Camelback Montessori College Preparatory (CMCP) was founded through conversations between Camelback High School’s then-Principal, Dr. Chad Gestson, and Villa Montessori’s Head of School, Margo O’Neill. While Villa Montessori served students from infancy through 8th grade, Arizona did not have a high school Montessori school back in 2011. Inspired by Villa’s Montessori philosophy and quality of education, Dr. Gestson worked with Margo O’Neill, Camelback administrators, Phoenix Union High School District, and the Cincinnati Secondary Teacher Education Program (CMSTEP) to create a Montessori micro-high school within Camelback High School.

In March 2012, Ms. Danchi Nguyen and Mr. Michael Sauer were selected to lead the development of the program. They became certified in Secondary Montessori education under Marta Donahue, founder of the nation’s first public Montessori high school. In August 2012, CMCP welcomed its first class of 24 freshmen, becoming Arizona’s first Montessori high school program. By 2014, the program had grown to 70 students and expanded its teaching staff to cover all core subjects: language arts, mathematics, sciences, and social studies.

By August 2015, CMCP had reached full capacity, serving freshmen through seniors. In 2015, the program saw its first early graduate, who earned the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship. In May 2016, CMCP proudly graduated its first full class, with 100% of students going on to college or university. With the success of the first graduates, the cohorts expanded from 24 students to up 48 students per grade level

Today, CMCP has grown to include a micro-school leader, six core teachers, a dedicated Montessori counselor, and approximately 170 students. CMCP is still the first and only free, public high school Montessori program in the state of Arizona.