Welcome to
Seton Montessori Institute

About Seton Montessori Institute

Seton Montessori Institute is a teacher and Montessori school administrator preparation institute that has graduated thousands of qualified and caring educators and leaders in the last 50 years. Seton Montessori Institute is affiliated by American Montessori Society (AMS), accredited by Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE) and is approved to operate by the Private Business and Vocational Schools Division of the Illinois Board of Higher Education. 

  • Dedicated to serving the children of the world by preparing Montessori teachers and administrators, Seton Montessori Institute’s programs specialize in infant and toddler education (birth to age three) early childhood education (ages three to six), and Montessori school leadership and administration. From its founding in 1970 (Originally as MECA-Seton) by Celma Pinho Perry, Seton Montessori Institute’s adult learners have been introduced to the Seton Montessori Institute’s two Chicago-area lab schools, learning to observe, practice teaching skills, and be immersed in a thriving, model Montessori community.

    Seton Montessori Institute’s graduates have brought the outlook and skills learned at Seton to communities all over the United States and internationally. Additionally, Seton graduates have brought the Seton approach to teacher education to the world, starting teacher preparation courses in places as remote as Chile, Slovenia, Brazil, France, Canada, and Lithuania. Seton Montessori Institute is proud to have numerous faculty members and graduates named as AMS Living Legacy honorees, demonstrating the lasting impact of the deep understanding and commitment to the Montessori approach sparked at Seton.

Meet Our Faculty & Administration

  • A headshot of Anna Perry.

    Anna Perry

    Executive Director

  • A headshot of Eva Parrucci.

    Eva Parrucci

    Director of Pedagogy

  • Elena Pappas Bordoshuk smiles at the camera while standing in front of a brick wall.

    Elena Pappas Bordoshuk

    Director of Admissions

  • A headshot of Aniela Muka.

    Aniela Muka

    Registrar

  • A headshot of Liz Celistan.

    Liz Celistan

    Director of Accounts

  • A headshot of Ashley Buntrock.

    Ashley Buntrock

    Practicum Coordinator

  • A headshot of Heather Harty.

    Heather Harty

    Student Advisor - Infant and Toddler Course

  • Rosemary Quaranta

    Student Advisor - Early Childhood Course

  • A headshot of Jennifer Nolan.

    Jennifer Nolan

    Coordinator and Student Advisor – Montessori Leadership and Administration Course

  • Deepa Shreekumar

    Faculty Member - Early Childhood Course

Seton Montessori Board Members

Dr. Shirley Morgenthaler, Member – Shirley.Morgenthaler@gmail.com

Anna Perry, President – Anna@SetonMontessori.org

Desmond Perry, Vice President – Desmond@SetonMontessori.org

Stephen Snyder, Secretary & Treasurer – Stephen@SetonMontessori.org

Pedro Soares, Member – p.soares9@gmail.com

Jennifer Nolan, Ex Officio Board Member, Head of School – Jennifer@SetonMontessori.org

Eva Parrucci, Ex Officio Board Member, Director of Pedagogy – Eva@SetonMontessori.org

Two women sit on the floor of a classroom. The woman on the right of the image is holding a strand of beads and explaining them to the other woman to her left.

History of Seton

In 1965, a group of parents sought to bring quality Montessori education to their community of Clarendon Hills, IL. Under the educational direction of Celma Pinho Perry, they founded Seton Montessori School. As the director of that school, she fostered a loving education environment and eventually grew a one-room Early Childhood schoolhouse into a vibrant education community of over 200 children, from birth through Upper Elementary. Celma recognized that would-be teachers of young children needed a preparation program that would enable them to educate in the true spirit of Montessori, and to fill this need she founded the Montessori Education Centers Associated teacher preparation program in 1970. Today Seton Montessori Institute (formerly MECA Seton) is one of the oldest and largest Montessori teacher education programs in North America and has prepared thousands of teachers to thoughtfully and faithfully serve the needs of the children in their care.