Glendale is getting a new tuition-free preschool inspired by the Montessori method that builds upon children’s natural interests and prioritizes hands-on learning.

Bezos Academy will open on the property of Desert Garden Preschool, part of the Glendale Elementary School District, and offer full tuition and meals for children 3 to 5 whose households fall below 400% of the federal poverty level , $128,600 for a family of four, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Three classrooms will open at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year, and there are plans to expand at the Desert Garden Preschool site in the future.

Bezos Academy was started by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, among the richest people in the world , to increase access to early childhood development in underserved communities. After Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers met with Bezos four years ago, he connected the team behind Bezos Academy with the most challenged school districts in Glendale to prepare them for grade school.

“Rather than your kindergarten teachers having to start teaching them English and everything else from that point, they're at a disadvantage then," Weiers said. "Get them started earlier."

What is the Montessori method used by Bezos Academy?

Bezos Academy uses a “Montessori-inspired approach” that focuses on children’s individual interests and allows them to explore at their own pace. Educators are trained to identify a child’s strengths and cultivate an environment that allows for their “physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and cultural development," according to Bezos Academy website.

Early childhood is a critical window for developing the skills that students need when entering grade school. It's a period that can impact their future academic and social success . Arizona currently ranks 43rd in the U.S. among 4-year-olds enrolled in public preschool programs , according to the 2023 State of Preschool Yearbook from the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University.

“Kids come in with mixed curiosities, and so what the Montessori program allows them to do is meet them where they are and bring them where you kind of need to be to be kindergarten ready,” said Roger Brown, the head of the new school.

Each classroom in Bezos Academy will have a teacher certified by the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, which has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education since 1995. An assistant teacher with Montessori training will also be in every classroom, along with floating teachers.

What does a typical day at Bezos Academy look like?

Bezos Academy already operates other locations across the country. The academy’s program consists of seven-hour days, five days a week, with a minimum of three hours dedicated to learning using the six areas of the Montessori curriculum: practical life, sensorial, math, language, science and social studies. Breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack will be provided, and blocks of time will be allocated for nap time and outdoor activity, following traditional preschool programs.

Bezos Academy will allow for more flexible schedules, such as adjusting outdoor activity for earlier in the day to accommodate the Arizona sun, or allowing students to continue learning if they want to forego nap time.

While many preschools around the state, including Desert Garden, offer fully-funded early childhood programs for low-income and special needs children aged 3 to 5, Bezos Academy hopes to cast a wider net for children who might not be eligible for existing programs.

“Our program is actually designed to accommodate families that people call the working poor, who earn just a little bit more that they can no longer benefit from government-subsidized programs,” said Emmanuel Imah, the regional partnership development leader for Bezos Academy.

The Bezos Academy classrooms that will open next school year will be in a remodeled building on Desert Garden Preschool property, but the school will operate independently. Desert Garden will monitor Bezos Academy’s HVAC and security systems, and connect the new preschool to Glendale’s Real Time Crime Center in case of lockdowns and emergencies.

Each of the classrooms will have a capacity of 20 students. Bezos Academy plans to expand to six classrooms for a total capacity of 120 students.

While Bezos Academy doesn’t offer transportation, the program isn’t exclusive to Glendale residents. Anyone within the eligibility requirements can apply.

Can my child apply for Bezos Academy?

Any child who will be between 3 and 5 by the start date of the program, Sept. 1, and is from a household that falls below the income limit will be eligible to enroll. The deadline to apply for the 2025-26 school year is May 2, but families can still apply after the deadline for future school years.

Prospective students will be chosen on a lottery system, but Bezos Academy does offer sibling preference for families with multiple eligible children.

At the end of the two-year program, Bezos Academy supports families with their children's transition into kindergarten, partnering with Desert Garden and Glendale Elementary School District to continue students’ educations.

“By the end of two years, we've learned a lot about them academically, emotionally, socially, and we're able to then help them transition to kindergarten successfully, regardless of where they're going,” said Brown.

In addition to expanding at the Desert Garden location, Bezos Academy planned to open three schools in Mesa in the near future.

Coverage of education solutions on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is partially supported by a grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund.