JUNE 18, 2019— With the aim of bringing more unity to the Montessori Movement, Montessori St Nicholas and the American Montessori Society have begun scoping out ways to partner on a range of education initiatives. AMS is the world’s largest Montessori organization; MSN is a leading Montessori organization based in the United Kingdom.
In March, the executive teams of MSN and AMS came together for an exploratory meeting at AMS headquarters in New York City.
The two organizations discussed ways to work together in the areas of Montessori teacher training, course development, research, public policy, and social impact.
MSN CEO Leonor Stjepic (in photo, middle) said, “We found the first meeting to be very productive. It was quickly apparent that both organizations share the same values as well as a commitment to raise the profile of Montessori education globally. AMS has built a hugely successful organization and respected community, and we are delighted that we are now looking at how we can collaborate. As two of the world’s leading Montessori education organizations, we have the potential to create significant impact by working together.”
AMS CEO Dr Timothy J. Purnell (photo, right) added, “I believe that in the coming years we are going to see Montessori grow at an exponential rate worldwide. And not just “any” Montessori—but quality Montessori. We appreciate that our colleagues at Montessori St Nicholas share our commitment to high-fidelity programs, and I look forward to joining forces with them on this transformational journey.”
Adding collegiality to the MSN/AMS gathering was a visit made by representatives from both organizations to two AMS-accredited schools: Twin Parks Montessori School and Central Park Montessori School, headed by the former president of the AMS Board of Directors, Kathy Roemer.
Later in March, AMS hosted several MSN staff members at The Montessori Event in Washington, DC, a 4-day professional development extravaganza for thousands of Montessori educators. Reciprocally, MSN has invited AMS’s Tim Purnell and his team to the UK’s flagship Montessori Conference, which will take place this September in London, and is hosted by MSN’s training provider, Montessori Centre International, and 3 other UK training providers.
About Montessori St Nicholas/Montessori Group
The Montessori St Nicholas charity (MSN), part of Montessori Group, carries out social impact work. The Group also compromises of training provider Montessori Centre International (MCI) as well as a membership organisation and accreditation board to guarantee the quality of Montessori settings.