Sarasota, FL – June 18th, 2025 – In a transformative move for Montessori educators around the globe, Sarasota University has partnered with the European Montessori College (EMC) to offer a new, flexible dual enrollment opportunity that blends professional Montessori credentialing with its MACTE-accredited academic degrees.
This collaboration empowers EMC students to earn credit toward a Bachelor of Science or Master of Arts degree from Sarasota University—all while completing their Montessori training. This dual enrollment option is ideal for educators looking to elevate their credentials and broaden their career pathways. Sarasota University’s degree programs are 100% online, making them a flexible option that allows learners to advance both academically and professionally. With just a few additional assignments woven into each EMC module, such as a presentation or paper, students can earn university credit without the need to take on a full course load upfront.
Sarasota University is especially excited to open its dual enrollment opportunities to students in Europe, further expanding access to its MACTE-accredited online degree programs and strengthening its commitment to global Montessori education. This initiative marks a meaningful step in bridging hands-on training with higher education for educators around the world.
To learn more about this dual enrollment option and the application process, visit www. waterparkmontessori.com/dual-enrolment-partnership-with-sarasota-university/
About European Montessori College
European Montessori College (formerly Waterpark Montessori International)
European Montessori College was founded in 1999 in Oslo, Norway, by Clare Healy Walls, an Irish Montessori teacher and trainer. In Ireland, Clare had been working as a teacher trainer for St. Nicholas Montessori and had her own Montessori school for children up to 12 years. Since 1999 European Montessori College has expanded and developed its training and other services internationally. We now have over 10 trainers for 0-18 years.
Here at European Montessori College, our aim is to make quality Montessori accessible to as many people as possible. Hundreds of teachers across the world have already completed their training with us, as we make it as easy as possible to take one of our courses no matter where you live. MACTE diploma training is provided for children ages 0-18 and we now have training centers across Europe and Africa including Sweden, France, Malta, South Africa and Kenya. Our training courses incorporate blended learning strategies to ensure students have flexible options to complete their studies. These strategies include face-to-face workshops, online theory, training videos, live webinars and supervised classroom practice.
Apart from our MACTE diplomas, we also provide short, asynchronous, online courses that cover Special Needs, Leadership and an onboarding course for staff new to Montessori classrooms. We provide a range of other services, including an online shop with original books and printable resources, consultancy in schools and recording software for the Montessori classroom.
This year we have changed our name from Waterpark Montessori to European Montessori College to reflect our expanding market.
About Sarasota University
THE MONTESSORI UNIVERSITY
Sarasota University, the first university with institutional MACTE accreditation, is a private, non-profit university in Sarasota, Florida, established in 2012 to provide quality educational experiences for adult learners. The goal of the founders was to create a Montessori-inspired, learner-centered, caring community distinguished by rigor, relevance, and civility.
The program is infused with a focus on Positive Psychology and a strengths-based approach to education. The result is a contemporary university incorporating best practices in adult learning through the use of online instructional tools and resources.
SU offers a bachelor’s completion program, graduate degrees in Montessori Leadership and Montessori Education, and a doctoral degree launching in 2025