About

Acacia Montessori opened in January 2023.  Acacia is the product of a friendship that began during training to become Montessori guides, and of the dedicated support of the Wildflower Foundation and the Montessori Center of Minnesota.  Saido and Melissa began training together in 2020, and as their friendship grew, an idea took shape.  Abdilahi soon joined the training.  The three of us are excited to bring the beauty of Montessori education to the Apple Valley community.  Saido and Abdilahi are bringing the unique language and culture of our Somali neighbors, and Melissa is our connection to the Midwest.  We blend our differences and highlight our similarities to create a community of independent, confident, lifelong learners.

 
Wildflower schools sit in light-filled spaces on walkable streets. They increase the presence of children and families in the community by supporting a narrower geographic focus that enables walking to and from school, and by partnering with local playgrounds, gardens, and other civic spaces that would otherwise be on-site in larger institutions. We expand our definition of “stakeholders” beyond the families we serve directly, and we work to strengthen and improve the surrounding communities for children.