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Image courtesy of Star Path Montessori. Families enjoy a new gathering space in West Roxbury that is based on Montessori principles.
Updated 5/31/2022. Corrections have been made to location references of Star Path Montessori Collective which is in West Roxbury, not Dedham as originally stated.
In contrast to the decline of 38 percent in the number of open small businesses in Massachusetts between January 2020 to April 2020, by the beginning of 2022, as compared to January 2020, the difference in the number of open small businesses is a decrease of only 1.8 percent.
Westwood is seeing its fair share of new, small businesses opening during the pandemic, from pet stores to realty concerns and education offerings, and it is not alone. Neighboring towns are, as well. Star Path Montessori Collective in West Roxbury hosted its grand opening in February this year, with owner Clarissa Robyn celebrating the realization of her idea of a space for Montessori families that doesn’t focus on schooling.
Ms. Robyn comes to her business with a background in early education and Montessori, and the inspiration of her recent role in supporting Montessori families with kids in their homes during the pandemic.
During the pandemic, Ms. Robyn found herself responding to a number of requests from student families to help set up Montessori inspired spaces within families’ homes. Therefore, when Ms. Robyn came upon an available space at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in West Roxbury, she saw an opportunity to create a gathering space for Montessori families.
Image courtesy of Star Path Montessori. Owner Clarissa Robyn chats with a friend.Star Path Montessori Collective is about the individual and exposing the individual to the different experiences, says Ms. Robyn. Experiences could include ongoing classes in art, music and movement, and/or cooking for kids, or a lounge area for their caregivers, complete with Wi-Fi, coffee and couch.
Ms. Robyn’s goal is to invite people in to “experience natural beauty and orderliness in the environment,” she says. Similarly to what families might expect to find in a Montessori school, in the gathering space of Star Path Montessori Collective, “Everything is in its place and everything has a purpose," she says.
For classes up through the weekend of June 11th, Star Path Montessori is offering a discount of 50 percent off for first-time enrollments. Those interested can use the code SPMCLAUNCH with their online registration.
