The Global Montessori Academy began in 1984 in the basement of Unity Temple on the Plaza as the Plaza Light School. The school opened with 18 students and one full-time teacher.
For six years, it functioned under the umbrella of Unity as a family cooperative with parents serving as support staff. In 1990, Unity decided to close the school. But a group of determined parents decided the school was too important to the community to dissolve and formed a non-profit corporation to acquire it. On September 1, 1990, the school opened its doors as the Global Montessori Academy.
In May 2014, GMA acquired Cherokee Christian Church in Prairie Village, Kansas, and relocated the school. GMA’s new campus features a large elementary complex, outdoor classroom space, a natural playground, a commercial kitchen, and a large gymnasium/auditorium. GMA’s new school has toddler (ages 18-36 months), primary (ages 3-6 years), lower elementary (ages 6-9), and upper elementary (ages 9-12) classrooms.
From its humble beginnings, GMA has become an educational treasure in the Kansas City community. Many children and families have passed through GMA’s doors and cherish the friends made and quality education received here.
