first school in the Midwest to be designed with the cutting-edge standards of the Passive House Institute of the United States. PHIUS building criteria has created significant savings in operation costs and reduced energy consumption. Additionally, it has resulted in a beautiful, comfortable environment for students and staff and is an excellent model for other public buildings.

For more information on Passive House design, visit the Passive House Institute United States website.

Hershey Montessori School Receives $300k Dekko Foundation Award

Hershey Montessori School Receives $300k Dekko Foundation Award

Oct 17, 2024 | Featured Posts, School News | 0 comments

For Immediate Release

October 16, 2024                                                                    

 

Contact: Yvonne Delgado-Thomas                                                                                                        

ythomas@hershey-montessori.org

440-357-0918 / 440-749-1124

 

Hershey Montessori School Receives $300k Dekko Foundation Award

 

Concord Township, OH, August 2024 — Hershey Montessori School is pleased to announce an award of $300,000 from The Dekko Foundation.  This generous grant will support Hershey’s strategic goals for “Rebuilding Capacity for Sustainability” over the next two years.

The Dekko Foundation’s mission is to foster children and young people’s knowledge, skills, and character, propelling them to self-sufficiency and economic freedom. The foundation is rooted in the belief that “Great things happen when adults step back to consider what young people need to grow and develop. Often, that deliberate act of reflection results in the most impactful outcomes.”

Dekko and Hershey align in this as is seen in Hershey’s Montessori approach to education. It is why, since its founding in 1978, Hershey Montessori School has been a sought-after school of choice for families in Northeast Ohio, and globally for adolescents since 2000.

Despite post-pandemic growth, bolstering enrollment and increasing retention will help meet the school’s long-term goals. Hershey accepts EdChoice Expansion Scholarships, offers financial aid options, OAIS scholarship tax credits, and more, making Hershey Montessori School more accessible to families from Ohio, across the U.S., and around the world.

Hershey Montessori School is grateful for the $300,000 Dekko Foundation award, and the continued generous support of The Hershey Foundation, the Hershey Family Foundation, and many individual donors. Every contribution, large or small, is invaluable. These gifts enable Hershey Montessori School to move toward economic sustainability while remaining focused on its vision: “Children and adolescents develop a strong sense of self, rooted in love for the environment and community, seamlessly transitioning from each stage of development through adulthood.”

 

About Hershey Montessori School

Grounded in the tradition of Dr. Maria Montessori for more than 45 years, Hershey Montessori provides beautiful Montessori environments where learning and work are integrated within a community experience, engaging intellectual, moral, and social development of children and adolescents from birth to eighteen years. Hershey Montessori School is comprised of two campuses in Northeast Ohio. The Concord Campus serves children from pre-k through sixth grade, and the Huntsburg Campus serves middle and upper school students. Hershey Montessori School added its Upper School program in 2015, making Hershey one of the first in the world to provide a full birth to 18-year curriculum with a boarding component and intentionally designed working farm. For more information, visit www.hershey-montessori.org.

 

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