MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Plans are moving forward with a Montessori daycare center partnership between Georgia College and the Baldwin County School District.

The collaboration now has an official title, as it will be named the Montessori Academy at the Early Learning Center. Georgia College is handling finances and staffing for the project while the school district supplies the space.

“We really appreciate the partnership between Georgia College and the Baldwin County School District,” said Dr. Joseph Peters, dean of GC’s Lounsbury College of Education. “It’s led to [Georgia College] Early College, and now we’re taking on this new initiative of a Montessori Academy at the Early Learning Center, which is going to be another part of our partnership.”

He told the board at last Tuesday’s meeting that an assistant director has already been hired to oversee the Montessori center, and that there are more hires to come.

“In the coming weeks we’ll be hiring six teachers and we’re proposing that we have a class of six weeks to six months, six months to one year, one year through one and a half, then one and a half to toilet-trained, and two class of 3- to 5-year-olds.”

Beyond the assistant director and six teachers, GC early childhood education students will also be used as staff and receive course credit for participation.

Montessori education was created by Italian physician and educator Dr. Maria Montessori. Some methods used in the innovative practice include mixed-age classrooms, student choice of activities, and uninterrupted blocks of work time.

Registration is now open, but employees of GC and the school district will be given priority for slots. The remaining unfilled slots will be made available to the community on a lottery basis after April 1.

“It’s basically unique in the state — not only the partnership between the school district and the university, but having that Montessori aspect as well,” Peters said.

Baldwin County School Superintendent Dr. Noris Price spoke about the possible expansion of the program in the future.

“The Montessori Academy at the Early Learning Center is an incredible opportunity for our district,” Price said. “It’s, I think a benefit, that we are providing to our employees and also to Georgia College employees starting with six weeks old all the way to 5, and the vision is that if the program really takes off that we would expand it to our elementary schools and have a Montessori program also available for students to continue.”

First-year ELC director Lori Smith said that preparations were being made to the building in the way of making room for furniture like baby beds. She added that the only construction necessary would be to build an infant and toddler playground. Space has already been identified, and rubber foam will be put down to cover the concrete to make the surface safer for little ones.

“What most people don’t realize about the Early Learning Center is that it was actually built to house infants and toddlers, so the inside of the building is actually ready to house infants and toddlers,” Smith said. “All we need to do is build the playground for the babies.”

“We’re going to make an initial investment in Montessori equipment so it is truly a Montessori center,” Peters said. “Not only will we teach in the Montessori method, but they’ll have the Montessori materials as well.”

For more information on the Montessori Academy at the Early Learning Center, visit www.montessorielc.com.