AMI Podcasts

On 6 January 2021 we held a unique online session which focused on the social mission of Montessori. This was the first of a series hosted by AMI's Educateurs sans Frontières (EsF), where we reflected on the legacy of Maria Montessori and explored the application of Montessori principles in today's world. We discussed the roots of Maria Montessori as an advocate for children and looked at how Mont...

In part three of the Corner of Hope Podcast series, the speakers reflect back on the learnings they gained along the way. They will discuss the offshoots that have been inspired by Corner of Hope and share their dreams and plans for the future of Corner of Hope and Montessori education in Kenya. This episode's speakers: Lynne Lawrence (Executive director AMI) Francis Chege Waweru (Elementary teach...

Jessica Valentine is a researcher at the Department of Child Law at Leiden University. She has extensive experience as a Children’s Rights Lawyer in Australia and she graduated with honours from a master’s in Advanced Studies of International Children’s Rights and the Law. In this presentation, she gives a brief introduction to children’s rights. She talks about the history of children’s rights, t...

In the podcast created in celebration of the 10 year anniversary of Corner of Hope, different people involved look back on those past 10 years. Teachers, mentors, community members, AMI Executive Director Lynne Lawrence and the CEO of Montessori for Kenya, Hillary Korir, share their stories, experiences and reflections. The podcast tells the story of Corner of Hope from the very beginning through...

In the podcast created in celebration of the 10 year anniversary of Corner of Hope, different people involved look back on those past 10 years. Teachers, mentors, community members, AMI Executive Director Lynne Lawrence and the CEO of Montessori for Kenya, Hillary Korir, share their stories, experiences and reflections. The podcast tells the story of Corner of Hope from the very beginning through...

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented stress to families, trying to maintain a work-family balance. With schools and day care facilities closed, parents are solely responsible for childcare and perhaps even homeschooling. The work-family balance has become increasingly challenging and uncertainty remains around when schools will reopen. To meet the social and emotional needs of children,...

AMI Global Ambassador André Roberfroid discusses children’s rights and how they are ingrained in the work of Montessori teachers. He discusses the three core characteristics of Montessori, namely Freedom, Respect and Solidarity and how these are linked to the rights of the child. Music: "Raro Bueno" by Chuzausen From the Free Music Archive BY NC SA

In this series of podcasts, you will be able to listen to Maria Montessori herself. In the first episode, Maria Montessori is advocating for the Rights of the Child on Dutch radio in an interview with Gustav Czopp on 31 October 1936 (in French). In the early autumn of 1936 Maria Montessori relocated to the Netherlands at the invitation of a former graduate, Ada Pierson. This impactful decision was...

"Our children are growing up in a world that requires good executive function, if they are to exercise self-control, think creatively and adjust flexibly to change. Research tells us that these are the very skills that are promoted in a Montessori environment." Drawing on current research, including her own, Louise will talk about the role of movement in developing executive function, reflecting o...

In the third episode of  2019 AMI AGM Podcasts, Kathleen Guinan, a visionary leader and social entrepreneur, will talk about transforming transitional housing programmes, homeless shelters and domestic violence centres into intergenerational Montessori communities of living and learning for children, families and communities. As CEO of Crossway Community, since the organisation’s inception in...

Cosmic Education is one of the broadest and most interesting aspects of the second plane of development. Baiba’s Krumins Grazzini talk illustrates the evolution of the Montessori approach to education for children from 6 - 12 years of age. Baiba also discusses how the young person progresses into adolescence. __________________ Baiba Krumins Grazzini is an AMI Trainer at the Elementary level, prep...

Anne Kelly is the leading Montessori Dementia Consultant who has worked extensively in dementia care both residential and community for the past 30 years. She is currently the Director of Montessori Consulting and is considered a world leader in Montessori methods for ageing and dementia. Anne works with organisations around the world providing both training, mentoring and support as they move tow...

What does resilience really mean and why is this topic so important for modern education? In our first episode of 2019 AMI AGM Podcasts, Laura Shaw discusses the resilience research and examines how the qualities of responsibility and resourcefulness contribute to developing resilience in children.

In the last Episode of the EsF Assembly 2018 Podcasts, Professor Shadrick Mazaza speaks about transformation, authenticity and human potential. He gives his ideas on the ways to harmonize the development and integration of the African continent and on the challenges that Africa faces nowadays. Shadrick describes three types of transformation: personal transformation, inter-personal transformation...

In the 9th Episode of the EsF Assembly 2018 Podcasts, Benjamin Stähli from Switzerland presents the Montessori Architectural Patterns in the design of educational spaces. He describes the historical background of Montessori Architecture and defines the concept of “Montessori Patterns”. Benjamin speaks about the paradigmatic differences leading to the fundamentally different architectural forms of...

In the 8th Episode of the EsF Assembly 2018 Podcasts Jess Schulschenk, Director of the Sustainability Institute, introduces us to the Lynedoch Eco-village concept. It was established in 1999 to set up a community for indigent farmworkers in the area of Stellenbosch, South Africa. Lynedoch Eco-village has partnered with Indaba Montessori Institute to provide quality training for teachers and a holi...

In the 7th Episode of the EsF Assembly 2018 Podcasts, Stan Ferguson, Lumin Education Family Therapist, speaks about the place of the child in the family. He describes the work that the Lumin Bachman Lake Community School currently does as regards the development of the child. The school understands the urgency of education and awareness within the first years of life this is why parents are encour...

In the 6th Episode of the EsF Assembly 2018 Podcasts, Mignon Hardie speaks about Language as the Foundation of Community. She presents the concept of stories that have the power to change lives, combating the high rate of illiteracy in South Africa. FUNDZA, a South African nonprofit dedicated to improving literacy among teens and young adults, aims to provide the foundation for a healthy, stable,...

In our fifth episode of the EsF Assembly 2018 Podcasts, neuroscientist Dr Adele Diamond shares her research on the link between creativity and brain development. She introduces the El Sistema music initiative aimed at uniting the community and helping children by means of music. Children who struggle academically get more motivated and active while playing an instrument. This observation underlies...

The mother tongue is the language of our heart❤️ In the 4th episode of EsF Assembly 2018 Podcasts “Language as Foundation of Community”, Susan Nyaga from Kenya speaks about the importance of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education. She defines the mother tongue as the language through which a child first learns to express himself as well as the language through which a person perceives the worl...

How can we support people with Dementia by honouring their strengths, interests, and abilities? In our third episode of EsF Assembly 2018 Podcasts “May You Live Every Day of Your Life”, Anne Kelly, Montessori Dementia Consultant, speaks about Maria Montessori’s philosophy as a perfect mission statement for aged care. She explains that thinking in challenges and obstacles does not work and that sol...

In our second episode of EsF Assembly 2018 Podcasts “Building Community”, co-founder of the Lynedoch Ecovillage and Sustainability Institute Eve Annecke shares her journey to Lynedoch. Eve believes that we do not choose our place in the world, rather, we are chosen by a place, and turning our back on the place that we have been chosen by is turning our back on our soul. She accentuates the importa...

In this very special, first episode of EsF Assembly 2018 Podcasts “A Sense of Place” we will listen to South African Montessori pioneers Naledi Mabeba & Bukelwa Selema who share impressions about their work and life in South Africa. Naledi speaks about the difficulties that she faced when first working with the children in the Western Cape and how to work towards building understanding and be...