What do iconic traveler Rick Steves; playwright , actor, and educator Anna Deavere Smith; and father of the Maker Movement Dale Dougherty, all have in common?

They were all keynote speakers at the recent American Montessori Society conference in Denver this year! Jennifer Davey, our Head of School, and Blanca Bird, our Lower Elementary guide, both attended the conference to learn and grow and bring their experiences back to the school and classrooms.

Each year, over 4,000 Montessorians from over 20 countries and all across America come together at the annual AMS conference to share information, create new bonds, and embrace the enthusiasm for the Montessori Movement. This year attendees assembled in the Mile High City to be inspired by these keynote speakers but also by a multitude of workshops addressing curriculum, socio-emotional development, leadership, public policy, research, and much more.

Steves, Deavere Smith, and Dougherty, like the many eclectic keynote speakers at previous conferences, came from varied walks of life but feel a deep connection with Montessori.

Rick Steves gave attendees a renewed appreciation  for cultural studies as a core element of the Montessori curriculum and an investment in students abilities to create a better more peaceful world.

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/podcasts

Actor, playwright and educator Anna Deavere Smith reminded us of the cosmic principle so evident in Montessori, that all human life is connected and unified. In excerpts from her one-woman show she highlighted some of the issues currently on the forefront of the American psyche including race and social justice.

http://www.annadeaveresmith.org/category/notes-from-the-field/

Dale Dougherty, father of the Maker Movement paid homage to the Montessori belief that we are all naturally curious lifelong learners Dougherty explained how by marrying STEAM principles with audacity and verve and a radical spirit, our students can take part in the joyous act of creation. We came away with new ideas for creating and making makerspaces for innovation and joyful creation in the school.

Each one reminded us that the Montessori curriculum lays the foundation for a better more peaceful world.  We can inspire students to see how all of human life is connected and unified and build relationships in creative ways.

During the conference over 2,000 Montessori educators stood with #MarchForOurLives in Denver to rally for peace in our schools.

The message was clear: Montessori education is our best hope for giving our students the foundation they need to transform our world. #MontessoriNow