Maria Cristina Encinas is a passionate educator and advocate, serving as Board President of the Multicultural Spanish Speaking Providers Association (MSSPA) and Operations Director at Estrellitas Montessori School. With Montessori Certification from the Northeast Montessori Institute, Infant and Toddler Certification from The New York Center for Montessori Studies, a B.A. in Human Services from Springfield College, and two Master’s Degrees—one in Education Administration from Trinity College and a second in Early Childhood Special Education from Catholic University.

As a leader in the early childhood education community, Cristina has dedicated her career to promoting early childhood education and empowering minority communities. Her mission is to create environments where students thrive in self-directed learning environments, exchanging culture and language, while supporting minority adults to reach their fullest potential through empowerment, education, and leadership.

"Empowering communities, one child at a time."

In recognition of her outstanding work, Cristina was named DC’s 2014 “Most Outstanding Principal” by the DC Association of Chartered Public Schools.