Just as wildflowers grow from seeds for weeks before sprouting and months before blooming, Wildflower school founders spend months developing their vision, finding space, and meeting families, mostly behind the scenes. Then, at the start of a new school year, they bloom all at once, bringing fresh energy to their communities. This fall, we’re excited to welcome 12 new Wildflower schools—the largest group of startups ever—each reflecting the passions and dreams of their founding leaders. In the months ahead, we expect to open another 3-5 schools which will make 2024-25 a year of record growth.
We invite you to read more about these beautiful schools – each of which grew from Teacher Leaders’ passions, life experiences and identities and understanding of the kinds of innovative, creative learning environments that could best meet local families’ needs.
New Schools in Puerto Rico
The Girasol School (Dorado, PR)
The Girasol School is a bilingual Montessori school serving children ages 2.5-10.
The Girasol School founders Patricia Raevis and Sammie McGue first crossed paths in Colorado many years before fate brought them together again in Puerto Rico. They reconnected when Sammie was scouting locations for a bilingual, intentionally diverse and financially accessible new Wildflower school in Puerto Rico, and was introduced to a local school where Patricia was a teacher. Patricia Raevis was inspired by Sammie’s vision for a teacher-led school that might unite the Dorado community and offer all families access to child-centered learning and chose to join the journey as her partner. As they embarked on creating The Girasol School together, an opportunity arose to take over an existing school facility and invite teachers Marian Schwarz, Ricky Feliciano and Marinet Oquendo to join their founding team.
The Girasol School is proud to be the 8th Wildflower School in Puerto Rico! Dorado families have enthusiastically embraced the new school, ensuring they have met or surpassed every goal for their first year of operations, from fundraising and enrollment to ensuring their school body reflects the diversity of their community. The school is opening with a Primary class of 24 students and a Lower Elementary class of 14 students, with nearly half of their families utilizing Flexible Tuition options.
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The Girasol School es una escuela Montessori bilingüe que atiende a niños de 2.5 a 10 años.
Las fundadoras de Girasol, Patricia Raevis y Sammie McGue, cruzaron caminos en múltiples ocasiones en Colorado, varios años antes de finalmente conocerse en Puerto Rico. Conectaron cuando Sammie estaba buscando ubicaciones para una nueva escuela Wildflower en Puerto Rico y descubrió una escuela donde Patricia era Guía. Al embarcarse en la creación de The Girasol School juntas, tuvieron la suerte de tener la oportunidad de hacerse cargo de un edificio escolar existente y de integrar a algunos miembros del equipo que ya estaban en esa escuela. Así fue como Marian Schwarz y Ricky Feliciano se unieron al equipo de Girasol.
¡The Girasol School está orgullosa de ser la 8ª escuela Wildflower en Puerto Rico! Se han cumplido o superado todas las metas, incluidas las de recaudación de fondos, matrícula y diversidad. La escuela abre con una clase de Casa de Niños de 22 estudiantes y una clase de Taller I de 11 estudiantes, con casi la mitad de las familias utilizando opciones de Matrícula Flexible.
Cantuta Montessori (Ponce, PR)
Led by Karla Jessica Rodríguez Ore, Cantuta is a toddler program serving children from 16 months to approximately 36 months. The program opened with fiscal sponsorship from Flor de Loto Montessori, a Wildflower school serving primary and elementary students, located in Ponce. Working in close partnership with Flor de Loto, Cantuta aims to fill a strong need for toddler programming in Ponce, while expanding local families’ access to a seamless, child-centered learning environment from 1 to 9 years old.
The support of the Ponce community – including Flor de Loto, Wildflower Puerto Rico, their Board of Directors, as well as the Black Wildflowers Fund – was instrumental in Cantuta’s successful launch. Built on the foundation of the Montessori Method and Wildflower’s 9 Principles, Cantuta’s mission is to empower their young children to achieve their cosmic plan and grow into responsible, whole adults.
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Dirigida por Karla Jessica Rodríguez Ore, Cantuta es un programa que atiende a niños de 16 a aproximadamente 36 meses de edad. El programa funciona bajo el auspicio fiscal de Flor de Loto Montessori, una escuela hermana de Wildflower que atiende a estudiantes de primaria y elemental, también ubicada en Ponce.
El apoyo de nuestra comunidad—incluyendo Flor de Loto, Wildflower Puerto Rico, la Junta Directiva y el Black Wildflowers Fund—fue fundamental para el exitoso lanzamiento de Cantuta. Basada en los principios del Método Montessori y los 9 Principios de Wildflower, la misión de Cantuta es empoderar a los niños pequeños para que logren su plan cósmico y se conviertan en adultos responsables e íntegros.
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Adolescent Schools