SEPTEMBER 2026
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Judith Cunningham is the Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Montessori Model UN. Judith founded MMUN to help students find their voices, take action and build peace. This program is poised for the possible by aligning the idealism and capacity of students 9 to 18 years to understand global problems, to identify local problems that break their hearts and then to take action to have an impact on the world they want.
Judith holds an AMI Elementary Diploma, a Master’s Degree in Education, post graduate work in Alternative Dispute Resolution. She is a board member of Montessori Europe and Youth for a Better World. Prior experience includes 17 years as a Montessori teacher for elementary and middle school, 15 years as a Montessori Head of School in the US and Canada.
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Gabriel Forestieri holds a Bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University, an MFA from New York University, and the AMI Adolescent Credential. He served with AmeriCorps in nature conservation, working on environmental restoration and stewardship projects that deepened his commitment to sustainability. Gabriel has worked across the Montessori community in many capacities, always with a focus on empowering young people to connect with the natural world, think critically, and take meaningful action for a better future.
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Young people ask profound questions about climate change, artificial intelligence, conflict, democracy, inequality, and the future they will inherit. Learn more about how students engage with global issues and develop leadership, global citizenship, and confidence while discovering their agency as change-makers with the Montessori Model UN.
NOVEMBER 2026
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Gretchen Hall is the AMI Primary Director of Training at the Montessori Training Center of Northeast, located in Hartford Connecticut. Ms. Hall has over 20 years of Montessori experience in both public and private schools as a classroom teacher, administrator, consultant. Gretchen is currently directing her 20th course as an AMI Primary Trainer and has experience training and lecturing, both at home and around the world. She is passionate about Montessori for all children and was the pedagogical director of Connecticut’s first public Montessori school for twelve years. During that time, she led the school’s goal of eliminating the achievement gap for literacy, grounded in the Montessori pedagogy. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Michigan State University and holds a master’s degree in Montessori Education from Loyola University.
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Montessori teachers and administrators share a common purpose: serving those entrusted to their care. In this webinar, we'll examine the powerful parallels between guiding children and supporting educators, and explore how servant leadership strengthens school culture, nurtures professional growth, and advances the Montessori mission.
DECEMBER 2026
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Elizabeth Slade has been a Montessori educator for 35 years. Elizabeth has worked to build public Montessori programs, implementing Child Study systems and developing the art of Montessori Coaching. She is passionate about leading school start-ups, designing trainings and bringing the Montessori coaching method to hundreds of schools across the country. Elizabeth is a frequent presenter at Montessori conferences. Her book Montessori in Action: Building Resilient Montessori Schools was released in July 2021. Elizabeth earned her AMI Elementary Diploma from the Washington Montessori Institute, and her AMS Administrative Credential at the Center for Contemporary Montessori Studies. In addition, she has a Master of Fine Arts in writing from Spalding University.
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Join us to explore what it means to build a resilient Montessori School and unified community empowered to serve the mission of your school. Hear more about creating a culture of honest conversations based on the values of growth and clarity. Investigate how to engage the whole community and yield results.
MARCH 2027
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Hana is a school leader and strategist with years of experience as a principal in Montessori education. She focuses on building strong teams, clear systems, and environments where Montessori principles are lived consistently in daily practice.
Her work centers on aligning people, processes, and vision, helping schools grow into stable, authentic communities where both adults and children can thrive.
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Mirka Vičková first encountered Montessori after the birth of her son. With no formal training, financial resources, or outside support, she was determined to bring an authentic Montessori education to her child. What began as a volunteer mothers' group grew into a Montessori kindergarten, elementary school, and adolescent program, and eventually into an international Montessori Teacher Training Organisation and an AMI Authorised Accrediting Agency.
Over more than fourteen years, Mirka has become a global Montessori leader and entrepreneur, raising more than EUR 2.3 million in grants and funding. She continues to lead Montessori Institute Prague, a thriving international Montessori organization, and chairs the board of the Montessori school she founded. Since 2026, she has also been supporting AMI in shaping its Global School Accreditation (GSA) system.
Her passion is helping others bring their own Montessori visions to life - whether by starting a school, securing funding, or launching a new program.
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In Montessori leadership, we often face a critical question: How can we ensure the financial sustainability of our schools while staying true to the values that define us? Too often, business mindset and values-based leadership are seen as opposites. In this workshop, we will demonstrate how these two perspectives, when held together, create resilient and inspiring Montessori schools.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
CPD certificates of attendance are awarded by request for all sessions.
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Attendance Agreement
Attendance at AMI/USA events indicates agreement with AMI/USA policies.
Further Questions
For questions, contact Lynne Breitenstein-Aliberti, Director of School and Member Operations.
