Kickstarter - Blueprints: The Future of Education

I'm not on the project, but I am a backer, and I sincerely hope that this comes through. We're halfway there with only 16 days to go!

Blueprints: The Future of Education

Our goal is simple. We want to create a series of high quality and aesthetically pleasing blueprints that bring together the worlds of Montessori and architecture. We need your help.

Why? We want to unite the tangible exercises of Montessori with the rigor and precision of architecture. We think this is a powerful intersection.

How can we accomplish this task? With your help, and the world class team at Koch Hazard Architects, who are helping us to create a beautiful, museum quality set of blueprints that highlight the best known materials in Montessori.

What will we do with the funds? The $10,000 raised via Kickstarter will help us design and print three of the most recognized Montessori materials in museum-quality and limited edition lithographs.

We think that you will want these on your walls.

Pink Tower, Binomial Cube, and the Cylinder Blocks all help to form the foundation of the Montessori approach to learning.

You see, these sensorial materials are used in the classroom to help children foster and refine their senses, while presenting abstract concepts, in a concrete fashion. It's a little switch that makes a big difference.

Like so many other materials in the Montessori environment, these sensorial activities employ what is called, "control of error." What this means is that the materials themselves offer a positive form of feedback, so the children can identify and correct their own mistakes, without seeking assistance--or judgment--from a teacher.

It's a novel approach. Not only does this technique promote independence, but it also helps to build self-confidence. In other terms, we want this set of blueprints to offer a positive feedback for you.

We believe these blueprints will fit perfectly in a Montessori school, in the office or home of a Montessori parent or, better yet, in the bedroom of a young Montessori student. Next time you visit your doctor or lawyer, check their walls and see if you can spot a Montessori Blueprint!

We've put together a wonderful list of incentives that we think you'll enjoy! Take a look. We're also open to ideas that you might have to encourage more involvement and participation. After all, education is more than just learning, it's about building relationships. Are you ready? Let's get started!

Thank you for your support.



The Montessori Blueprints project is a collaboration between Hugh Weber and Bobby George.

Hugh is a Seeker of Stories & Curator of Possibility, who has been blessed with a life of story-worthy adventures: sharing the stage with Bobby McFerrin, eating steak on David Letterman’s tab and singing on the streets of Dublin during the St. Patrick’s Day festival while nearby young panhandlers screamed the lyrics to “Wonderwall” by Oasis. He is most proud of his daughter, Emerson, who is in her first year at the Baan Dek Montessori.

Bobby is interested in the intersection of aesthetics and pedagogy. Along with his wife, June, he cofounded Baan Dek, the first Montessori in South Dakota. He also participates in Montessorium and Montessori Mad Men.