New Refresher Course Events

Several special events will take place at this year’s Refresher Course and Workshops!  Details on locations will be available in your registration folder when you arrive in Phoenix.

Friday

Diversity Forum

Gather to discuss what actions we, the AMI community, can take to welcome the diverse future ahead.  This open conversation will take place 5:00-6:00pm.

It Takes a Village

During the Keynote Address on Friday night, AMI/USA and NAMTA will present NAMTA’s newest film.  “It Takes a Village” is a short documentary demonstrating Lynedoch Sustainability Institute’s Ecovillage. Lynedoch Ecovillage is a small community approximately 12 km outside Stellenbosch, South Africa. Located midway between two very different environments, Lynedoch navigates a progressive approach to socially, racially, and economically integrated and inclusive community living. Gardens, woodlands, and home landscapes are surrounded by a small mountain range and creek to create a living and learning community of beauty and sustainability. The ecovillage includes a Montessori school for children to age 6.

Book Signing

Please join us immediately following the Keynote Address for a book signing with Alice Waters.  Copies of her new book, Coming to My Senses, will be available for purchase at the AMI/USA Bookstore.

Saturday

Yoga

AMI Primary teacher and yogi Sarah Dosmann will once again offer early morning yoga sessions 7:00–8:00 a.m. in the hotel on Saturday & Sunday to help fellow participants become focused and centered in anticipation of the busy day ahead.

School Tours

School tours will be held at four AMI-recognized schools in the Phoenix area, beginning at 6:00pm:

Keystone Montessori: Charter School. Toddler, Children’s House, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, Adolescents
Creo Montessori Community: Private School. Toddler, Children’s House, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary
Tempe Montessori School: Private School. Nido, Toddler House, Children’s House, Lower Elementary
Augustus H. Shaw Jr. Montessori: Public Montessori School. Children’s House, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, Adolescent

Sign up to reserve your spot for School Tour Transportation.  The ticket will include round-trip transportation to two AMI schools and back to the Arizona Grand Resort and Spa.

Please contact Lauren Franchek with questions specific to School Tours.

Sunday

EAA Business Meeting

At AMI-EAA’s annual business meeting, held Sunday morning 7:30-8:45am, we meet with members at the Refresher Course to:

  • update members on events of the last year,
  • discuss past and future summer conferences,
  • inform membership about board transitions/introduce new additions,
  • discuss outreach to Elementary teachers both domestic and international,
  • introduce current pedagogues,
  • look for ways to strengthen and serve mission – supporting elementary teachers in their work,
  • answer member questions/queries

At our upcoming meeting in Phoenix, we will be welcoming Melinda Nielsen and Regina Cyvas onto the board as Allyson Creel (Chair) and Wendy Tye (Outreach Coordinator) cycle off.  We are grateful for all of Allyson and Wendy’s years of dedication to AMI-EAA and we look forward to working with Melinda and Regina.

This year’s Annual Summer Conference will be on July 17-22, 2018 at the University of Colorado-Boulder.  To submit a proposal to present, please click here.

Yoga

AMI Primary teacher and yogi Sarah Dosmann will once again offer early morning yoga sessions 7:00–8:00 a.m. in the hotel on Saturday & Sunday to help fellow participants become focused and centered in anticipation of the busy day ahead.

Monday

EsF Breakfast

Educateurs sans Frontières will hold their breakfast meeting on Monday morning at 7:30am. Bring your own breakfast, coffee and tea will be provided. Click here to view the informational flyer.

Workshop A – Bold Goal

The EsF Workshop will no longer be offered.  In its place, a Bold Goal follow-up workshop will be held 9-10:30am.  This workshop, and the other Monday morning offerings, will be followed at 10:30 by a Bold Goal presentation to the entire community by AMI Executive Director Lynne Lawrence.  In the 9-10:30am session, Lynne Lawrence and Kate Hastings will provide the AMI community with the results and updates on our path forward to implement our Bold Goal to triple the AMI impact by 2021. They will present the proposed structure AMI envisions to assure that the outcomes of the bold goal and the support for training centers can be achieved. The efforts by many in the AMI community over the past three years are now ready to be realized.
At 10:30am, Lynne will be joined by Rich Neimand from the Neimand Collaborative and strategic communications project coordinator Ben Davis to present the results of the parent research that has prepared AMI to crystallize our message and enlist the participation of the Montessori community to reach our bold goal.

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Click here to register for the Refresher Course.