How can Montessori environments become sanctuaries for healing in a world where toxic stress and trauma is increasingly common?
In this 90-minute workshop, participants will explore the intersection of trauma-sensitive practice and the Montessori approach—discovering how Montessori environments can nurture safety, regulation, and belonging.
Led by Liza Davis, AMI 3–6 Trainer, Executive Director of the Montessori Center of Minnesota, and holder of a Master’s degree in Trauma and Resilience in Educational Settings, this session offers a grounded blend of research, reflection, and Montessori-rooted application.
Participants will:
Gain a foundational understanding of how trauma impacts the body, brain, and behavior.
Reconnect with Montessori’s legacy of healing, including her work with the White Cross and her emphasis on dignity, order, and restoration.
Learn a few practical strategies for designing trauma-sensitive Montessori environments that foster agency, connection, and calm.
Through storytelling and research insights participants will leave with clarity and tools to cultivate environments that nurture development and resilience.
Liza Davis is an Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) 3–6 Trainer and Executive Director at the Montessori Center of Minnesota (MCM). She began her Montessori journey as a child and has experienced Montessori via many roles over the last three decades. Liza began her tenure at MCM in 2009 as Head of School at Cornerstone Montessori School, where she also helped establish Cornerstone Montessori Elementary School, a separate public charter school. Since 2013, Liza has held a variety of key roles at MCM, contributing to its national and international impact through mentorship, communications, professional development, outreach, and training.
Liza holds a Master of Arts degree with an emphasis on Trauma and Resilience in Educational Settings from Concordia University, a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and American Racial and Multicultural Studies from St. Olaf College, and an AMI Primary Diploma from the Montessori Center of Minnesota. Her recent work has focused on trauma-sensitive practices in Montessori environments, and she has presented on this topic at national and international conferences.