Our History
Penn-Mont Academy has been providing quality
Montessori education for 60 years.
Montessori education for 60 years.


Founders Aline and Gerald Wolf
Penn-Mont Academy, a named derived from uniting the words, Pennsylvania and Montessori, was originally named Wolf Academy by its co-founders, Aline and Gerald Wolf. The Wolfs, with the help of Nancy Rambusch, a Montessori educator from Connecticut, opened what would become Penn-Mont Academy in their Altoona home in 1961. It was the first Montessori school to be licensed in Pennsylvania and the third in the nation.
Aline and Gerald Wolf founded Penn-Mont in direct response to the limitations of traditional teaching methods they experienced in the elementary education of their three oldest children. They knew that “there had to be a better way” and found it in the philosophy and methods of the Montessori curriculum. Created at the turn of the century by Dr. Maria Montessori, this method has proven successful on every continent in the world.

Penn-Mont Academy Continues to Grow
For 60 years, Penn-Mont Academy has been providing children with a quality Montessori education. From the Wolfs’ home on Union Avenue in Altoona, Penn-Mont Academy continued to grow, moving to several locations.
In 2001 Penn-Mont established its new home in a custom-designed main campus located in Hollidaysburg. This school hosts children/students from infant through sixth grade. In 2010, a satellite at Penn State Altoona was opened to serve the needs of the college’s faculty, students, staff and surrounding community.
Aline and Gerald Wolf founded Penn-Mont in direct response to the limitations of traditional teaching methods they experienced in the elementary education of their three oldest children. They knew that “there had to be a better way” and found it in the philosophy and methods of the Montessori curriculum. Created at the turn of the century by Dr. Maria Montessori, this method has proven successful on every continent in the world.

From 1960 to Present
