After witnessing the powerful effect of Montessori education in his son’s life, Eric changed careers in 2016 to build the Montessori Consortium of the Great Lakes (MCGL) at Good Shepherd Montessori School (GSMS) in South Bend, Indiana. The MCGL – whose mission is to advance educational best practices according to the vision of Dr. Maria Montessori – is currently engaged in multiple high-impact projects, one of which is to support the launch of South Bend Montessori High School (SBMHS).

SBMHS will be an urban, 60 student high school using the Montessori method to provide a faith-based education that develops the whole person and which prepares students for the next stage of life, whether that is college, trade school, or something else; at least one-third of the seats within the high school will be for low-income families. The curriculum developed will engage students in real work that allows each person to discover his or her life calling and develop the necessary dispositions needed to thrive in a 21st-century economy.

Leading the curriculum development effort is Eric’s co-founder, Eileen Mariani. Eileen is a former high school science teacher and AMS-credentialed Montessori guide with 13 years of teaching experience at Good Shepherd Montessori School. Eric possesses a Ph.D. and M.A. in General Linguistics from Indiana University as well as a B.A. from Bethel University (Indiana) with a double major in Mathematics and Biblical Literature.