Who We Are
At International Montessori Academy, we have created a school community centered around connection, curiosity, language, and emotional growth. Families across Bellevue and Seattle come to us because they want more than a traditional classroom experience. They want their child to grow up in a culturally rich environment where relationships matter, independence is encouraged, and learning feels meaningful rather than pressured. Our classrooms are intentionally designed to help your child feel calm, capable, and engaged. Through bilingual learning opportunities, hands-on exploration, thoughtful routines, and strong social-emotional support, your toddler, preschooler, or young learner will build confidence while developing practical life skills, communication abilities, and a genuine love of discovery.
Parent Reviews
Punthawat H.
January 14, 2025
Excellent take care kids and friendly.
Wenjing Q.
November 5, 2024
Loving teachers and that our kid is able to have the same teachers for the past year.
Siddhi G.
July 2, 2024
The environment at the school is so warm and welcoming to the children. The teachers are also very caring and take great efforts to ensure that the kids are doing well in school. We are very happy with how well our child is doing at International Montessori Academy.
Michelle H.
May 14, 2024
The teachers and staff are fantastic. it feels like home and my kids are happy there. I also really like the curriculum design.
Our Story
International Montessori Academy was built around the belief that early education should help your child feel capable, connected, and curious about the world around them. Families today want more than worksheets and rigid routines. They want a school where their little one can build emotional confidence, learn through meaningful experiences, and develop a broader understanding of different cultures, languages, and perspectives.
Over time, our school community has grown into three unique Campuses serving families throughout Bellevue and Seattle. Even as we have expanded, our focus has remained the same. We want your child to feel known here. We want your family to feel welcomed here. Most importantly, we want learning to be engaging, warm, and personal.
Devon King, School Leader for our Capitol Hill and West Bellevue Campuses, explains it beautifully, “I love to build community. Planning and creating ways for families and teachers to come together to build relationships and have fun experiences is incredibly important to me. I get huge amounts of joy from using creativity to create meaningful experiences and environments.”
That sense of connection can be felt throughout every Campus. Families from different backgrounds, cultures, and languages come together to build friendships, support one another, and create a school community that is welcoming and inclusive.
Our mission is to help your child develop confidence, independence, emotional awareness, and a strong academic foundation through bilingual learning, meaningful relationships, and engaging educational experiences. We believe children learn best when they feel respected, supported, and encouraged to explore the world around them with curiosity.
We envision a school community where your little one feels excited to walk through the classroom doors each morning. We want your child to grow into someone who feels confident expressing themselves, comfortable building relationships with others, and eager to explore new ideas, cultures, and experiences throughout life.
Parents often ask us whether our classrooms focus more on academics or emotional development. The truth is, we believe both matter equally because children thrive when the two work together. Our approach to learning focuses on the whole child, which is blended into our programs. Educators thoughtfully guide your child through hands-on lessons, language-rich experiences, cultural exploration, practical life activities, and social-emotional learning opportunities that support both confidence and academic growth. Rather than rushing children through rigid instruction, we intentionally create opportunities for your child to ask questions, make choices, solve problems, and actively participate in the learning process. Language immersion is one of the most unique parts of the International Montessori Academy experience. Through our Mandarin and Spanish immersion programs, your child naturally develops language skills through conversation, storytelling, music, classroom routines, and meaningful daily interactions. Tenika Eddings, School Leader at our Eastgate campus, explains, "Our teaching philosophy focuses on supporting the whole child. We practice social-emotional learning in ways that children can truly understand and use with their peers. True learning happens once children trust their teachers and their environment enough to know it is a safe place to learn, make mistakes, and grow."
What Makes Our School Different?
What makes International Montessori Academy special is the feeling families experience when they walk through our doors. There is warmth, kindness, and a genuine sense of community that families often say they sense immediately.
Our educators intentionally focus on helping your child build emotional confidence alongside academic skills. Your child will be encouraged to practice independence, communicate openly, solve problems respectfully, and participate in meaningful experiences that help them feel capable in everyday life. Your young learner is not expected to sit quietly and memorize information. Instead, they are guided through hands-on experiences that encourage curiosity, creativity, and confidence.
Tenika Eddings, School Leader at our Eastgate Campus, shares, "Everyone here is willing to go the extra mile to support one another. It feels like an endless supply of kindness and teamwork, and families genuinely feel that support when they become part of our community."
Devon King, School Leader at our Capitol Hill and West Bellevue Campus, adds, "Seeing families and teachers from different languages and cultures learn from one another is one of the moments that makes our team feel most proud of this school."
Early Childhood Leadership & Staff
At International Montessori Academy, our educators work hard to build strong partnerships with families and to create trusting relationships with every child in their classroom. Our teachers hold degrees and certifications in education and early childhood development. The Washington State training requirements, CPR and First Aid certifications, ongoing Washington STARS development hours, and additional training in positive guidance, emotional regulation, child development, and bilingual learning approaches.
Devon King
School Leader, IMA, Capitol Hill, and West Bellevue
With 15 years of experience in education leadership, Devon King is known for her creativity, flexibility, and strong commitment to building meaningful relationships throughout the school community. She loves creating opportunities for families, educators, and students to feel connected and supported.
Tenika Eddings
School Leader, IMA, Eastgate
Ms. Tenika Eddings has more than 12 years of experience in education and is passionate about creating emotionally supportive learning environments where children feel confident enough to take risks, learn new skills, and grow socially and academically.
Achievements & Accreditations
International Montessori Academy is a trusted Montessori school serving families across Bellevue and Seattle, guided by experienced, certified teachers with deep expertise in early childhood development, global education, and dual-language learning. With accreditations by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), our private school upholds the highest standards of quality, safety, and educational excellence.
"True learning happens once children trust their educators and their environment enough to know it is a safe place to learn, make mistakes, and grow."
- Tenika Eddings, School Leader, IMA Eastgate
Endeavor Schools is a community of more than 100 schools across the country, brought together by a shared commitment to caring for children during the most important years of their lives. Each school is thoughtfully connected to its local community, creating environments where children feel safe, supported, and encouraged to grow. Behind every classroom is a team of educators and parents who understand how much these early experiences matter, and who are dedicated to helping children build confidence, develop essential skills, and find a genuine love for learning. At the heart of Endeavor Schools is a focus on one simple goal: to give every child the support and foundation they need to thrive, both in school and in life.