We switched to HPM after a more rigid schooling experience that excelled at academics, but did not address socio-emotional or physical aspects of kids development. I was so hesistant to leave the great group of friends we had developed, but I know I made the right choice. This is a warm and caring environment, I have had great relationships with all of the teachers and it is very kid-centered. The things I love most - the hands on math, the freedom, creativity, writing, conflict resolution skills, self regulation skills, climbing trees, getting dirty, and making up games. My kids will talk about 20 different games that they just made up .... so much critical thinking and interpersonal skill development. I am a professor myself, and I was looking for the environment that was community focused, truly diverse (socio-economic) and DRIVES intrinsic motivation. My kids LOVE to learn. That is a skill worth paying for. read more

Be cautious before enrolling. The camp advertises a refund policy if plans change before a certain date, but they did not honor it in my case. I received an email from the camp coordinator confirming I would get a refund, yet after following up four times, I never heard back. I lost over $500 between my two kids, and the lack of communication was extremely unprofessional read more

Two of our kids attended HPM's primary program for Pre-K and it was an amazing experience in nurturing their curiosity, their social emotional development, and their love of learning and growth. We loved every moment of their preschool experience---they would come home so happy spending lots of outside time playing all year round (in rain and in snow) and tell us all the things they did with their teachers, aides, and friends. It's a true Montessori school where kids are learning to be independent individuals and creative problem solvers. Their childhood experience there was nothing short of magical thanks to the community of caring staff and teachers. They are now 10 and 6 and still talk about their times with HPM---my oldest still remembers the songs he learned from there with Ms Nora. Ha! read more

HPM was the perfect place for daughter to spent some of her most formative years (PreK4 and Kindergarten). From our first day, we enjoyed being part of this strong and inclusive community. We loved attending all the celebrations and getting to know HPM families, from the lantern walk at the Winter Solstice to the end of year graduation potluck. I especially loved how the older elementary children form relationships with the primary students: shout out to Stella, the elementary student who my daughter looked up to and gave her a Valentine's Day card she will forever cherish. The teachers and staff care deeply about the children and nurtured her imagination and curiosity. Our daughter's interest in music and choir blossomed under Sondra's care and enthusiasm and our car playlist is now filled with songs she sings along to with pride. Her teachers knew her love was in language and art and encouraged her to complete work that pushed her boundaries and grew her knowledge, but also pushed her to do the math work too, and she's entering kindergarten with a solid grasp of multiplication and division. As our daughter takes her next steps in her academic journey, we do so with gratitude for the strong foundation that HMP provided. To anyone seeking an environment where their child can thrive academically, emotionally, and creatively, our family wholeheartedly recommends it! read more

My child attended Humboldt Park Montessori. We are happy to have been a part of such a loving and caring community. My child is a diverse learner and Humboldt Park Montessori did a great job of securing an aid that we're still very close to even after graduation last year. Another positive aspect is that they spend a good amount of time playing outside which I think is great for kids. I definitely recommend sending your child to HPM especially if you're in the neighborhood. We love you HPM read more

My daughter has been a student at Humboldt Park Montessori for the past two years and it has been an amazing experience! She has grown in her confidence in the classroom, developed a curiosity about learning, and benefited greatly from the nurturing environment of the primary classroom. As a parent, I appreciate the responsiveness of the HPM team, and dedication to creating an inclusive and safe leaning environment! read more

My First Review of Anything. I'd been fretting over education options for my children for a while and found Humboldt Park Montessori. After a long search of all Montessori schools in the city with a financial aid program. I was looking for a school that felt as authentically Montessori as I could find, was committed to socioeconomic and racial diversity, and struck a balance between being small enough to feel warm and inviting but large enough to feel established and allow my children to encounter families from a variety of backgrounds and observe an inclusive environment. I found at HPM: *Strong community between the children and parents. Just a good group. *Acceptance- an all are welcome vibe. We qualify for financial aid and don't feel like a project or experiment for accepting assistance. *Results- my kids show better focus, a stronger independence and growth mindset, empathy and improved care for self and others I feel that HPM is committed to Maria Montessori's original vision of an education that respects children of all kinds and empowers them to be kind citizens of the world and ambassadors of peace. When my children arrive at school daily I watch them shed external stressors and walk into a safe oasis of calm that is soothing to the mind and body. They are respected and valued, their big feelings are welcome, they are free to follow their interests and their minds are viewed as absorbent and capable. I know their teachers make them feel seen. At home their pretend play reflects their admiration for their teachers. Major bonus: The children are able to play outside for a long healthy amount of time! Year 2 for our family, and having experienced both preschool and elementary classroom, I'm confident this was a prefect place for our family to land. read more

Our kid started at Humboldt Park Montessori in 2022 at 3 years old in the primary room. HPM has given us a community of families and my kid has caring, smart and thoughtful teachers who are committed to Montessori education. There are a lot of schools that are "Montessori lite." HPM really believes and is committed to Montessori. In Chicago there are many options but I know we picked the right place. ALSO! If you're unsure if Montessori is affordable for you, HPM offers a financial aid program that is part of their mission to make sure Montessori is accessible to all families. read more

HPM is a wonderful school! The staff are caring and friendly, spaces are clean and intentional (truly practicing Montessori), and there is a large emphasis on outdoor time/free creative play. Our daughter attended for two years and is now transitioning to public kindergarten, but our son will be attending when he is old enough! I also highly value HPM's desire to make Montessori accessible through a tiered payment structure and scholarships. read more

