We stand in solidarity with Black, Indigenous and People of the Global Majority against white supremacy, its culture, and its systematic oppression of People of the Global Majority, especially Black, Indigenous, and 2sLGBTQIA+ Women.
What do we mean by Anti-Racism?
In order to explain the ways in which our programS and facilitators live into our values of being/becoming Anti-Bias/Anti-Racist, we have to define what that means to us and what success will look like.
Antiracism is a belief that people are inherently equal no matter which invented race one belongs to (no person is better or worse than another in any number of measures based on race)*. And, an Antiracist acknowledges that there are racial disparities in every facet of life (from life expectancy, income, test scores, etc). We at The PEACE Program know that these disparities have been systematically and intentionally created through opportunities and privileges for some races (namely, white) and obstacles for other races (namely, Black, Indigenous and People of the Global Majority). We believe that any disparity based on race has been created based on a policy or structure that can be changed. The policies, not the people, are the focus. This is also true for Anti-Bias: no person is better or worse than another based on gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, etc. As each of these oppressions and biases stem from white supremacy, the framework of race is our starting point knowing, however that misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and more are interconnected.
*Ibram X. Kendi, How to Be An Antiracist
What is The PEACE Program’s focus in Antiracism work?
1. There are clear disparities based on race within the Montessori Parent-Educator community. When you look at mainstream Montessori conference speaker line-ups and Montessori Parent-Educator Influencers, the field prominently features white cis-women. This is systemic (and includes the PEACE Program founder, Mariana)!
2. There are clear disparities based on race in accessing 0-3 Montessori teacher training and becoming a Montessori Parent-Educator. Some of this is structural economic inequity and some of this is the shear lack of attention on Parenting-Education in the typical Montessori teacher training experience. This means less Black, Indigenous, and People of the Global Majority in 0-3 Montessori education and even fewer in the field of Parenting Education. Representation and shared lived experiences matter in Parenting-Education. It is essential that ALL parents can find guidance that is culturally relevant so that they can show up for their child as they are trying to do.
3. There are clear obstacles to accessing in-person parenting-education. The obstacles for Black, Indigenous, and People of the Global Majority are more significant based on the layers of systemic oppression. From whether you have access to transportation to attend parenting classes to whether you have the privilege of a flexible schedule to have time off from work to whether you can afford the class, these obstacles fall harder on the shoulders of Black, Indigenous, and Parents of the Global Majority and often make those programs inaccessible (and this assumes the classes exist in the first place!). And increasingly, in-person programs are more challenging for those who are immunocompromised, have a disability, or are part of the 2sLGBTQIA+ community.
What is The PEACE Program doing about the disparities in the accessing quality Montessori Parenting-Education with representative voices?
1. We are transparent about our beginnings.
The PEACE Program was founded by Mariana Bissonnette who wanted to provide critically needed access to developmental information and community spaces in her community in Oakland, CA (Lisjan Ohlone Land). Mariana started a free, drop-in play group for families in the area to be with their babies and learn a thing or two about the child's development. The success of the program led Mariana to serve over 1200 families in the first three years of the program alone! However, Mariana was the only facilitator available to families.
2. We identified the policy that upheld that inequity and changed it!
In response to listening to and learning from Black and Brown activists in 2020, Mariana recognized that she would not always be the right parent-educator for all families. So, she took to The PEACE Program and identified the unwritten policy of remaining a single-facilitator program. The PEACE Program now has multiple pathways to support, mentor, and uplift the work of aspiring and current Montessori educators so that more Montessori spaces aimed at community care are available from a wide array of parent-educators.
The PEACE Scholarship: In 2020, The PEACE Program started a 0-3 Montessori training scholarship. Our scholarship supports 0-3 Montessori teachers-in-training with a financial scholarship to offset training expenses as well as a 9-month mentorship in parenting education with The PEACE Program. This program gives 0-3 Montessori trainees practical skills and experience in parenting education to support their training experience and expand their Montessori career opportunities after graduation. At The PEACE Summit, PEACE Scholars prepare a workshop (sometimes their first ever!) with coaching and support to have practice and experience delivering parent ed.
