AMI Talks - An Invitation to Celebrate and Reflect
In celebration of the birthday of Maria Montessori on 31 August (1870), we convened a special AMI online talk that explored the evolution of Maria Montessori’s thoughts on human development. Our historical archive is a wonderful instrument to mine and extend knowledge and feed the future.
This is more than a collection of documents—it is a living repository of thought, experience, and evolution.
Our 31 August talk reflected on the significance of preserving these materials—as a foundation for future exploration. On Maria Montessori’s birthday we celebrated the journey, and opened the doors for those who wished to engage, research, and contribute to the legacy.
We heard the stories of two young PhD students, Irene Pozzi and Emma Perrone, who, facilitated by AMI’s legacy team, came to do extensive research into the archives.
CLICK ON THE AUDIO LINKS to listen to the recorded session.
Presenters
Irene Pozzi “The Società Umanitaria of Milan and the first manufactures of Montessori materials”
PhD student Irene Pozzi will share insights from her dissertation, which also explores the pivotal role of the Società Umanitaria, the world's first manufacturer of Montessori materials, established in Italy in 1908.
Taking her research further, Irene is now delving into the first manufacturers of Montessori materials in Europe (1908–1923), uncovering the networks and visionaries who helped bring Maria Montessori’s ideas to life.
A recent visit to the AMI archives in Amsterdam enriched this research in powerful ways. Discover how access to original correspondence between Maria Montessori and early manufacturers has shed light on the challenges and decisions that shaped the movement—and how these early collaborations influenced educational practices across Europe.
Emma Perrone “The Evolution of Montessori Training Courses”
Emma Perrone is a doctoral candidate in Education, Languages, Cultures (pedagogical curriculum) and teacher of Montessori childhood psychology at the LUMSA University of Rome. She obtained a specialization diploma in Montessori methodology for the 0–6 year age group from the Opera Nazionale Montessori. Since 2019 she has facilitated and hosted users of the Opera Nazionale Montessori Library. Her research interests include the reconstruction of Maria Montessori's network of relationships and the Montessori training courses of the first half of the twentieth century, in order to analyse the historical and cultural development of what has been defined as the Montessori training canon — understood as a shared set of knowledge, practices, and pedagogical orientations.
Her recent consultations of the AMI Archives have made it possible, as a first step, to begin reconstructing the list of courses held by Maria Montessori starting in 1909, as well as to enhance the analysis of the content, curricula, and teaching methods adopted in various training contexts.
