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Pilar Cruz shares the joy of learning with a creative approach honed from over 15 years of experience. After completing her training with the National Center for Montessori education (NCME), Pilar worked in her native country of Peru at Orphanage INABIF San Antonio and Hogar San Jose. When she moved to Louisville in 2005, she met Kenwood Montessori  School director, Lenore Crenshaw, who offered her the opportunity to continue working as a Montessori teacher, which made Pilar so happy. She was part of the Kenwood family until 2019 when the school closed due to the pandemic. 

Pilar created a homeschool learning group in 2019 for a few Kenwood families who needed child care for their children during Covid. Children ages three to six years old met in a Montessori prepared environment that she set up in her home. She continued to teach during the pandemic while following all of the recommendations and procedures from the Louisville Health Department. 

In 2021, Poplar Montessori LLC was founded for children ages three to five following the Jefferson County Public Schools calendar. As a Montessori Teacher, Pilar believes in working with children and understanding their needs, challenges, and milestones across their developmental path. Pilar is passionate about the benefits of the Montessori approach and dedicated to ensuring top-quality practice and provision in line with the key elements of Dr. Montessori’s philosophy.

Pilar holds the NCME Montessori Teacher Certification for ages 2 ½-6. She is also 

• A credentialed Early Childhood Administrator through Jefferson Community  and Technical College
• A licensed childcare provider by the Commonwealth of Kentucky
• Certified in CPR and first aid.

“Let us leave the life free to develop within the limits of the good, and let us observe this inner developing. This is the whole of our mission.”  - Maria Montessori