Call for Proposals
We are so grateful for the skills, knowledge and experience of the AMI/USA community. Your unique perspectives are valuable. We are extending our annual call for proposals differently this year. In addition to inviting submissions for The Montessori Experience, we are expanding this call on a rolling basis for different types of programming throughout the year.
We were honored to have a variety of speakers, from different backgrounds and school communities share with us in 2020 and into this year. We received feedback that hearing from folks that are a part of the everyday classroom experience was valuable. We hear you and want to continue our efforts to provide you with practical professional development opportunities that will inform your daily practice.
Are you working in a Montessori school or do you homeschool using the Montessori method? Can you provide practical examples of what has worked well in your environment? Do you have best practices to offer? We want to hear from you!
Justice Equity Diversity Inclusion (JEDI) Series 2021 Proposals
This series is now underway, click here to access the line up of sessions and to register. We hope to continue this series each year, so if you have ideas or a proposal you would like to send for 2022, please email the information with the guidelines specified below to Samantha Levine. Thank you for considering!
In Fall 2020 we hosted the first installment of the Social Justice Webinar Series. In lieu of a registration fee we encouraged participants to directly donate to The Black Montessori Education Fund (BMEF). The programming included:
- De-Centering Whiteness in Montessori Spaces | Speakers: Katie Kitchens, Mara Matteson, and Colleen Wilkinson
- Remembering Indigenous Voices in the Classroom | Speaker: Trisha Moquino
- The Anti-Bias & Anti-Racist Administrator | Speaker: Amelia Allen Sherwood
- Preparing Ourselves Spiritually and Mentally for Revolutionary Social Change | Speaker: Sheri Bishop
We received positive feedback from attendees and we recognize that our Justice/Equity/Diversity/Inclusion (JEDI) and Anti-bias/Anti-racist (ABAR) journeys are on-going. Are you a teacher who has found creative and sustainable ways to successfully embed JEDI and ABAR principles and practices in your curriculum and classroom culture?
As we plan the 2021 JEDI Series, the intent of AMI/USA is to include presentations that may support our historical and theoretical knowledge and are giving more consideration to presentations that highlight how guides and other frontline practitioners have found creative and sustainable ways to successfully embed JEDI and ABAR principles and practices in their daily curriculum and classroom, school, and/or community cultures.
We want to hear from you – guides, curriculum specialists that support art, music, reading, dual language, health and physical education, and those that are knowledgeable and skilled in supporting children that are neurodiverse. We want to hear from educators from all age levels about what you are doing and the wonderful outcomes you are achieving. We would also like to highlight an adolescent community that is taking the lead to address JEDI/ABAR issues in their school classroom and community. We would love to hear from guides at all levels.
Specific Topics to Consider for Submission
- Ways that children and teaching adults with diverse religious traditions are supported, represented, and appreciated in your classroom and school community
- Ways children and teaching adults with Gender Identity & Sexual Orientation intersections are supported, represented and appreciated in your classroom and school community
- Ways children and teaching adults with learning differences and neurodiversity are supported, represented, and appreciated in your classrooms and school community
- Other education trends on the horizon that practically support JEDI/ABAR in a Montessori school environment
Session Dates and Submission Deadlines
Deadlines are on a rolling basis and based on webinar dates below:
- August 18, 2021 – Submission deadline: July 16, 2021 – we would like to focus on:
- Ways children and teaching adults with learning differences and neurodiversity are supported, represented, and appreciated in your classrooms and school community
- Parents perspective on supporting neurodiverse children
- November Session – Submission deadline: Friday, July 23, 2021 – we would like to focus on:
- Ways that children and teaching adults with diverse religious traditions are supported, represented, and appreciated in your classroom and school community
Proposal Submissions Requirements
- A brief bio, credentials of the presenter(s), and recent picture(s)
- Email address and most accessible phone number
- Social Justice Webinars are typically 1.5 to 2 hours and will be held virtually. Provide a brief workshop presentation abstract including presentation objectives and specific examples of how you have implemented JEDI/ABAR principles and practices in your community. Give an estimation of time for each objective to be met. We are also open to receiving proposals for panel discussions. Any requirements of AMI/USA
- Expectation regarding financial compensation
Please consider the content of the AMI/USA Equity Statement as you develop your topic for submission. All submissions should be emailed to Samantha Levine.
Member Mixers – Another Part of My Story, Another Part of Me
We are looking for stand-up comics, spoken word artists, storytellers, singers, etc. We want to feature the story that you share with passion and excitement in upcoming member mixers and other events throughout the year.
We all have a dominant identity and narrative that we show in our professional worlds. It is usually one dimensional. The more we know about another’s real story, the more we connect as humans…the more we appreciate humanity. We hope to connect with, and learn from, as many members of the AMI/USA community as possible.
