Humble Beginnings
Chiaravalle (“Care-a-volley”) Montessori School was incorporated in 1965 by nine couples committed to offering a Montessori education to children in the Rogers Park/Evanston area. The name is taken from the birthplace of Maria Montessori and means “Valley of Light.”
From its beginnings in the basement of Bethlehem Lutheran Church the school has grown from a preschool with twelve students to a pre-eminent educational institution, serving children aged 6 months to 14 years.
A History of Growth
As it met the community’s desire for expanded program offerings, the School moved a number of times. In 1980, it settled into its present location, the historically significant H.H.C Miller Public School building, designed by Daniel Burnham.
In 1973, Parent/Child and Toddler classes were added, full day-care options were enlarged, and the School was able to accept developmentally challenged children. The Elementary program was inaugurated in 1980, coinciding with the final move. At the request of parents, the Middle School program of sixth through eighth grades was added in 1992.
By the mid-1990s, Chiaravalle had achieved full accreditation by the American Montessori Society and the Independent Schools Association of the Central States.
In 1998, Chiaravalle was granted long-term lease with the City of Evanston to remain in its present location. The subsequent $2.5 million, two-year renovation enhanced and updated the facility, adding full handicapped accessibility and major aesthetic improvements to the century-old building.
In 2003, Chiaravalle made additional infrastructure improvements to the infant/toddler floor through the investment of $500,000. The Middle School was moved to rented space at the First Congregational Church of Evanston in 2006, one block from the 425 Dempster Street site.
Building Our Future
To ensure that a Montessori education is available for children in Evanston and the surrounding communities, Chiaravalle is working to secure a permanent home. In 2009, the City of Evanston agreed to sell Chiaravalle the brick school building that has been our home since 1980. The proposed building purchase is part of a long-range master facilities plan. Our Campaign for Chiaravalle: Preparing the Environment, is an effort to raise $3 million in support of the purchase and renovation of our beloved building. This campaign also will support enhancements to our educational programming and professional development for faculty and staff.