It's Your Oregon: Harmony Montessori

Jude Foster: Portland, OR

After 13 years heading Harmony Montessori School and over 30 years in childcare and education, Jude Foster knows a thing or two about caring for children in a conscientious way. An education major in college, she knew then that she was committed to working with kids in their formative years.

Under Jude’s leadership, Harmony has proved to be in the forefront of eco-conscious childcare.  Harmony accommodates 55 students, ranging from age two and a half to six.

While reading an article about OEC’s Eco-Healthy Childcare program, Jude recognized that the school was already following most of the guidelines. OEC’s endorsement "formalized what we were already doing informally." Harmony also goes above and beyond in a few areas, including offering organic fruits and milk and snacks that contain no trans fats, teaching the children how to compost, and showing them the beauty of the earth and changing seasons in the outdoor flower gardens. "The first thing [to do] is to get them to love the earth," Jude said.

Harmony did make a few changes after learning about the Eco-Healthy Childcare guidelines: disallowing plastics in the microwave, encouraging kids to use glass containers, and banning aerosol cans entirely. For childcare providers wishing to make environmentally-friendly strides, Jude recommends moving down OEC’s list and implementing each point one by one and to "get conscious."

Jude doesn’t deny there are challenges in trying to be eco-friendly. "In this world, we are forced to use plastics and consume things we don’t want.

Can we really make a difference? Despite the many hurdles, she notes that parents definitely notice the attention Harmony pays to creating a safe, comfortable, and enlightening place for their children:

"Someone has to lead the way."

Click here for information on how to become an Eco-Healthy Childcare.