Más Allá: Spanish & Global Competence for Adolescents
The Spanish with Ms. Cindy Advantage
Spanish & Global Competence
Más Allá is an innovative adolescent program from Spanish with Ms. Cindy™, designed to integrate practical Spanish language instruction with the transformational experiences of global citizenship. Rooted in Montessori’s vision of Erdkinder - where adolescents learn by working and living meaningfully in the wider world - Más Allá prepares young people to communicate, connect, and contribute on an impactful and global scale.
Two 75-Minute Classes per Week
- Spanish Language & Grammar Lab: Learners build the skills and confidence to use Spanish in real-world contexts, with structured and scaffolded lessons from Learning Spanish from the Outside In™ that focus on vocabulary, phonics, reading, writing, and grammar to be used in real-world situations with the goal of connection.
- Culture, History, & Global Competence Seminar: Learners collectively select one Latin American country to study in depth each year. Together, we explore its history, culture, geography, traditions, and present-day systemic challenges through storytelling, research, debates, and collaborative projects using Learning Spanish from the Outside In™.
Culminating Experience
The program concludes with a two week-long journey to the chosen country, where learners engage in volunteer humanitarian work addressing one of the issues identified.
Examples may include:
- Supporting educational initiatives
- Conservation efforts
- Participating in environmental restoration projects
- Assisting with cultural preservation efforts
- Partnering with local nonprofits on social justice initiatives
Learners practice Spanish daily and discover the power of using language to serve and connect.
The Montessori Connection
Adolescents are in a unique stage of life, seeking identity, independence, and purpose. In Montessori’s words, they need to “find their place in the world.” Más Allá meets this need by:
- Offering work of noble purpose (service, language, cultural inquiry).
- Building community life among peers, teachers, and families.
- Providing a prepared environment for authentic global learning.
- Cultivating peace education, preparing learners to be bridge-builders across cultures.