AIMS Fall Conference 2026Join the AIMS community for a retreat-inspired day of inspiration, reflection, connection, and deep Montessori practice. Together, we'll celebrate our Illinois Montessori community while preparing to welcome educators from around the world to Chicago. |
Saturday, November 7, 2026 · Near North Montessori · Capacity 400
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Date
SaturdayNovember 7, 2026
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Time
8:15 AM – 4:30 PM
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Location
Near North MontessoriChicago, IL · Map
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Registration
$125 Members$200 Non-Members
Conference Key Inspirers
Natasha M. McKenzie
Instructor Academy Facilitator & Coordinator, American Montessori Society
Natasha brings more than twenty years in Montessori education, holding an Early Childhood credential along with a B.A. in History and an M.Ed. in Montessori Studies. She has worked internationally as a teacher, consultant, and educator, grounding her work in both historical and pedagogical expertise.
Melina Papadimitriou
Director of Teacher Education, American Montessori Society
Melina holds Montessori certifications at both the Early Childhood and Elementary levels, along with teaching and principal licensures. Over her career she has served as a classroom teacher, school administrator, university program director, and educational consultant across public and private settings.
Fall Conference 2026
Near North Montessori School, Chicago
AMS Instructor Academy Facilitator and Coordinator
AMS Director of Teacher Education
Cohort A · 10:15 – 11:45 AM · Lunch Group 1
Explores how music, movement, and folk traditions can authentically support Montessori principles of independence, repetition, concentration, and community. Through hands-on experiences and scaffolded musical materials, participants develop practical strategies for immediate classroom use across curriculum areas and levels.
Montessori observation invites us to see beyond what is visible. In this interactive session, participants explore observation as a practice of compassion — observing children, families, and themselves with curiosity rather than assumptions — and strengthen relationships within their communities.
Great Lessons ignite wonder, but history afterward can become timelines and disconnected research. A practical framework for designing civilization studies around compelling narratives, human needs, problems, and responses — with strategies to use immediately in Elementary classrooms.
To prepare upper elementary and third-plane students for a data-driven world shaped by technology and AI, we must empower them to be agents of social change — teaching them to navigate this landscape and understand how their choices connect to their lives and the world.
Cohort B · 10:15 AM – 12:15 PM · Lunch Group 2
Be inspired to engage children in cultural food preparation, classroom care, and shared table experiences. Melissa, Anab, and Shazma share their classroom designs and systems for child-centered cooking and shared meals — from baking cultural breads to a café table experience and caring for the table.
What does purposeful, heartfelt Practical Life look like in the Elementary classroom? An interactive workshop on creating experiences that respond to the Elementary child's developmental needs and foster independence, responsibility, collaboration, empathy, service, and belonging.
Explore geography, history, the arts, science, and nature through a cosmic lens. Grounded in Montessori's vision of Cosmic Education, participants discover how to awaken wonder and deepen young children's relationship with the living world through hands-on experiments and dialogue.
Inclusion begins with the prepared adult — observing without judgment, examining expectations, and understanding behavior as communication. Connects Montessori principles with current knowledge about neurodiversity, sensory processing, and regulation, with practical strategies to adapt the environment and support diverse learners.
Hosted by Alysia Tate, EC head teacher at The Ancona School, who supports teacher training at Seton Montessori Institute.
Education as a force for liberation — weaving protest songs, intergenerational storytelling, and underrepresented voices into curriculum so students reclaim narrative and find their voices.
Afternoon sessions
Think you know your Sensorimotor materials? Think again! Revisit the developmental purpose and progression of familiar materials, dig into their history and design, and unpack the "why" behind the work — then explore variations, extensions, and new possibilities for the prepared environment.
A deep dive into the question: How can I show up as my best self for children? As Montessorians we cultivate mind, body, heart, and spirit — of children and ourselves. Theory and practical techniques to center ourselves and the children we serve, including self-care practice in session.
Uninterrupted work cycles, mixed-age communities, observation, and freedom within limits require time, continuity, and autonomy. In small groups, participants examine pressures such as testing, staffing, technology, and enrollment, then name the practices Montessori communities should work to protect.
How Montessori education nurtures the evolving self through developmental rites of passage from Lower Elementary through Middle School — capstone experiences rooted in local history, geography, and community service, extending through regional, national, and global travel.
Discover the transformative power of oral storytelling in the Early Childhood environment. Explore how spoken narrative nurtures language, imaginative thinking, and deep communication, with practical strategies for using storytelling to develop empathy and understand diverse perspectives.
Equity work often focuses on what we want to do, not how we want to be with one another. In this interactive session, envision new ways of being in community that challenge dominant culture, and practice skills for relationships rooted in psychological safety, belonging, and dignity.
In a "throw-away society," showing students how to repair instead of replace is an often-missed opportunity. Discuss how to include students in the Practical Life experience of repairing materials. Have a problem you want to solve? Bring it along to share!
Transitions are often the most dreaded parts of the day, yet they are powerful opportunities to build independence and routine. Audit what we do and why, examine the pain points of arrival, work cycle, lunch, recess, nap, and dismissal, and develop strategies to shift tone and systems.
A discounted group rate is available for conference attendees. Book by Friday, October 9 to guarantee the rate.
Book online → AIMS group rateThank You to Our
2026 Conference Sponsors
AIMS is grateful to the organizations whose support makes the 2026 Fall Conference possible.
Conference Major Sponsor
Loyola University MarylandM.Ed. pathways in Montessori education for working professionals.
Teacher Education Program Sponsors
The Center for Guided Montessori Studies (CGMS)MACTE-accredited online Montessori teacher certification since 2006.
Seton Montessori InstituteMontessori teacher and school administrator preparation.- Loyola University Maryland School of EducationGraduate Montessori programming that develops innovative leaders for inclusive, transformational learning communities.
Saturday Reception Sponsor
Cobalt ExtensionsIT solutions and systems support for independent schools and mission-driven organizations.
Video Sponsors
Montessori Makers GroupSystems consulting, leadership coaching, strategic planning, and recruitment for Montessori schools.
Metro Consulting ServicesHead of school searches, strategic planning, coaching, and board governance.
AMI/USAThe national branch of Association Montessori Internationale, offering membership, professional development, and school recognition.
In-Kind Sponsor
Nienhuis USAGlobal manufacturer of Montessori classroom materials. Thank you to Nienhuis for their generous in-kind contribution to this year's conference.
School Sponsors
Interested in supporting the conference? Become a sponsor or exhibitor · Questions: exhibits@ilmontessori.org
Ready to join us on November 7?
$125 AIMS Members |
$200 Non-Members
One registration form can hold up to 20 registrants.
info@ilmontessori.org
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