Our co-founder and lead guide, Noëlle, completed her AMI Primary Certification in June!

This is the best training available. AMI was founded by Maria Montessori and her son, Mario, and thus AMI presents Montessori in its truest form. This training is usually out of reach for many, due either to cost or distance — this training has always been in-person-only, at a small number of centers across the country. But due to the pandemic, the Southwest Institute of Montessori Studies in Phoenix, Arizona developed a means of doing the course online.

Noëlle leapt at the opportunity. Beginning in September of 2020, Noëlle spent three nights weekly, three hours each night, in online courses. Then her “homework” would consume at least an additional 15 hours each week. The training required her to write out step-by-step processes for giving presentations, to produce materials that could be used for works, to record videos of her giving presentations, and produce albums of everything she had done.

Then the final four weeks of the program required Noëlle to travel to Phoenix in June 2021 for lots of practice, oral exams, and graduation.

It was many months of grueling work, but it was VERY worth it.

The classroom began improving based on this more-rigorous training immediately. We removed materials that had been recommended by the previous Montessori method in favor of more effective materials. Presentations of works were strengthened.

This training challenged Noëlle and required a ton of work, but all of it was worth the effort.

Help support the work of Hilltop Children’s House so we can continue to provide truly excellent Montessori programming to the children of Steubenville!