This school has been life changing for our family! We thought Montessori wasn't an option for us due to cost but Humboldt Park Montessori operates as a non-profit offering Montessori for All. We are in the elementary program and the teachers are so in-tune with the children, their personalities and needs. The curriculum goes beyond ABC's and 123's and includes mindfulness, cooperation, problem solving and independence. Communication from the school is stellar and you really feel as though you are part of a community. read more

I was very upset when I had seen a group of kids walking, today, 2/28/19, and several of the kids were not dressed for the very cold temperatures.. No hats or gloves..on 4 to 5 of them..they were shivering and red from the extreme cold..while the teacher was sure to bundle up. Once I parked..I went straight to the school and expressed my concern. This shouldn't happen..really! Rita read more

Ok, yelp is kinda a weird place to go to learn about schools, but when you are in the midst of the desperate insanity that is navigating early education in Chicago, every piece of information is important. Humboldt Park Montessori is amazing, and I agree with the previous reviewer that joining the school has been life-changing (really, life-restoring) for our family. We lucked out that our kid had an amazing preschool (elsewhere) that supported social skills, creativity, and curiosity. Our biggest fear when we approached the terrifying world of Chicago kindergartens was that these parts of our child would be squashed by the mixed-up value systems we had ourselves experienced in traditional schooling. We toured and considered close to 20 different schools, played the whole selective-enrollment and lottery thing in CPS, and schemed ways of begging relatives so we could afford a fancy private school if that was the best choice. But in the end the fancy private schools grossed us out with their elitism, and the selective enrollment schools were terrifying in the way they seemed to be training kids solely to compete. Initially, we picked a CPS school known for supposedly progressive values. However, our experience was stressful from the start. The whole structure felt wrong for supporting a child in the things that we prioritized: caring behavior, agency, creative thought, and problem-solving. Long-story-short, after just a couple of months in CPS, our whole family (especially our kid) was melting down with the stress of trying to making sense of a system that just didn't make any sense... (why do kids only have 15 minutes to eat lunch, when food is at the center of community and health? Why do kids only have 20 minutes outside, when exploring the outdoors is so important to develop observational skills, get physical exercise, reduce stress, and work on social dynamics? Why are young kids given rewards/grades based on how well they can stand in lines or regurgitate spelling lists, when those skills are so variable in young brains, and science shows that the labeling and extrinsic motivation systems undermine learning?... and so on! We couldn't justify any of this to our kid, who wanted answers to all of these questions, although couched in a 5-year-old's terms.) Humboldt Park Montessori (HPM) was where we turned when, after a couple of miserable months in a traditional school, we decided we just needed school to make sense to our kid, and to our family. We'd toured it before, but not being "joiners" generally we were skeptical of the whole Montessori thing. But the upshot of HPM is that it is a healthy place for kids, grounded in its diverse community...meaning, it is far more shoestring (in a good way!) and less pretentious/elitist than other private schools we toured, and the kids' needs are at the center. It was founded by parents who wanted a healthy school environment for their kids, and that ethos is shared in the school community - it's a group of parents juggling the realities of working and raising kids in this city and in this time, and wanting their kids to be strong and resilient. Unlike most CPS and other traditional schools, HPM offers large blocks of outside play time every day. Lunch isn't rushed, and kids have freedom to eat, use the bathroom, and attend to other physical needs (like the need to have some chill time) at will. Consequently, kids feel respected, they recognize that learning *includes* taking care of themselves, and they come home less stressed. Autonomy, difference, community, and relationships are valued, and small student-teacher ratios mean that the kids have adults in their lives who know them well and can help them see and grow from the strengths they already have. And yes, they have lots of intellectual stimulation, but in an environment that allows for the whole child and doesn't emphasize worksheets and tests. Pretty much immediately when we made the shift, our child, and thus our whole family, shed mountains of stress. The curiosity, intrinsic drive, and care that we value so much came back into focus. A year in, as we get more involved in the school, we feel more and more grateful for the way it supports our child and for the community it has opened up for our family. read more

This is a great school with caring staff. My older son attended for one year full time and both of my kids have gone to summer camp for many years. Kids get to spend lots of time outdoors, learn thing beyond reading/math and seem to truly enjoy how they spend their day at school. read more

I honestly cannot recommend Humboldt Park Montessori enough. It is an amazing beautiful school and community. My daughter has been attending Humboldt Park Montessori since she was 4 years old. She is now 8 and in third grade at HPM. What makes this school so special is a combination of great things: 1. The kids spend a substantial amount of time outside in the schools beautiful play yard where they play, move and explore and learn. This space is magical; it has quiet spaces for kids to gather themselves, spaces to climb, to balance, to build, different sensory zones, sand, and water. It is a natural space to expose the children to concepts about biology, science, sports and the arts to the children. 2. The teachers are wonderful- everyone on staff is kind, knowledgeable, invested and meets each child and their family where they are. Our child is incredibly supported by this school, allowing her to grow and flourish. 3. The class sizes are small. 4. The school mission is for it to be accessible to everyone in the community, which means that most students get financial aid, and this makes for a school community that is diverse in every sense and this makes it a strong community where we all work together to create a space for our children to grow into responsible capable and caring adults. read more