Sandra Girlato
AMI Primary Director of Training
Sandra Girlato took both her AMI Primary Training and the AMI Training of Trainers Program in Toronto under the tutelage of Renilde Montessori. Sandra also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, English and Fine Art History from the University of Toronto, and a Master’s Degree in Education from Loyola College. Sandra worked as a guide in Montessori schools in the GTA for several years before undertaking the AMI Training of Trainers Program. In 1995 Sandra became an AMI trainer and took over the position of Director of Training at FME in 1996. In addition to her work at FME, Sandra is a past member of the AMI Scientific Pedagogical Committee, Materials Committee, and Translation Committee, and has been the president of AMI (Canada) since 2014. She is also an AMI Examiner, an AMI Primary Consultant, lecturer and parent educator.
Lynn Woodward
AMI Primary Trainer
Lynn Woodward took her AMI 3-6 training at FME under the direction of Renilde Montessori. In addition to her AMI diploma Lynn holds a B.A. in Liberal Studies from the University of Waterloo. After completing her AMI training Lynn worked at a Montessori school outside of Toronto. She then moved on to become the course assistant at FME. After several years learning about the operational side of the training centre, Lynn became a participant in AMI’s very first seminar format of the Training of Trainers Programme, becoming a 3-6 trainer in 2016. In addition to her role as a trainer, Lynn is the Course Administrator at FME, as well as an AMI examiner, consultant, lecturer, parent educator, and Treasurer of AMI (Canada).
Renilde Montessori
Past Director of Training
Renilde Montessori, former Director of Training, is Maria Montessori’s youngest grandchild. She lived and traveled with her grandmother as a child. She attended Montessori schools in Barcelona, Spain and Laren, the Netherlands, and completed her secondary school studies at the Montessori Lyceum in Amsterdam. In her late teens, she audited one of Dr. Montessori’s courses in Adyar, India.
Renilde Montessori worked in various fields of endeavour before joining the Montessori movement as personal assistant to her father Mario Montessori in 1968. She went on to graduate from the Washington Montessori Institute in 1971 and from that time onward was actively involved in the work of the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) as lecturer, trainer and examiner.
Renilde served as Director of Training at the Foundation for Montessori Education from 1989 to 1995 when she took on the position of General Secretary of the AMI. She left this function in 2000 and served as President of AMI until 2005.