The Model
Education. Housing. Financial literacy. Parenting. Career development. Health and safety. These are the basic elements of a successful life. And they are all interconnected. Our vision of truly transformative education is grounded in the understanding that real change addresses the multiple and complex needs of all families. Weaving social, emotional, intellectual and physical development together in a seamless fabric of personal transformation, the Crossway Model is intergenerational, community-centered, and asset-based. Residents live, learn, and work together, providing both the mothers and their children with high-quality housing, education, and mentoring simultaneously, in one place.
The women in the Family Leadership Academy participate in bi-monthly educational reviews with program staff to assess their progress in the service areas listed above. The children enrolled in Crossway Montessori Programs receive a traditional Montessori education from the age of three months to nine years. Our Community Life-long Learning Center provides outreach to civic and social organizations across the Washington, DC metropolitan area and brings a multitude of community assets directly on to our campus.
Crossway Community is a “prepared environment,” intentionally designed and maintained to be conducive to healthy family interaction healthy development for all ages. Practical Life Skills Coordinators work with FLA mothers to set up and maintain their apartments according to Montessori principles of order, independence, and respect, and reduced stress for the mothers. A robust parent education initiative (including a partnership agreement) is a cornerstone of our Montessori school. Parents and children work together in the on-site garden, learning about healthy eating and nutrition while planting and harvesting vegetables, and celebrating the community through regular social gatherings and celebrations.
We distinguish ourselves from other organizations by implementing an integrated approach that:
- Provides long-term services in an educational framework
- Emphasizes family strengths and assets from a multi-generational perspective
- Works with families to identify risks and create strategies to address these;
- Encourages a strong community by bringing families together across culture and class
- Focuses on the importance of early childhood intervention using Montessori theory to promote individual development, independence, and social skills
- Leverages the social capital of seniors and the community to create supportive interventions for vulnerable families
The core of the Crossway vision is the belief that education is the key to success, and that every family, regardless of income, ethnicity or social class, deserves the opportunity to succeed.
