Sixteen Years of Classroom Experience Behind Every Program
Hands, Heart, and Home (H3) Foundation operates out of Atlanta, GA, building Montessori-based education programs for Black children, families, and educators across Metro Atlanta. The organization grew out of Ancestors' Seeds Montessori School, founded by educator Ashley Causey-Golden after 16 years of teaching across traditional, progressive, and African-centered classrooms and 6 years of school leadership. Families who enroll their children often describe the difference immediately: a learning environment where culture and academics work together instead of competing for space.
H3 Foundation has been active in Atlanta since 2019, and its programs now reach beyond a single classroom into family support, educator training, and community partnerships with organizations including Spelman College Education Department and the Black Montessori Education Fund. As a Black-owned, female-owned, family-owned nonprofit, H3 stands as one of the few organizations in the region building Montessori education specifically around Black children and Black cultural identity.
Proving Culture and Academic Excellence Work Together
H3 Foundation's mission centers on a question its founder kept facing in classrooms across the country: why should Black children have to choose between cultural identity and academic achievement? The organization was built to answer that question directly, designing early education where ancestral memory, place-based learning, and Montessori pedagogy operate as one connected system rather than separate priorities.
Families and educators working with H3 frequently point to this as the reason the model works where others haven't: children engage more fully when their heritage is treated as a strength rather than something to set aside during the school day. That outcome drives every program H3 builds, from classroom instruction at Ancestors' Seeds Montessori School to training delivered to educators across Metro Atlanta.
A Model Built and Tested Inside a Real Classroom
Most early education programs are designed in theory and adjusted later. H3 Foundation's programs started the other way around, built first inside an operating Montessori school and refined through years of direct classroom use before being offered more widely. Educators and families working with H3 often note that this hands-on history shows up in the details, from how lessons are sequenced to how staff are trained to support children day to day.
H3 also stands apart through its partnerships, including a teacher preparation pipeline with Spelman College Education Department and an advisory role with the Black Montessori Education Fund, connecting daily classroom work to broader research and advocacy in Montessori accessibility. Few organizations in Atlanta combine direct school leadership experience, a published curriculum framework, and active institutional partnerships in a single nonprofit, which is what families and partner organizations consistently cite as the deciding factor in choosing H3.
Ashley Causey-Golden
Visionary Founder, Montessori Teacher, Community Builder
Ashley Causey-Golden is a Pro-Black early childhood educator revolutionizing how we approach learning for Black children and families. With 16 years of teaching experience across traditional, progressive, and African-centered environments, and 6 years of operating schools, she designs culturally-rooted early learning experiences that place Black children's brilliance, ancestral memory, and ecological wisdom at the center.
Her work lives at the intersection of Montessori pedagogy, place-based learning, and Black cultural heritage. As founder and Head of School at Ancestors' Seeds Montessori, she designs curriculum that treats children as researchers, artists, and knowledge-makers — refusing deficit framing, and instead honoring what children already carry.
Ashley is the author of Cultivating Belonging & Ecological Wisdom™, a proprietary framework organizing a year of learning around three movements — Place, Community, and Self — built on six core principles: Place-Based Learning, Belonging as Practice, Reciprocity, Ancestral Wisdom, Creative Expression, and Resistance & Resilience.
- Beyond the classroom, Ashley:
Designs year-long and intensive curriculum frameworks grounded in art, place, and ancestral knowledge - Develops facilitator handbooks and trains educators to deliver culturally-rooted curriculum with depth
Publishes research connecting child development to liberation-oriented practice
Vision for Change:
"My ultimate goal is empowering the next generation through community, culture, and innovative educational methods. I believe when children see their heritage as intellectual wealth, they don't just succeed, they soar."
Jameela Calloway
Greetings!
The children call me Bibi Jameela. I am a certified primary (3-6 years old) Montessori teacher, experienced doula, and farmer passionate about creating nurturing, child-centered learning environments.
I believe in the transformative power of education and dedicate myself to helping families and children thrive by fostering independence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning.
As the lead teacher and Montessori consultant for Ancestors Seeds, I chose to join this learning pod because it aligned with my mission to honor the cultural and familial heritage of each child while incorporating Montessori principles. I transformed the space from a small learning pod into a fully functional, enriching classroom where children can grow academically, emotionally, and socially.
This role allows me to combine my love for hands-on learning, sustainability, and community building. I’m passionate about empowering children to connect with themselves, their roots, and the world around them, cultivating confident, compassionate, and capable individuals for the future.
I offer Montessori consulting for homeschooling parents, educational institutions and micro schools. I also offer doula services.
You can find more about my work at https://www.ourmontessoripath.com/
and you can reach out to me at [email protected]
Marie Ghyslaine Rochelin
I'm delighted to join the Ancestors' Seeds learning community! I bring a unique combination of Montessori expertise, multicultural experience, and creative storytelling that I'm excited to share with your children.
For over two decades, I owned and directed a thriving 150-student Montessori elementary school in Haiti, where I developed a deep understanding of child development and authentic Montessori implementation. I've completed comprehensive Montessori training across all age levels (3-6, 6-9, and 9-12), which allows me to support each child's individual learning journey within our culturally responsive environment.
As someone fluent in French and Haitian Creole, with Spanish proficiency, I'm passionate about enriching our global citizenship approach while supporting families from diverse linguistic backgrounds. My recent experience with Atlanta International School's multilingual afterschool programs has shown me how to make language learning engaging and joyful for young children.
What I'm especially excited to bring to our community is my love of storytelling as a published children's author. My books "The Coconut Tree" and "Curious Little Hurricane" reflect my belief that stories help children connect to their heritage while sparking imagination and learning. I look forward to contributing to our elder wisdom keeper traditions and cultural narrative integration.
My background as a professional interpreter and my work with international organizations like UNICEF has given me a global perspective and cross-cultural communication skills that I believe will support our inclusive, community-centered approach to education.
I can't wait to share my warmth, wisdom, and wonderful ways of making learning come alive through multiple languages and rich cultural connections with your beautiful children!