Based in the Winelands of South Africa, the Indaba Montessori Institute (IMI) is pioneering the first internationally accredited Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) Assistants to Infancy (0-3 years) Diploma in Southern Africa.
Starting 7 August 2017, the IMI will be offering pre-school teachers, care-takers and parents who work with children from birth to 3 years of age the opportunity to gain insight and knowledge into the Montessori approach through AMI-accredited teacher training. The course spans over 18 months and is divided into three modules which will all take place on the beautiful grounds of the Sustainability Institute, the IMI’s hosting partner.
The Montessori-method of education around which the course is designed, is a child-centered educational approach developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, based on scientific observations of children from birth to adulthood. This approach to learning is believed to offer children the opportunity to develop to their full potential as they grow into adults who are self-motivated and love learning, who can think flexibly, and who are not only conscious of the needs of others but actively foster harmony as they go through life.
“At the IMI, each adult is given the tools to support every child to be the best they can be, by gaining knowledge of the Montessori method guided by the AMI standards,” says Emma Snowball, