About Us
Mission & Vision
We aim to redefine secondary education through a Montessori lens by cultivating an adolescent microcosm rooted within the heart of a vibrant St. Louis neighborhood. We prioritize the holistic development of each student, guiding them on their individualized journey to achieve their full potential as actively engaged local and global citizens.
Our vision is rooted in the conviction that adolescents—in the context of a stimulating, rigorous, and supportive environment—can learn, work, and contribute in significant ways. With an emphasis on student agency and partnership with adults, we strive to maintain a community constituted of creative, critically-thinking, and socially-conscious individuals who will enter adulthood prepared to create lives of purpose, value, and joy.
Montessori is an education for independence preparing not just for school, but for life.
Dr. maria montessori
Our Foundations
MAP St. Louis was founded in 2016 to bring independent Montessori secondary education to St. Louis. Our approach is rooted in the holistic development of adolescents on their journey to adulthood, and our program prioritizes both the individual’s self-development and their evolution as a contributing member of society.
MAP St. Louis first opened its doors as a middle school in 2016 with a founding class of seventh-graders. Those founding students and the classes that followed have been co-createors as MAP developed to include a high school program, and we celebrated the graduation of our founding class in the spring of 2022.
Our Campus
MAP St. Louis is intentionally situated in the heart of the vibrant Grand Center Arts District in St. Louis. Personal and professional opportunities for partnership abound on our campus’s neighborhood block, as well as in the nearby Cortex Innovation Community, the Delmar Maker District, and world-class museums, parks, and universities, presenting a wealth of resources for students to regularly engage in their creative and academic pursuits.
Accreditations & Memberships
MAP St. Louis is accredited by Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) and is a member of the Independent Schools of St. Louis (ISSL) association.
MAP is also an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, authorized for the Diploma Programme (grades 11 & 12).