Member Mixer Date and Submission Deadlines
Deadlines are on a rolling basis and based on Member Mixer dates below:
Week of August 9, 2021-Submission deadline: July 16, 2021
Member Mixer Proposal Submission Requirements
- A brief bio and recent picture
- Email and most accessible phone number
- A brief description of another part of your identity outside of your work as a Montessori educator that you would like to share. Are you a stand-up comedian, poet, storyteller, etc?
- The member mixer will be a short event, around 60 minutes with the presentation being only about 10-20 minutes depending on the content
- The presentation must have some connection to the world of Montessori from the perspective of the presenter.
- If you have a video or clip you would like to share, feel free
- Any requirements of AMI/USA that we should know about in order to host you?
- Expectation regarding financial compensation
The Montessori Experience 2022
Orlando, Florida
Friday February 18 to Monday February 21, 2022
In preparation for the Montessori Experience 2022 we are inviting abstract submissions for proposed workshops and intensive level Refresher Courses. Seasoned Montessorians as well as those new to the Montessori Movement are welcomed and encouraged to submit workshop proposals. AMI trainers are invited to submit proposals for Level Intensive Refresher Course Sessions.
We are inviting submissions for all age level intensives or “Refresher Course” sessions.
Submission Deadline: Friday, July 16, 2021
Abstract Submission Requirements
Workshops
- A brief bio and credentials of the presenter(s), and recent picture(s)
- Email address and most accessible phone number
- Explain how your topic and/or presentation concept speaks to the theme, “Resilience & Creativity”.
- A presentation abstract including specific objectives that you plan to achieve and examples of how you will address them in the workshop. Please include an estimation of time for each objective to be met. Specify all audiences that you think will benefit from your presentation (i.e., age-level guides, parents, administrators, etc)
- How the information/training you provide can be practically applied in learning environments
- Please indicate whether, if circumstances dictate, your workshop can be adapted for virtual programming and if you would be willing to present on that basis.
- Expected financial compensation
Level Intensives – Refresher Course Sessions
- A brief bio and credentials of the presenter(s), and recent picture(s).
- AMI trainers are invited to submit
- Email address and most accessible phone number
- Explain how your topic and/or presentation concept speaks to the theme, “Resilience & Creativity”.
- A presentation abstract including specific objectives that you plan to achieve and examples of how you will address them in the workshop. Please include an estimation of time for each objective to be met.
- Age-level track or Assistant, Administrator
- How the information/training you provide can be practically applied in learning environments
- Please indicate whether, if circumstances dictate, your workshop can be adapted for virtual programming and if you would be willing to present on that basis.
- Expected financial compensation
Information Regarding All Submissions
Submit all proposals and abstracts to Samantha Levine, AMI/USA Director of Events by the indicated deadlines for specific events and for consideration for year-round program planning.
Questions to Consider Regarding your Proposal
- Does your topic speak to the theme “Resilience & Creativity”?
- Does your proposal respond to a need or specific topic of interest?
- What type of presentation format do you want to use? It could be hands-on activities, lecture, demonstration, and/or discussion
- Are you planning a virtual, in person and/or hybrid presentation?
- Will your topic and presentation translate into a hybrid format?
- Will what you are offering speak to an in-person audience and a virtual community simultaneously?
- Do you plan to present with other speakers? Your proposal does not need to just include you as the sole speaker, you can propose a panel discussion or shared presentation.
- How many hours of learning and interaction is your workshop or intensive level session designed to provide?
AMI/USA Proposal Disclosures
- Proposals for commercial purposes will not be accepted. Presenters are not permitted to advertise or promote products or services during their presentations. If you are interested in sponsorship, please contact Samantha Levine for details.
- Not all proposals will be accepted. Historically, AMI/USA has received more submissions than our programming can accommodate, however, because of our rolling deadline submission format, we will request if we can maintain your proposal for future programming opportunities.
Tips to Strengthen Your Proposal
- Plan for best use of time. Specify how much time you will need for your session.
- Typically session times are between 60-90 minutes for virtual and 75-120 minutes for in person. Refresher sessions will take place over the course of 2 days but will likely be divided into 90 minutes segments.
- Participants appreciate opportunities to interact with the content and to ask questions of the facilitator(s). Please plan accordingly to have 15 minutes for Q&A.
- Explain how your topic relates to Montessori education and to the theme of “Resilience & Creativity” Please clearly state the connections even if you think it is obvious.
- Topics relevant to practical classroom instruction are highly desirable.
- Be as specific as possible regarding the targeted audience (i.e., plane of development, position, etc.). What targeted audiences will benefit the most from your session…educators, community members, parents, etc?
- Respect the limited space for your session title, 100 characters/~10 word max. and a descriptor of 400 characters/~50 word max.
Questions? Are you interested in volunteering? Please contact Samantha Levine