Association Montessori International of the United States (AMI/USA)

On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas with the news that the more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free. This day came to be known as Juneteenth — a time when the descendants of enslaved African people celebrate freedom, gather as a family, reflect on the past and look to the future. It is a day set aside for celebration of African American resilience, and the enduring pursuit of justice. As we reflect on our shared history, we recognize the importance of creating communities where every individual is respected, valued, and empowered to thrive.

Photo courtesy: National Museum of African American History & Culture
https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/moments/juneteenth/digital-toolkit

Happy Birthday, Miss Stephenson!

Join us in celebrating Miss Stephenson’s Birthday by supporting the MES Fund Annual Day of Giving. Every contribution helps aspiring Montessori educators pursue AMI teacher training and continue the work she championed. 🌷

Donate here:
https://mesfund.org/?blm_aid=22618113

AMI: 🎉 We’re celebrating 45 years of the Peter Hesse Foundation (PHF), improving the lives of children in vulnerable communities through Montessori education.
Established in Haiti, the Foundation works to expand access to quality education rooted in Montessori principles. AMI has partnered with PHF since 2011 as an initiative under the Educateurs sans Frontières (EsF) umbrella, strengthening a shared commitment to education that is locally grounded and globally informed.
🌟 Since launching its first Montessori teacher training programme in 1986, PHF has:
• trained more than 1,600 teachers
• established 61 Montessori schools in Haiti, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Mali
• reached over 80,000 children
🔗 Find out more here: https://montessori-esf.org/.../the-peter-hesse...

https://www.amiusa.org/the-prepared-professional
Click the link to learn more about The Prepared Professional: Refresh and Refocus, the speakers, and the payment options for a group or individual registration.

It is with great sadness that we are sharing the news that Megan Tyne passed on 28 May 2026.
Megan served the Montessori movement for more than forty years with intelligence, generosity, and unwavering dedication. She held the AMI 3–6 Diploma and believed deeply in Montessori education — not only as a transformative pedagogical approach, but as a path towards a more peaceful society. Quoting Megan, she would often stress that her continued inspiration and work ethic came from AMI’s mission to “uphold, propagate, and further the pedagogical principles and practice formulated by Maria Montessori for the full development of the human being”.

Her dedication to this vision was exceptional, marked not only by the breadth of her work but by the spirit in which it was carried out: insightful, supportive, and encouraging. She worked with extraordinary dedication and an unassuming sense of purpose, never seeking personal recognition. Everything she did was grounded in a profound commitment to children, education, and the mission of AMI. She possessed a rare ability to strengthen meaningful ideas and help them take root and flourish.

Since joining AMI in 1999, Megan played a significant role in shaping many of the organisation’s strategic and innovative developments. She was instrumental in encouraging AMI to support Montessori initiatives in Thailand and China, and she recognised the importance of the Sports and Dementia work through a Montessori lens. There, too, she made important connections, enabling others to grow and deliver, always with a sense of humour and gratitude. This aspect of her personality also encouraged AMI to be bold and to take pride in its leadership role and visibility, reflected in her contribution to reinventing major events such as AGMs and congresses.

In her final position as Chief Innovation Officer, Megan was widely respected for her clarity of vision, creativity, and remarkable ability to bring ideas into being. Her work on websites, digital initiatives, archives, libraries, and systems development helped preserve Montessori knowledge while making it more accessible to present and future generations. The Maria Montessori online archives are the latest in a long line of projects she helped create to make all things Montessori more accessible.

Over many years, Megan also served as Executive Director of the Montessori Children’s Foundation, Montessori Australia Foundation, and the Australian Centre for Montessori Studies. She worked tirelessly to support the growth and integrity of Montessori education in Australia, always with generosity and a collaborative spirit.

Her contribution to the wider international Montessori community was equally significant. As Chairperson of the International Montessori Centenary Committee, she helped bring together Montessori communities across the world in celebration of Maria Montessori’s enduring legacy. She participated in Educateurs sans Frontières assemblies and supported Indigenous Montessori initiatives in Australia, believing strongly that Montessori education should serve diverse communities with dignity, humility, and care.

Montessori was woven deeply into Megan’s family life as well. Our thoughts are with Katie, Jodi and Michael, Megan’s beloved daughter-in-law Miriam, and her two grandchildren, Ultan and Conan, who lit up her life.

The Montessori community remembers her with profound gratitude and affection.

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Picture courtesy: Montessori Northwest

Please click the link below to read the full article: https://www.amiusa.org/s/MEx27-Location-and-LGBTQIA-Letter.pdf