Mi Escuela Montessori Receives $1,000 McDonald’s Grant to Launch Bilingual STEAM Buddies Mentorship Program

Mi Escuela Montessori has been awarded a $1,000 grant from McDonald’s to support the Bilingual STEAM Buddies Mentorship Program, a hands-on bilingual science and engineering initiative connecting upper-elementary and primary students.

The program pairs 4th–6th grade students with 1st–3rd grade “buddies” to explore science through real-world investigations, engineering design challenges, and bilingual communication. Each team will use classroom “shoebox science kits” to conduct experiments on topics such as forces and motion, energy, and simple machines—while mentors guide younger students through the process in both English and Spanish.

“This grant allows us to expand creative, hands-on learning experiences that bring science and language together,” said Kelly De La Cruz, Executive Director of Mi Escuela Montessori. “Our students are learning to think like scientists and engineers—and to express their ideas confidently in two languages.”

The McDonald’s grant will help fund experiment materials, bilingual visuals, and a schoolwide STEAM Showcase where to celebrate student learning this spring.