Inspired by Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophy, Punum Bhatia, PhD has dedicated her life to Montessori education as a parent, teacher, teacher educator, coach, administrator and consultant for over thirty years. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in English Literature; earned Masters’ degrees in English Literature and Education from the University of Calcutta; and completed a certificate diploma in Montessori Pedagogy. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Colorado Denver in 2012 for her work on the Self-Efficacy of Montessori teachers. In her efforts to understand children and the environments necessary for them to grow and flourish, Punum focuses on Maria Montessori’s original philosophy and techniques. After teaching the Montessori Philosophy and Methodology to cohorts all around the world, she takes great pride in running a Montessori school that is authentic and pure and makes a true difference in the lives of children.(Download C.V.)

Zenebech Gebeychu has worked at MCI since 2016 in various roles starting as an intern, then as an Assistant Teacher in the Primary classroom, Lead Guide in PrePrimary and most recently as the Lead Guide in Primary. She has completed her Primary Montessori training at MCI, an AMS refresher course in Infant Toddler Montessori and is also Director Qualified. She shows a deep understanding of Montessori principles as she continues to learn from the children. Originally from Ethiopia, Zizi has made Colorado her home and enjoys spending time with her young son.

Weiyu Foster (Sophy) was born in Northern China and is a native Mandarin speaker. She graduated from the Language Education Department of Chifeng University and completed her Postgraduate Course of Human Resources Management from Hong Kong International Business College. She also holds a secondary school teacher qualification certificate and has been teaching Mandarin to students of all ages for the past 20 years. She has a deep understanding of the language and of the best methods for teaching it to students, teaching not only with her mind but also with her heart. Most recently Sophy has been teaching in a Montessori school in Austin, TX and is excited to join the MCI team. She loves outdoor activities, likes hiking, biking, snowshoeing, fishing and camping.

Hannah Hartung is excited to be joining the team at Montessori Casa International. She has many years of experience working with children in a variety of settings including being a 3rd Grade Teaching Fellow where she created lessons for and lead fluency groups to help students meet reading goals. Additionally, she worked as an English Teaching Assistant through a Fulbright scholarship where she collaborated with local teachers to create lesson plans. While getting her Elementary Education degree, she also gained diverse experiences in Chicago Schools. This included multiple educational settings including public and private. She developed a social-emotional learning pedagogy at DePaul’s Education and Counseling Center where she worked individually with students of all abilities to facilitate a nurturing and safe space. She furthered her teaching experience through a Montessori environment where she acquired the skills that she currently uses today. This includes project-based learning, student-centered instruction, and a whole-child approach. She is currently working towards a doctorate in School Psychology and can't wait for a life-long career in education.

Tracy Campbell has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and received her Montessori Early Childhood Diploma from Montessori Casa International in 2010. She is a mom of a spirited 9 year old daughter and loves working with children. In addition to being an assistant teacher of a toddler class, she has been a special needs paraprofessional for Denver Public Schools for 3 years. She attended a Montessori preschool as a child and is glad to be back in a Montessori community doing what she loves.

Rawda Hussen is originally from Ethiopia and moved to Denver, Colorado in June 2022. She has worked for several years in preschools, elementary schools and most recently she was a High School Principal. She has an undergraduate degree in Educational Planning and Management and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership from Addis Abeba University. She is the proud mother of 2 children, 15 and 13 years old. Her interests include reading, helping the elderly and learning new things. She is very excited to join MCI as the PrePrimary Assistant Teacher.