The Foundation Center for Phenomenological Research was founded in 1975 to provide training and technical assistance to neighborhood-based organizations and groups in areas such as program planning and development and community organizing. One of its components is a Montessori Teacher Education Program, designed to provide college credits and Montessori teaching credentials. This Teacher Education Program is unique in that it is built on an on-the-job training model, allowing working-poor mothers, for example, to earn their Montessori Infant-Toddler and Preschool teaching credentials while at the same time earning a living.