The Montessori Institute

The Montessori Institute, located in Denver, Colorado, has been a trusted center for Montessori training since 1988. Our legacy reflects deep roots in the Montessori tradition and a lasting commitment to preparing educators for today’s world.

TMI moved to Denver when founder Judi Orion was invited to support the creation of Family Star, a historic community-led Montessori infant–toddler–parent education center. Family Star began in an abandoned building across from Colorado’s first public Montessori elementary school, Mitchell Montessori, becoming a beacon for educational access and equity.

The first Denver graduating class included Lereen Castellano, Ruth Coleman-White, Loretta Gonzales, Gloria Montgomery, Marcellina Otii, Dr. Martha Urioste, and Debra Kraft—local Montessori social justice heroes committed to serving what Dr. Montessori called “the forgotten citizen—the child.”

From those beginnings, TMI has remained dedicated to expanding access to Montessori pedagogy for educators locally, nationally, and globally. Our faculty train and collaborate worldwide, bringing diverse perspectives and lived experiences to every course. This global reach attracts a vibrant community of learners and creates lifelong connections that extend well beyond the classroom.

Today, TMI is the only training center in the United States solely focused on the birth-to-three years. We proudly offer the AMI Assistants to Infancy (0–3) Training Diploma, the foundation of the Montessori curriculum, equipping educators to support development at the very beginning of life.

For over 35 years, The Montessori Institute has stood at the intersection of tradition, innovation, and social justice—preparing educators to nurture curiosity, equity, and the lives of children everywhere.

Association Montessori Internationale

The Montessori Institute of Denver is proud to be an AMI-recognized training center. For over 35 years, TMI has prepared educators with integrity and care, ensuring access to authentic Montessori pedagogy at the most formative stage of life.

Working in a Montessori environment is unlike traditional teaching. The Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) training prepares adults to guide children by following their natural rhythms, interests, and developmental needs. This preparation is rich, complex, and deeply rewarding—work that is both satisfying and joyful.

Founded in 1929 by Dr. Maria Montessori, AMI was created to maintain, propagate, and further her innovative ideas for the full development of the human being. Today, AMI is directed by an international board and supported by distinguished scholars and leaders worldwide. It is the founding Montessori organization that ensures authentic theory and quality practice.

AMI collaborates with affiliated training centers around the world. Only AMI-recognized centers—staffed by extensively trained faculty and held to rigorous content standards—can award the AMI Montessori diploma, a credential respected across the globe. Choosing an AMI course means gaining:

• Authenticity — grounded in Dr. Montessori’s original principles.

• Quality — rigorous standards and expert trainers.

• Global Recognition — a diploma valued in Montessori schools worldwide.

• Connection — entry into an international community of educators.

A Brief History of Maria Montessori & Montessori Education

Maria Montessori was born in 1870 in Chiaravalle, Italy, and later moved with her family to Rome. Though women at the time were generally steered toward traditional roles, Montessori pursued ambitious studies in science and mathematics before becoming one of the first women to enter medical school at the University of Rome.

Early in her career, she worked in psychiatric clinics and asylums, where she observed how deprived environments limited children’s potential. Her work with children with special needs led her to experiment with hands-on materials and an observation-based pedagogy—approaches she later refined for all children.

In 1907, Montessori opened the first Casa dei Bambini (“Children’s House”) in Rome, adapting these materials to support typical children. She discovered that when placed in an enriched environment that encouraged independence and purposeful activity, children revealed a remarkable capacity for self-directed growth and learning.

By 1909, she offered her first training course and published The Montessori Method, which quickly gained international attention. In 1929, Maria and her son Mario established the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) to uphold the integrity of her educational vision and ensure authentic training worldwide.

Despite the challenges of world wars and political upheaval, Montessori continued her work across Europe and India, further developing her educational philosophy and writing influential texts such as The Absorbent Mind.

Maria Montessori passed away in 1952 in the Netherlands, leaving behind a living legacy. Today, her approach continues through AMI-recognized schools and training centers worldwide, preparing educators to nurture the full development of the child.