Community Highlights: Meet Claudia Casco of Maracas Montessori

Today we’d like to introduce you to Claudia Casco. 

Hi Claudia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today
My name is Claudia Casco, and I am from Guadalajara, Mexico. I earned my degree in Psychology and went on to found and operate my first Montessori preschool in Guadalajara with two other partners. I operated the school for ten years, from 1991 through 2001 until my family and I moved to the United States. My husband relocated for a temporary assignment with IBM, which eventually became a permanent assignment. We lived close to New York for four years before relocating to Raleigh in 2005. 

At that point I was ready to move forward with my professional career and decided to continue where I left off in Mexico. I started a small Montessori preschool at my home with a small group of children, in my native language: Spanish. At the same time, I worked towards my Montessori certification and the equivalences of my university studies. As the small group of children became larger, I quickly moved into an office space in North Raleigh. At that moment I realized that by combining Spanish immersion with a Montessori curriculum, I was able to attract families that valued Montessori’s core values, as well as the benefits of a Spanish education. The growth of my program quickly started being driven by families that didn’t have any Spanish at home.

I moved again into a much larger and more beautiful property, but due to zoning issues, I couldn’t offer long schedules. We needed a proper facility to offer full services. Finally, about 8 years ago we found the right place and purchased the property. I was able to get my license and provide quality program offerings for children between 15 months and 6 years. 

Fast forward to today; we offer the program to 100 children, employ 20 extraordinary native Spanish teachers, and are proud to make a difference in our young children by offering them the opportunity to be bilingual while learning in Montessori environments. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way
Even though it’s been a fun and rewarding journey, we have encountered a few challenges along the way. Personally, my biggest challenge was starting a business in a foreign country that spoke a different language than my native tongue. I had to overcome my fears and open myself up to the community in order to share and scale my education project. Now, I realized that anything is possible with hard work. 

As you know, we’re big fans of Maracas Montessori. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Maracas Montessori is a wonderful community that really prides itself in our unique blend of Montessori core values as well as the cultural and academic benefits of our Spanish Immersion. 

From our Montessori curriculum, our students are surrounded by a prioritization of respect, independence, and appreciation. This is driven home continuously through lessons, peer modeling, our classroom materials, the outdoor classrooms, but above all, our teachers and culture at the school. From math to courtesy, our Montessori curriculum strengthens all areas of our student’s development in a comprehensive way, creating a safe and intentional environment where they can discover the pleasure of learning. 

When you then add a layer of Spanish immersion on top of the Montessori base, you help expose students to new cultures from around the world. Not only do students learn Spanish, but they benefit from an cognitive  perspective, as they build synapses that will last even if they forget Spanish in the future. 

What matters most to you?
To create a place where children can develop a joy for learning, while empowering all cognitive abilities, especially, bilingualism. We strive to give our students the opportunity to understand and embrace other cultures. 

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.maracas-montessori.com