Our Team
All our staff members are certified and accredited by the Montessori Educational Programs International (MEPI). They all share years of experience and have a strong background in both education and childcare. They are the best candidates for guiding your children on their path to discovery, resulting in the best physical, emotional and social development for your child. Driven by their love for children and their enthusiasm and commitment to each child, they make it a point to spend quality time with each one of them in order to help them grow as they hit different milestones in their lives.
Marguerite Richardt
Founder and Head of IMP
Mrs. Richardt first arrived in Egypt in 1981, and has since committed herself to support the Montessori education. Being the third generation to Dr. Montessori herself, Richardt has been a beacon of uncontested authenticity in the Montessori way.
Through relentless efforts and exemplary dedication, she sowed the first seeds of authentic Montessori education, the benefits of which remain today. She offered certified Montessori education for teachers back in 1995, and in 1996, she co-founded the International Montessori Preschool with Olfat Captan. In that same year, she started her own MEPI-certified Teacher Education Program (MEPI-TEP) in Egypt. The program continues to run today and has been handled by Marie Therese Bishay since 2015. Today, Mrs. Richardt holds a seat on the MEPI Board of Elders.
Many generations of children and adults alike owe so much of their upbringing and education to Richardt, not only in Cairo, but in governorates all over the country.
Olfat Captan
Founder and Manager of IMP
Mrs. Olfat Captan graduated from Cairo University in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language and Literature. She then moved to the U.S. to resume her postgraduate studies at LaGuardia Community College at the City University of New York (CUNY). She enrolled her two daughters into one of New York's leading Montessori schools, Forest Hills Montessori School, and became active in the parent-teacher association (PTA) up until her return to Egypt in 1995. She partnered with Mrs. Marguerite Richardt in 1996 and they founded the International Montessori Preschool. She has continued to create a unique and warm environment at the IMP over the years built on her love for children, and her constant endeavors to enrich their lives through the authentic implementation of the Montessori philosophy.
Marie Therese Bishay
Course Director
Marie Therese Bishay was first introduced to the Montessori method in 2000, and has since dedicated her time to the growth of the Montessori education in Egypt, Africa, and the Arab World.
After working with Mrs. Richardt for over 7 years at the International Montessori Preschool, she successfully started five Montessori classes for underprivileged children in Egypt, and established an authentic Montessori environment for children and families of the underserved Masaken Al Zelzal, Mokattam, with the NGO Alwan w Awtar.
In 2015, she was made the director of the Montessori Educational Programs International-Teacher Education Program (MEPI-TEP) in Egypt, and was elected as ambassador on the MEPI board, serving for two years. She established the Montessori Egyptian Center, expanding the MEPI-TEP across the region, and providing a wide array of services for professionals and families, as well as programs serving children. As a certified MEPI site, the IMP is also supported by the Montessori Egyptian Center through supervision and consultancy.
Bishay continues her long commitment to IMP through visits, support to teachers, and, on occasion, modeling teaching and classroom management herself.