Launched in August 2020, River Montessori High School is rooted within the child-centered educational philosophy articulated by Dr. Maria Montessori, which is based on the belief that every child has the capacity to “self-construct” knowledge if provided with a suitably prepared learning environment and carefully constructed educational materials. Informed by best practices derived from a handful of Montessori high schools nationally, the base curriculum of River Montessori is designed to meet Indiana high school diploma requirements through lessons provided through LiFT, an online platform, and measured by competency-based assessments that support personalized learning in a small school environment. To facilitate access to the approach by students who have not previously attended a Montessori school where grades exist in three-year groupings (e.g., 10th – 12th in one classroom), grade 9 contains a standalone curriculum that provides a year-long introduction into self-directed learning. River Montessori is affiliated with Wildflower Schools, a network of more than 30 micro Montessori schools that arose out of work at the MIT Media Labs in 2014; River Montessori opened as Wildflower’s first high school in the mainland United States. River Montessori Co-Founder Eric Oglesbee participated in The Drexel Fund’s Founders Program in 2019-20.