Our Founders
Belkis Young was born in Cuba and came to the New York City at the early age of six. In 1979 she moved to Miami, Florida and later in 1983 she moved to California and continued her education at Sonoma State University, where she began taking AMI Montessori classes with Ursula Thrush (author of Education for Peace).
Belkis met Charles in San Francisco and they have remained together for eighteen years. Belkis claims that when Montessori found her she knew what her calling in life was. Having now had a child of their own Charles and Belkis searched for a better method of education. She worked for three years, first as a volunteer, then as an assistant teacher at Morning Glory Montessori in Burlingame California.
In 1990 they moved to Florida and Belkis started a new training class at MTTI (AMS), where she finalized her teaching certificate and interned at Alexander School for the next two years. Later that year she was asked to join the Von Wedel Montessori School where she not only taught, but also coordinated and supervised school activities and fundraisers. During this time Belkis continued to direct at the Alexander School and Summer Camp, which had up to 250 students/campers.
After having been director for five years her future plans included to start her own school. Belkis was offered the opportunity to supervise a teacher and the new owner of Christian Montessori, who was trained at MTTI (Montessori Teacher Training Program). This experience allowed Belkis to plan for the opening of their new school.
In 1996 A Young Children's Montessori Acadamy opened with less than twelve students enrolled and less than a month to open. Belkis and Charles were encouraged to open the school by parents and a public school principal who wanted her son in the school before the waiting list got started. In 1998 AYCMA was up to one hundred and twenty two students and had outgrown it’s current facility. Plans began to build a new school and by 1999 Belkis and Charles had designed a new facility and doors were opened in less than three months.
Three years later they added the elementary building, which was also designed by both Charles and Belkis. A Cardio Course has been added to improve the Physical Education Program and the school will soon have a new multi use Sports Court.
A Peace Pond was added to the grounds in addition to the peace pole dedicated on September 11, 2002.
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