This post was written by Alicia Rheel, head of Island Montessori Charter School in Wilmington that serves students K-8.
At Island Montessori Charter School, we believe public education is at its best when students are empowered not only to learn, but to contribute meaningfully to the world around them. From their earliest years on our campus, students are encouraged to see themselves as capable, responsible members of a larger community. Learning is not something that happens to them — it is something they actively shape, apply and reflect upon.
One of the clearest expressions of this belief is our commitment to service learning. Rooted deeply in Montessori philosophy and aligned with the mission of public education, service learning at Island Montessori is not an add-on or a single event. It is an intentional practice that helps students connect academic learning with real-world purpose, while developing the skills they will carry long after they leave our school.
Service learning at Island Montessori begins with opportunities for all grade levels. Students become ambassadors — helping research, plan, collaborate and reflect — while taking ownership of both the process and the outcome. From here, many students find ways to expand their interests through passion projects.
These projects look different across age levels, but they share common goals: building empathy, strengthening problem-solving skills and fostering a sense of responsibility to others. Students learn to work together, manage time, communicate clearly and persevere when challenges arise. They also learn something equally important — that their actions matter.
This work reinforces a core civic value: that education is not just preparation for life, but active participation in it. Service learning allows students to practice citizenship in real and meaningful ways, while seeing themselves as contributors to the common good.
While service learning creates powerful moments during a student’s time at Island Montessori, its true impact often becomes most visible years later.
As a public charter school, we believe it is important to reflect not only on what students experience while they are with us, but also on how well we prepare them for what comes next. In recent years, we have begun more intentionally gathering feedback from alumni and families to better understand how our students transition into high school and beyond.
Again and again, we hear a consistent message: the skills developed at Island Montessori continue to serve students long after they leave our campus.
Families and alumni frequently share that students enter high school with a strong sense of self, confidence in advocating for their needs and comfort navigating new environments. One parent shared that their child entered high school “already knowing how to learn,” while another reflected that the independence fostered at Island Montessori helped their student feel confident navigating new expectations and responsibilities. They describe graduates who are not afraid to ask questions, manage their workload, collaborate with peers and take initiative in their learning. These are not accidental outcomes — they are the result of years spent practicing independence, reflection and responsibility.
In celebrating the good in public schools, it is important to highlight not only strong academic outcomes, but also the ways schools nurture whole children and future citizens. At Island Montessori, service learning is one of the ways we intentionally live out this responsibility.
Our students learn that success is not measured solely by grades or test scores, but also by character, contribution and growth. They learn to see challenges as opportunities, to value collaboration and to understand their role within a larger community. These lessons are essential — not only for individual success, but for a healthy and thriving society.
As a public charter school, we are proud to offer families a learning environment that emphasizes independence, responsibility and purpose while remaining accessible to all students. We are equally proud of our alumni, whose continued success reminds us that the work we do today has a lasting impact.
As we continue to strengthen our service learning practices and deepen our alumni connections, we remain committed to reflection and growth. Listening to the voices of former students and families helps ensure that we are meeting our mission and preparing students not just for the next academic step, but for life.
Celebrating the good in public education means celebrating learning that lasts. At Island Montessori Charter School, we see that lasting impact every time a graduate returns with confidence, curiosity and a clear sense of who they are as learners and contributors to their community.