Children grow with community at Dandelion Montessori

Published April 2024

If you’ve ever taken a walk along Bow Street on a weekday afternoon, you’ve most likely seen a group of Dandelion Montessori students and their teacher leaders on their way to explore the Somerville Community Growing Center.

Established as a co-op community for toddlers in 2015, Dandelion Montessori has since grown to provide learning experiences for children up to 6 years of age, and bringing their community to the Square in 2017. Amidst preparations for spring, Co-Head of School Devanshi Desai took a moment to share why Dandelion Montessori is proud to call Union Square home.

What inspired you to start a business?

We started Dandelion Montessori to provide accessible quality Montessori education that is child and community-centered. We focus on creating an inclusive, intentionally-diverse school. Every year the community of children changes and we grow a little with them. It is hard work but also highly rewarding!

What aspect of your business makes you most proud to be a business leader in our community?

We are a collaborative community of educators, families, and Montessori learners from ages 2 years and 9 months to 6 years. Our school supports an inclusive and diverse community of children and their families that fosters the growth of the whole child on their journey to becoming peaceful, powerful, and purposeful human beings. Dandelion students spend at least one morning per week entirely outdoors (mostly at the Somerville Community Growing Center) as we believe nature is one of the most important teachers.

How do you #LoveUnionSquare?

We #LoveUnionSquare because of the #Community, #SmallBusiness, and #GrowingCenter.

Is there anything else you think a Square customer would like to know?

Over the years Dandelion has established partnerships with the City of Somerville to utilize municipal funding streams to support students’ tuition and school resources. Additionally, Dandelion teacher leaders helped design and build the Somerville Partnership for Young Children along with other early childhood leaders in Somerville.

Dandelion Montessori is located in the Shopfront Setting of 38 Bow Street and is open Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:30pm. Explore their website for more information!