The Montessori Foundation and its affiliated membership organization, The International Montessori Council, are non-profit educational organizations that nurture, inspire, and support the development of strong, successful Montessori schools around the world. We also serve as a trusted source of information about Montessori education and parenting for families.
We’re here to help!
1-941-729-9565/ 1-800-655-5843 / info@montessori.org
The Montessori Foundation offers a wide range of programs.
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About the Montessori Foundation
The Montessori Foundation was established to nurture, inspire, and support the development of strong and sustainable Montessori schools around the world.
Montessori Consultants
The Montessori Foundation offers expert Montessori leadership coaching, school consultation, and institutional development services at an affordable cost.
Customized Professional Development
Staff professional development can be expensive. We offer the convenience of professional development customized for your school and presented onsite at your school or live online. We offer programs for Montessori educators at every level, assistants, school administrators, boards, parents, and your entire staff.
Montessori Family Life
The Montessori Family Alliance is a trusted source of practical and reliable information, answers, and advice for families all over the world. The MFA strengthens the connection between families and schools.
Upcoming Events
This is a list of your upcoming broadcasts, town halls, courses, and special events.
Weekly Webinars
Our free weekly webinars for administrators, teachers, and families began during the pandemic and continue to attract a growing wide and diverse following.
Montessori Leadership Institute
The Montessori Leadership Institute offers a wide range of courses for Montessori educators, school leaders, and trustees. We have developed strong leaders of Montessori schools around the world since 1992. Click here for a complete list of courses.
Conferences and Events
Mark your calendars. This year’s 28th Annual Montessori Conference will be held October 24-27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Registration is now open. www.mfconferences.org
SHOP
Programs, publications, subscriptons, and resources of invaluable help to your school.
Find a Montessori School
This is our international database of the Montessori schools registered with us. Search for schools by city or postal code.
Become a Montessori Teacher
Montessori schools continue to increase worldwide every year. Find a MACTE accredited Montessori teacher education program.
Montessori Organizations in the USA
There are several professional Montessori organizations in North America. They offer membership services, conferences, affiliation, and accreditation to educators, Montessori schools, and teacher education programs.
What is Montessori Education?
A collection of articles, videos, and resources to help you understand why Montessori became the world’s largest movement for building the schools of tomorrow.
Dr. Maria Montessori - A Historical Perspective
Maria Montessori (1870 – 1952) was born 100 years ahead of her time. Her work helps to redefine our understanding of childhood, children’s rights, ideal learning, and brain development. This is her condensed life story.
Classified & Display Ads
For information, contact Don Dinsmore | dondinsmore@montessori.org | 941-729-9565
The Foundation's Lab School
As the Lab School for The Montessori Foundation, the NewGate School in Sarasota, Florida offers accredited Montessori programs for infants through high school. Leading our own Lab School helps us keep in touch with the real-life of schools.
Testimonials
The confidence the school has gained by the knowledge gained in this course was evident at our latest parent meeting. We were able to answer the parents’ questions with more affirmation and I could see that our confidence gave them confidence in us. Interesting, I just took my first born child off to college this weekend. …
Just a few recent posts…
Top 10 Ways to Show Gratitude for Your Teacher
by Cheryl Allen We all appreciate the teachers in our lives, but how do we share that gratitude when we may not know much about them beyond the classroom? Here are ten ideas: 1. Say thank you, and be specific about it: in person or by taking the time to write a note...
Gift-Giving Ideas
Gifts should be a joy to give and receive, yet sometimes they can cause us stress. In Montessori, we consider how any item will help the child build themselves into the adult they are meant to be. To invite Montessori into your home and family, consider toys that...
Roam
I tell my children to get out! In fact, I tell them all of the time to get out of my house and go away. Like the unforgettable and motivational lyrics from the song Roam, by the B52’s, I beg my children to “roam where you want to, roam around the world.” A simple song...
Dear Cathie: How can I guide my children to help around the house?
DEAR CATHIE— I have always done everything for my children. I just thought that is what good parents did! I thought it showed my love. But now that they are growing up, and I am learning more about the Montessori Method from their school and my reading, I understand...
Money Talks: Talking About Financial Uncertainty With Your School-Age Children
With the coronavirus crisis causing unprecedented job losses, many families are experiencing uncertainty around money. Even families with relatively solid financial footing are feeling a need to rethink family finances. Our impulse as parents is to protect our...
Montessori for Every Family: A practical parenting guide
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Tomorrow’s Child Magazine was one of the Foundation’s earliest projects.
Over the years, it has evolved with technology and is now offered in
different formats to meet the need of our readers.
Maria Montessori: In Her Own Words
What happened will always remain a mystery to me. I have tried since then to understand what took place in those children. Certainly there was nothing of what is to be found now in any House of Children. There were only rough large tables. I brought them some of the materials which had been used for our work in experimental psychology, the items which we use today as sensorial material and materials for the exercises of practical life.
I merely wanted to study the children’s reactions. I asked the woman in charge not to interfere with them in any way, as otherwise I would not be able to observe them. Someone brought them paper and colored pencils, but, in itself, this was not the explanation of the further events. There was no one who loved them. I myself only visited them once a week, and during the day, the children had no communication with their parents.
The children were quiet; they had no interference either from the teacher or from the parents, but their environment contrasted vividly from that which they had been used to; compared to that of their previous life, it seemed fantastically beautiful. The walls were white, there was a green plot of grass outside, though no one had yet thought to plant flowers in it, but most beautiful of all was the fact that they had interesting occupations in which no one, no one at all, interfered....
Maria Montessori
Staff Picks From Our Bookstore
Montessori for Every Family
Lorna McGrath &
Tim Seldin
Montessori 101
The Montessori
Foundation Staff
The Parenting Puzzle
Lorna McGrath
The Montessori Foundation
How to Raise an Amazing Child
Tim Seldin
Tomorrrow’s Child Magazine
Tomorrow’s Child was originally created for the parents of Montessori students. As it turned out, Tomorrow’s Child has become a publication read by parents, grandparents, students who may contribute content from time to time, and families who want to know more about Montessori for their own children. It is published four times during the school months (at least here in North America), but we have many international readers and welcome submissions of photos and content from around the world.
Through Tomorrow’s Child, we have shared stories of the youngest Montessori children through those who graduate from Montessori high schools. We share information from former students about the impact of their Montessori education on their life as college students, their choices of work, and how they raise their own children. It is not unusual to find that many students enrolled in Montessori schools today are actually second-generation Montessorians.
We also provide solid advice on how to bring Montessori into the home, sharing the very real challenges and rewards of raising children in an atmosphere of respect for every level of development.
Montessori schools deliberately create a partnership with parents to work together to teach children what they need to succeed in the ‘real’ world; that’s the easy part! The greater, more rewarding challenge is to help children retain the capacity to grow into adulthood with the empathy, gravitas, and leadership skills they experienced in their Montessori schools when they were children.
Get Involved
Want to get involved? We welcome and depend on the gift of time, wisdom, and financial contributions. The Montessori Foundation and the International Montessori Council are non-profit organizations. Gifts of any amount (or kind) to help sustain our programs are gratefully accepted.