Adolescent Community

What is Montessori for 12-18 year-olds?

The Montessori program for students aged 12 to 18 years is based on the recognition of the developmental characteristics of adolescence.

Adolescence is an age of great social development, an age of critical thinking and re-evaluation, and a period of self-concern and self-assessment. It is a transition from childhood to adulthood with the corresponding physical, mental and social maturation. Above all adolescence is like an odyssey – an arduous yet exciting adventure – where the adolescent tries to find his or her place in the world.

Download our Adolescent Community information booklet.

Montessori Principles

Our Adolescent Community curriculum has a strong focus on the Montessori principles which have been the fundamental pillars guiding every stage of curriculum development, ensuring these principles are consistently applied across years 7-12:

• an integrated curriculum and hands-on learning using multi-disciplinary approaches to learning rather than siloed subjects
• focus on the whole person taking developmental needs into account
• learning in context based on real-world and hands-on problem-solving
• working together as a community and participating in community life and work
• leadership and mentorship of younger peers
• real work (through micro-economies)
• identifying and working with each student’s areas of interest.

Couplets

At MIC our Adolescent Community has couplets (two-year age groupings).

The couplets are:

• Year 7 and Year 8 – Land and Community Program
• Year 9 and Year 10 – Local Integrated Studies Program
• Year 11 and Year 12 – Future Pathways Senior Studies Program.

The 7-8 and 9-10 couplets allow for a spread of standards over two-year topics and projects and the 11-12 couplet aligns with QCAA requirements for secondary studies.