American Montessori Society

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The American Montessori Society (AMS) is a non-profit, member supported, organization which promotes the use of the Montessori teaching approach in private and public schools.

1 History
2 Philosophy
3 Programs
4 References

[edit] History

The American Montessori Society (AMS) is a nonprofit, member-supported, professional organization based in New York City, NY, with a mission to provide the leadership and inspiration to make Montessori a significant voice in education. The Society advocates quality Montessori education, strengthens members through its services, and champions Montessori principles to the greater community.

AMS was founded at the Whitby School in Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1960, by a group of parents who realized a need for a clearing house for information about establishing Montessori schools, educating Montessori teachers, and recommending Montessori learning materials. Dr. Nancy McCormick Rambusch, who had studied Montessori philosophy and practice in London, and was head of the Whitby School, was appointed (by Mario Montessori, son of Dr. Maria Montessori) the American representative of the Association Montessori Internationale, which was headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Dr. Rambusch held this position for several years. She also became the first president of AMS. The current president of AMS is Ms. Marilyn Stewart, head of The Red Oaks School in Morristown, New Jersey.

AMS develops and expands Montessori’s application in public and private schools throughout the United States. With 11,000 members in 50 countries, AMS ensures that the highest standards are maintained by accrediting Montessori schools, awarding teacher credentials, affiliating teacher education programs, and creating a broad array of professional development resources. AMS also advances Montessori education by supporting related activities, such as research and public policy, and by creating a global community of education professionals, families, and policy makers.

In 2007, AMS celebrated 100 years of Montessori education (dating from the opening of the first Montessori school— “Casa dei Bambini” —in Rome, Italy, by Dr. Maria Montessori in 1907) when 5,000 educators from across the world gathered at its annual conference, which was held in New York City, NY, and featured Dr. Maya Angelou as a keynote speaker. United States Senator Christopher J. Dodd (Connecticut) was honorary chair. Dr. Jane Goodall was a keynote speaker at AMS’s 2008 Annual Conference in Washington, DC.

The American Montessori Society Archives are housed at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. The multi-media collection reflects the professional and administrative activities of AMS going back to its earliest days, and also provides historical information about the Montessori system of education. The collection is open to the public, and travel grants are provided for qualified researchers.