AMI/USA 50th Anniversary Celebrations

 

Join us for a year of exciting ways to celebrate our golden anniversary:

Scroll down to learn more!

Fifty years ago, a group of visionaries in the United States came together to support a radical idea – that children, if given the right Montessori nurturing, could lead humanity toward a more peaceful future. With the support of many, AMI/USA was founded in 1972. With that support, we have grown to become a trusted resource for Montessorians and schools around the country. We are tremendously grateful!

As we look toward the next 50 years, we know the work is just beginning, and we face many challenges. But together we can surmount those challenges and realize some exciting opportunities.

Join us in celebrating AMI/USA’s 50th anniversary in a meaningful way that engages our membership and the wider Montessori community, fostering a sense of unity within and among Montessorians in the USA, while increasing the visibility of Montessori education, and in order to reach more children and families with the Montessori approach.

We are joined in this work by our partners and allies in the Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color (BIPOC) community who have shown incredible patience and grace as we press toward new heights. Our goal is to continue to be a source of strength and support for the Montessori community as we advance global peace, human development, and human rights through the application of Montessori principles.

The Sanford Jones Fund for the Arts

We are excited to launch Sanford Jones Fund for the Arts which honors the legacy of Sanford Jones. AMI/USA Members are eligible to apply for some portion of the funds to use for creative arts at their school community.

Grant awards may be used to purchase art materials, art history materials, musical instruments, songbooks, costumes and set decorations. Grants may also be used to attend professional development workshops. Requests for amounts from $100 to $250 will be considered.

 

AMI/USA’s Montessori in the USA Story Project

AMI/USA has established a community on StoryCorps to help our members share stories. 

The purpose of the AMI/USA Montessori in the USA Story Project is to preserve our Montessori cultural heritage for the future, to build on past successes and failures, to document the contributions of individuals to the growth of Montessori in the United States, and to celebrate the wealth of experience that exists in Montessori education.

The benefits of the AMI/USA Montessori in the USA Story Project include gathering insightful commentary regarding how we implement best practices in Montessori education. Other benefits include creating community within and among Montessorians in the United States, influencing the larger education community by sharing Montessori success stories, and aiding in the creation of new Montessori schools in the United States and beyond, in order to reach more children.

Please join the Montessori in the USA StoryCorps Community by following the link to create an account on StoryCorps.me. Users must be signed into their account to join a community. Click “User Profile” in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, then click “Community”, then “Join Community”. Next, download the StoryCorps app or use the StoryCorps Connect platform to record and share your story with the AMI/USA community.  

AMI/USA Annual Fund

For our 50th anniversary, we are launching an annual fund and gifts to our inaugural annual fund drive will help support pressing needs in our community. Please donate today, so we can ensure that as many children as possible experience inclusive, empowering, accessible, and transformative Montessori education in the United States. Here are just a few ways your gift could help:

  • $19.72, our founding year, will provide essential tools educators and schools need to manage during this COVID-19 pandemic – and this level might be great for a monthly sustaining gift;
  • $50 helps us to expand access to wellness opportunities for AMI/USA members, as we recognize the long-term impact of stress and exhaustion on physical and mental health;
  • $500 positions us to increase art education for children by supporting our newly established Sanford Jones Fund for the Arts in honor of Montessori dynamo Sanford Jones;
  • $1,000 equips us to help meet the teacher shortage crisis, which has been compounded by COVID-19, with our innovative #ConsiderMontessori campaign;
  • $1,972 provides sustaining funds for programming and resources to support the AMI/USA membership and the AMI Training Centers in the United States.

Your donation will strengthen our general contingency reserve that will be used to fund important ad hoc causes and projects. This includes, but is not limited to, the funding of unforeseen but needed and relevant professional development programs for the Montessori community and other stakeholders.

Please consider a contribution in honor of our golden anniversary! We can only move forward with your support. Click here to make a tax-deductible gift today or mail a check made payable to AMI/USA at 1421 Prince St., STE #350, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Thank you to all of the donors who helped make such rapid progress towards our goal of $50,000 for our 50th Anniversary!