April News from NAMTA

Our April newsletter shares the gift of Gerry Leonard’s 1990 interview with Thomas Berry. Berry shares a unique perspective as an author, historian, and theologian who was deeply concerned with the human impact on earth systems and the role of education at the present moment of ecological crisis. The 1990s was a time when the Montessori community was beginning to become aware of Berry’s inspirational work. His influential book The Universe Story, written with evolutionary cosmologist Brian Swimme, was published in 1992. Berry was also discovering Maria Montessori at this time and became so impressed with her book To Educate the Human Potential that he purchased many copies to send to colleagues and friends. Over the past thirty years, our NAMTA journals have included articles by Thomas Berry, including excerpts from his groundbreaking book The Great Work. Our Way into the Future (1999). Many NAMTA journal contributors over the years have quoted from and referenced his work. NAMTA’s relationship with Berry emphasizes one of our most important roles within the Montessori world: bringing new voices to our community and sharing our voice through new partnerships. Berry was always a welcome and inspiring voice at NAMTA conferences, most notably at the important conference, The Epic of Evolution, held at The Chicago Field Museum November 1997, sponsored by NAMTA and The American Academy for the Advancement of Science.

You can enjoy the article here:

The tribute journal to NAMTA’s leader David Kahn will be printed soon. The date of its release will be announced on our website and our Facebook page. Thank you to all who have contributed as sponsors of this great work.  Your generosity and commitment to the longstanding support of David’s work has enabled us to capture this history as a gift to the present and future of the Montessori movement in North America and beyond. The journal can be pre-ordered for $22.

NAMTA’s Second Warehouse Sale

Our second Warehouse Sale will launch June 15, 2024.  We will be offering select titles from the NAMTA collection.  Publications will be sold at $2 each in a minimum of 5 copies per title, with a $10.00 handling fee added per order. Further details on our warehouse and other NAMTA happenings will be in our May/June newsletter.

If you would like to be added to our contact list, or you would like to add a friend, we are happy to hear from you at info@montessori-namta.org. Also, please notify us If you have updated contact information.

On December 5^th, 1975, five Montessori teachers came together and formalized the establishment of North American Montessori Teachers Association as a non-profit organization. Their goal was to provide an opportunity for continuous research and study of Montessori, to provide a support for Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), to develop greater understanding and support for Montessori philosophy, and to improve the understanding and cooperation among teachers, schools, and communities. As we approach this 50-year landmark, the current officers are striving to keep our extended community as our focus through updates and offerings.

Bi-Monthly Updates and FREE Content

Beginning this month, we will post a short note on our homepage and a re-print of one of our articles from past NAMTA journals or NAMTA Bulletins.  NAMTA, through our journals, workshops, and special publications, brought together and shared the wisdom of AMI trainers across the planes of development, Montessori leaders and practitioners, and thought leaders in a number of areas who all contributed to the conversation.  In this tradition, we will be sharing our bi-monthly newsletter, which will be accessible through a link on our website’s homepage.

This month we feature The Observation Artist, by Molly O’Shaughnessy, preface to Volume 41.3, Summer 2016.

Announcing a New Journal

NAMTA proudly announces a new journal in production,  A Montessori Legacy in Retrospect: The Selected Writings of David Kahn. Under David’s leadership, through its 50-year history, NAMTA was at the forefront of the development of Montessori in North America. This journal captures that evolution through David’s wisdom and voice. We are offering a discounted pre-order price of $22 until March 15, 2024. The journal will be priced at $25 upon publication.

To see details of this extraordinary journal, visit us at our table at AMI-USA’s Montessori Experience, February 16-19, 2024. We look forward to seeing you there!

Help Us Update Our Contact List

As of 2018, NAMTA is no longer a membership organization. Our current mailing list is compiled from members who were active in 2017 and 2018.  If you would like to be added to our contact list, update your contact info, or you would like to add a friend, we are happy to hear from you at staff@montessori-namta.org.