On Friday, January 23, 2026, Community Montessori teens (ages 14-18) gathered for the 5th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Conference, a key experience within the high school program.  More than a single-day event, the conference reflects our year-round commitment to civic engagement, critical thinking, and social responsibility.  

At CM, our Teens program invites learners to move beyond passive learning into active participation. Through structured days of service, weekly Random Acts of Kindness within our school community, and an independent philanthropy project, learners are consistently challenged to connect their studies to real-world impact. The annual MLK conference serves both as a deep academic exploration and a call to action. 

Teens participate in the conference session: “What is my responsibility”

A Day of Study, Reflection, & Dialogue

The day’s keynote session was a viewing of the documentary The Dream That Changed America, a full, biographical look at Dr. King’s story and philosophy of nonviolence, justice, and collective responsibility. Teens rotated through two rounds of guided sessions exploring a wide range of topics and subjects including history, art, and civics. Sessions led by CM staff included activities and discussions such as the cosmology of Dr. King, the social construction of race, redlining in our communities, the evolution of systemic racism, art as activism, and personal responsibility in the face of injustice.  

Midday, the community gathered to share lunch and celebrate Dr. King’s birthday with cobbler from Toni T’s Bakery, reinforcing the importance of community, reflection, and joy alongside serious study.  

Following the afternoon sessions, the conference concluded with a final community meeting where learners reflected in groups on the day’s learning and shared their own dreams. True to Montessori philosophy, reflection was not the end of the experience. 

Putting Learning into Action: Day of Service

On Friday, February 6, 2026, CM Teens carried their learning into the broader community through a full Day of Service. Across Southern Indiana, group of learners volunteered their time and energy at a wide range of local organizations:

• Walking the Greenway from New Albany to Jeffersonville to gather trash

• Serving the Jeffersonville Township Public Library through cleaning, dusting, scanning, and filing

• Supporting the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library by sorting food pantry items and cleaning the children’s area

• Cleaning and organizing at Hope Southern Indiana

• Assisting with cleaning and sorting at YMCA of Southern Indiana

• Preparing meals and cleaning spaces at the White Flag Shelter

1: A teen dusts shelves in the Jeffersonville Public Library, 2: Teens pick up trash along the Greenway, 3: Teens cross the Big 4 Bridge while walking the Greenway

Back at CM, other teens spent the Day of Service on campus where they: 

• Made 500 sandwiches for local shelters

• Prepared plastic bags to be woven into mats for those experiencing homelessness

• Organized and restocked the CM Food Pantry

Teens at CM prepare sandwiches for local shelters

Experiences like the MLK Conference and Day of Service offer a window into what makes the CM Teens program distinctive. Civic engagement is not an extracurricular activity, it is woven into the curriculum. Learners engage respectfully in difficult conversations, collaborate, and translate values into actions with real responsibility. CM Teens are not just earning credits, they are developing habits of the mind and heart that prepare them for adulthood.