Eduardo Cuevas Eduardo Cuevas completed the AMI 3-6 diploma in 1973 in Mexico. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Primary Education from Loyola College, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Mr Cuevas has extensive experience as a classroom director as well as school administrator. In 1987 Mr Cuevas completed the AMI training programme and founded the Centro De Estudios Montessori En Puerto Rico Y El Caribe. Eduardo Cuevas has directed the AMI 3-6 course in Hartford, Connecticut, USA and in Spain, and is currently the Director of Training at the Montessori Training Centre of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. He has lectured in Mexico, and at the University of Uppsala, Sweden and has extensive experience as a Montessori School Consultant. Mr Cuevas also recently completed six years as a member of the Board of Directors of AMI. Dr Silvia Dubovoy Dr. Silvia C. Dubovoy holds a B.A., M.A. And Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Barcelona, Spain. She also holds the AMI 0-3 and 3-6 diplomas and an AMI special education diploma. Dr Dubovoy has worked as a Montessori trainer and lecturer in Mexico, Canada, Spain and the USA. Dr Dubovoy is the Director of Training at the Montessori Institute of San Diego, California, USA, which also includes a model school. She is an AMI board member, and worked with Dr Carl. R. Rogers, a humanistic psychologist, for many years. Cheryl Ferreira Cheryl Ferreira holds a B.A. Hons and M.A. in History, as well as the AMI 3-6 and 0-3 diplomas. She has worked with children for many years, becoming interested in Montessori whilst assisting in a Montessori school. In 1998 Cheryl entered the AMI Training of Trainers Programme, and has been an AMI trainer since 2000. Cheryl Ferreira is a senior member of staff at the Maria Montessori Training Organisation, London, UK, and will be the Director of Training for the AMI 3-6 Diploma course to be held in New Zealand in 2008. Dr Annette Haines Dr Annette M. Haines is an internationally recognized AMI lecturer, examiner, and trainer. She has been involved in the field of Montessori education since 1972 and has extensive background in the Children’s House Classroom. She holds both AMI Primary and Elementary Diplomas, a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, an M. Ed. from Cleveland State, and an Ed. D. from S.I.U. Edwardsville. She is Associate Director of NAMATA (North American Montessori Teachers Association), chairperson of the AMI Scientific Pedagogy Committee, and a member of the Executive Committee and Board of the AMI. Shannon Helfrich M. Shannon Helfrich is a primary level trainer, lecturer, consultant and examiner for the Association Montessori Internationale. She has been involved in Montessori Education since 1971. Shannon holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees and the AMI Primary Diploma. She served as the Director of Training of the Montessori Institute Northwest Portland, USA from 1988 to 2003, the Australian Montessori Teacher Education Foundation in 1999 and 2002 and is the founding Director of Training for the Montessori Training Center of New England in Hartford, CT, USA. Shannon is an Adjunct Professor for Loyola College in Maryland. Shannon will be the Director of Training for the inaugural AMI 3-6 course to be held in Hangzhou, China. David Kahn David Kahn is Executive Director of the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association, and was the founding Program Director of the Hershey Montessori Farm School, an Erdkinder prototype in Huntsburg, Ohio. He is now establishing an International Centre for Adolescent Studies dedicated not only to the development of the Montessori third plane, but to the integration of the Montessori adolescent preparation with that of early childhood as well as the elementary years. Mr. Kahn has produced extensive media works, both print and video, and is sought internationally as a speaker and consultant in the Montessori work with the Adolescent. Monte Kenison Monte Kenison received his AMI diploma in 1973 from The Montessori Education Center in Palo Alto, California, directed by Miss Lena Wikramaratne. He is a founding director of Nienhuis Montessori USA, which opened in 1975. In 1992, Nienhuis Montessori created the Montessori Resource Center MRC), where Mr Kenison served as National Director until June of 2000. Mr Kenison is currently AMI Director of Training of the Montessori Teacher Training Center of Northern California. Monte Kenison was a member of the 2001 - 2004 AMI Ad-Hoc Strategic Planning Committee, is a member of AMI’s Board of Directors and serves the Montessori community as a private consultant and lecturer. Amy Kirkham Amy Kirkham has been involved in the Early Childhood Education sector since 1988. She has worked with young children in a variety of different settings including Early Childhood Centres, Montessori Children's Houses, services for children with hearing impairment and in the Haematology/Oncology ward at the Royal