January- March Impact

Over the past three months, something pretty incredible happened.

Just from people choosing to buy coffee and support what we’re building, we were able to raise $2,000 for 3 Mariposas Montessori School. We decided to put this round of donations toward a student scholarship. And honestly, that matters more than it might sound at first. At 3 Mariposas, six out of every ten students live in poverty and rely on full scholarships to attend. For a lot of them, this is the only way they’re able to be in school at all.

The school serves kids from ages 2 to 12, coming from a mix of backgrounds including French, Haitian, American, and Dominican families. You can feel that mix when you’re there. It’s not just something you read about, it shows up in how the kids interact, learn, and grow together every day.

A scholarship at 3MM goes way beyond just covering classes. The students get a bilingual Montessori education that includes peace education, movement and physical activity, health and hygiene, and environmental awareness. They also get daily meals, snacks, clean drinking water, school supplies, field trips, wellness checks, and even things like Christmas gifts that end up meaning more than you’d expect.

What stuck with me the most, though, came from visiting the school this past week. You start to notice the small things. There’s a retired school bus that’s been turned into a lending library. Pieces of metal and plastic have been reused to make signs. An old waterslide has been rebuilt into part of the playground.

There’s also a chicken coop that the students help take care of. It sounds simple, but it’s actually a big part of how they learn responsibility. The kids help feed the chickens and take care of the space, which ties directly into the school’s focus on hands-on learning.

The same thing shows up in the garden. The students help plant, maintain, and take care of it themselves. You can tell it’s not just something for show. They’re actually involved in the process, learning how things grow and what it takes to keep them going.

One thing that really stood out to me was the pots they use. A lot of them are made by the students themselves out of cement. It’s a small detail, but it says a lot about how the school works. They’re not just being taught information, they’re learning how to make things, take ownership, and build something with their own hands. Nothing feels wasted. Everything has a purpose.

Being there made it clear how much thought and effort goes into creating a place where kids can actually enjoy learning and feel supported while they do it. It’s not about having the newest or nicest materials. It’s about using what’s available and building something meaningful with it.

Another important point is that both 3 Mariposas Montessori and Los Ojos Rojos are nonprofits. Every dollar goes straight into supporting the students and the school. None of this happens without people choosing to be part of it. So when you buy coffee, it does more than you might expect. It helps create real opportunities for kids who need them.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this so far. We’re hoping to keep building on this and continue making a real impact.