Discover Mareas
About Mareas Montessori
Driving Creativity and Responsibility
Mareas Montessori was created to fulfill the need for a high quality bilingual education available to all cultures.
FAQ
What is Mareas?
Mareas is a nonprofit education center, offering bi-lingual Montessori-based programs.It is owned and operated by a volunteer board of directors. The role of the board is to be responsive to the values, beliefs, and priorities of the community while working to achieve the goals set forth in the strategic plan. The board of directors contributes to the process of prioritizing an excellent education for your children while ensuring Mareas is financially sustainable.
What are the school hours?
What is the location?
We are located just off HWY 19 on the Rancho Pescadero road.
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/RSVrVxTUqJ3YRTMP9
What is the admission process?
- Online admission request: https://centromareasmx.com/contact/
- Tour of the school (Tuesdays 10-11 am)
- Shadow day (child spends a day in the classroom)
- Complete the Enrollment Form & Application Fee
- Payment of applicable fees (upon acceptance)
How does the waitlist work?
Mareas is operating at full capacity, the number of openings each year depends heavily on the number of existing students that return to our program. Many factors are considered when making enrollment decisions. These factors include, but are not limited to the following: Montessori philosophy considerations, waitlist order; an even distribution of boys, girls, & ages; capacity; grade level; scholarships; sibling enrollment, etc.
Enrollment decisions will be finalized by the Mareas Board and shared in the spring of each year based on these factors and any other relevant information deemed critical to ensuring the success of each classroom environment. Due to the complexity and nature of this process, we do not share or publish our waitlist or final enrollment decision details. Re-enrollment for existing families closes in February and we will reach out to waitlist families in March.
What are the tuition fees?
*Tuition & Fees are for the ‘23/’24 school year and are subject to change. All fees are nonrefundable.
Application Fee: $1,000MXN
Who: All first-time students upon submission of initial application for school
When: April 1st to May 31st of the current school year, with application
Why: For the processing of applications
New Student Registration Fee: $10,000MXN
Who: All first-time students, one-time fee
When: No later than August 31st of the current school year
Why: To ensure first-time student’s success in the Mareas community
Material Fee: $9,000MXN
Who: All students, annual fee
When: No later than August 31st of the current school year
Why: For all materials needed in class for the year
Monthly Tuition: $12,000 MXN per month per student
Sibling Discount: $1,000 MXN off for any enrolled siblings.
Please note, that no tuition credit is given for absences. Yearly tuition is due regardless of how many days or months the children are at school during any given week; (holidays, illness, vacations, etc.) If the entire annual tuition is not paid, your child’s space at Mareas may be released to a waitlist child. If you exceed one month in unpaid tuition, your child may be denied entry to the Mareas program.
What age must my child be to enroll?
They must be 3 years old by September 1st of the current year to enroll in the Casa de Niños program.
What ages do we serve?
6 – 12 beginning in the year that your child turns August 1st.
Fundraising Goals
Looking forward, the only way Mareas will be able to grow and admit meaningful numbers of new students from our Community, is to expand our capacity. Therefore we are looking to raise $100,000 USD in order to build additional classrooms on our campus, and thus increase our enrollment going forward. Until this goal is met, our program will remain very limited in the number of new students we can receive each year. To meet this goal, we are currently accepting tax-deductible donations in either Mexico or the US. We invite you to donate, or share our message to anyone you think may want to support our cause!
Our History
Centro Mareas Montessori was founded in October 2020 by Kimberly Keller. After spending 20 years working in both public and private Montessori schools in the United States, Kim dreamed of bringing a community-based Montessori program to Baja Sur, a place she had fallen in love with. With that vision in her heart, she opened the school in her home with just eight children, ages 5–12.
Word spread quickly, and the school grew in its very first year. Recognizing the impact the program was having on their children, a group of supportive parents came together to help build what is now Centro Mareas Montessori—a thriving, community-centered school serving families from many backgrounds.
Today, our campus includes three beautiful classrooms:
- Casa Classroom (ages 3–6)
- Lower Elementary (ages 6–9)
- Upper Elementary (ages 9–12)
We invite you to explore our Mission and Vision as we continue to grow and work together to create an integrated, culturally connected learning environment for our local community.
Our Mission
At Centro Mareas we strive to provide a dual language, cross-cultural Montessori education grounded in the joy of learning and academic excellence. We aspire to nurture conscious change-makers equipped to solve social and environmental problems both here in Baja and throughout the world. We can do this by instilling the core Montessori values of resilience, mindfulness, and compassionate action for the betterment of our students and community.
Our Vision
We envision a school that unites the diverse communities of Baja Sur, where children learn side by side in a student body that mirrors the richness of our region. We prepare compassionate, bilingual leaders ready to serve their communities. We uplift local educators through meaningful careers, Montessori training, and competitive wages. And we stand as proactive partners in our community, collaborating with forward-thinking organizations to inspire real and lasting change.
Core Values:
- Be Respectful and Show Compassion
- Persevere Through Challenges
- Show High Quality in All You Do
- Collaborate and Cooperate
- Leave No Trace
Our School Community
Our success is made possible by our caring and dedicated school community. We pride ourselves on inclusiveness, and we are committed to nurturing a diverse community with a generous scholarship program.
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