Childrens' Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Amy is actively involved in the provision of professional development for Montessori staff as well as parent and community education. She is a 3-6 AMI teacher trainer for the Australian Montessori Teacher Education Foundation. In 2008 Amy will be the Director of Training in Melbourne. Amy is a board member of several Montessori organisations and is also a member of the Australian Quality Assurance Working Party. Lynne Lawrence Lynne Lawrence is Director of Training and Schools at the Maria Montessori Training Organisation London, the International Training Centre in Britain of the Association Montessori Internationale. The MMTO also runs 3 Children’s Houses and an Elementary school and Lynne oversees the running of these schools in addition to running the MMI courses. Lynne took the AMI training course in London in 1974, training under Hilla Patell and worked with Muriel Dwyer on the ‘Help the Children’ project in Kenya between 1978 and 1985. Since 1990 Lynne has been Director of Training of the 3 - 6 AMI Course at the Maria Montessori Training Organisation, now known as the Maria Montessori Institute. Lynne is an AMI Board Member and General Secretary (ad interim) of AMI. Dr Jean Miller Dr Jean Miller received her Doctorate of Education from Case Western University in 1981. Her Doctorate dissertation is titled “The Montessori Music Curriculum for Children Up to the Age of Six.” Trained in Bergamo, Italy, she holds an AMI 6-12 Diploma. She received an AMI 3-6 Diploma from the Montessori Institute in Cleveland. Dr Miller has over 40 years of experience working with children in both private and public Montessori schools. She has given lectures and workshops to colleges and Montessori groups throughout the world. Dr Miller is an AMI certified consultant, examiner, and Primary (6-12) teacher trainer. She has been the music lecturer at training centres in both North America and Europe. Molly O’Shaughnessy Molly O'Shaughnessy is an AMI trainer, lecturer, consultant and national and international speaker. Since 1996, she has served as Director of Training at the Montessori Training Center of Minnesota (MTCM) and as an adjunct professor for Loyola College in Maryland, as well as Community Faculty for Metropolitan State University in Saint Paul. Ms. O'Shaughnessy earned her AMI Primary (3-6) diploma from the MTCM in 1976 and holds an M.Ed. from Loyola College in Maryland. She most recently was appointed to the board of the Association Montessori International in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and is a member of the AMI Trainers Group. Ms. O'Shaughnessy has dedicated her life to education and children having served as a founding board member for the Minnesota Children's Museum and currently serving on a number of school and community boards. Judi Orion Judith A. Orion, M.A., Director of Training, holds the AMI Early Childhood (3-6) diploma and received her Assistants to Infancy (0-3) diploma at the first AMI training for that level, given in Rome. Judi has conducted Primary and Infancy Montessori classes, and is a trainer, examiner, and consultant at both levels. She conducts teacher training internationally and is an adjunct faculty member of Loyola College in Maryland. Judi was also Director of Training for the first 0-6 AMI Diploma course. Mary Raudonis Loew Mary Raudonis Loew has been working in the field of Montessori education since 1963 when she received AMI primary training in Washington, DC. She has 23 years of classroom experience and has established primary training courses in 3 different cities. Mary has assisted in the start up of numerous schools and has 11 years experience as a School Director. She has offered workshops in all areas of Montessori pedagogy, and serves as a consultant and examiner of the AMI. She has a special interest in the development of programs for adolescents. She has a BA degree with a focus in education, psychology and creative writing. Mary currently works as a Montessori classroom guide and serves as the Executive Director and Primary Director of Training of the Montessori Institute of Texas which offers summer format training at all three levels. André Roberfroid André Roberfroid a Belgian national was the UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Programme and Strategic Planning until his retirement in 2003. He was responsible for the formulation and implementation of the UNICEF strategic objectives and programmes. From 1974 to 1996 he served as a UNICEF field officer and representative in a variety of countries including Congo, Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran and Mali. He was particularly involved in the development and implementation of programme for children in extremely difficult circumstances like the civil war in Lebanon, the unrest in the West Bank and Gaza, the aftermath of the genocide in Rwanda. From 1996 to 1999 as director of the UNICEF office in Geneva, he was in charge of the coordination with the main humanitarian agencies.