100% of PEACE Scholars have been Black and/or Indigenous and have gone on to earn their 0-3 and/or 3-6 Montessori diplomas. All of our past and present PEACE Scholars are featured at this year's PEACE Summit: Rynae Lindsey, Emely Flores, Dominique Quintana, and Loretta Cordero.
$8000 worth of funding to PEACE Scholars has been provided from 2020-2023.
60 hours of mentoring and coaching has been provided from 2020-2023
PEACE Facilitation: In 2022, we built off the work of the Scholarship program to create an avenue for already trained Montessorians aiming to get into or extend Parenting-Education work. After working together as a dedicated International team of Montessori educators, we realized that we could put on an amazing conference and The PEACE Summit was born. Now, we offer a bi-annual virtual conference that features our facilitation team that year who contribute to our parenting education programs annually. The PEACE Program works with each facilitator to refine their presentation skills and grow their parenting-education practice to bring to their own communities.
65% of the 2023-24 PEACE Facilitators identify as Black, Indigenous, or of the Global Majority. Meet the Team.
76% of the 2023-24 PEACE Facilitators are multilingual
60 hours of mentoring and coaching has been provided since it's beginnings in 2022
3. We contribute to BIPGM-Owed businesses to do our business!
We know that effects of white supremacy and colonization are deep, complex, and difficult to address. There is no simple fix in frameworks that are so embedded into every aspect of our lives. And, we know that a powerful step forward is to uplift, support, and contribute to BIPGM organizations serving those most marginalized by these systems of power.
Sliding Scale 1:1s & Early Bird Discounts: We have already supported over 2000 families with early Montessori parenting-education and we hope to serve 2000 more in the next year alone! We are committed to continually offer many programs free of charge (the PEACE Summit, the Podcast, the Blog, & our Social Media content) as well as offer 1:1s at a Sliding Scale and Early Bird discounts for ALL of our courses and programs. We appreciate the organizations and individuals who contribute to keep programs accessible to all interested families.
Black Montessori Education Fund: The Black Montessori Education Fund (BMEF) was birthed out of the realization of the urgent necessity for healing in the Black community from the trauma of racism that is negatively impacting Black children. The PEACE Program contributes to the BMEF monthly in support of wider access to Montessori education, training, and support for Black educators, families, and ultimately, children.
Indigenous Montessori Institute: The Indigenous Montessori Institute is an anti-racist, anti-biased approach to educational reform using Indigenous Knowledge Systems and the Montessori Philosophy to deliver Teacher Training. The PEACE Program contributes to the IMI monthly in support of wider access to Montessori education, training, and support for Indigenous educators, families, and ultimately, children. **Fun Fact: Our 2022 PEACE Scholar, Dominique Quintana, is a Cochti Montessori Educator who created the first 0-3 Montessori classroom at KCLC!
Roots of Labor Birth Collective: Roots of Labor Birth Collective (RLBC) is committed to reproductive justice, and believes that everyone deserves a doula, regardless of one’s ability to pay. When you hire an RLBC doula, you are investing in the wellness of Oakland and the greater Bay Area birthing community (where The PEACE Program operates). The PEACE Program contributes to the RLBC monthly in support of wider access to birthing support, doulas, and reproductive justice.
Sogorea Te Land Trust: Sogorea Te’ Land Trust is an urban Indigenous women-led land trust based in the San Francisco Bay Area that facilitates the return of Indigenous land to Indigenous people. Sogorea Te’ Land Trust cultivates rematriation. Sogorea Te’ calls on us all to heal and transform the legacies of colonization, genocide, and patriarchy and to do the work our ancestors and future generations are calling us to do. The PEACE Program is operated out of Huchiun, the ancestral land of the Lisjan Ohlone People (currently occupied by the City of Oakland in the Bay Area). The PEACE Program contributes to the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust monthly in support of returning Indigenous land to Indigenous People.