New York | Jeff Bezos, Amazon boss and the richest man on the planet, confirmed on Tuesday that the first kindergarten funded by his charity fund will open on October 19 in Des Moines, Wash.
This establishment, in the northwest of the country, “is the first of many free preschools that we will be opening for underprivileged children,” Mr Bezos wrote on his Instagram account, posting a photo of the classroom where shelves full of children’s books.
The opening date has been maintained despite the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced many schools around the world to limit the physical presence of students and teachers.
The establishment will welcome children aged 3 to 5 years old 5 days a week. Families with low incomes will be given priority for admissions.
The teaching methods are inspired by Montessori pedagogy, which promotes self-confidence and autonomy and is based on the principle of benevolence.
The school is funded by the ‘Bezos Day One Fund’, a $ 2 billion fund that Mr Bezos established in September 2018 with his ex-wife MacKenzie Scott to support already established charities that help families without- shelter to find housing and disadvantaged communities to access better education.
Jeff Bezos, who has a fortune of 179 billion dollars according to Fortune magazine, has said he wants to create a whole network of preschools, but the dates and locations of the next establishments have not yet been announced.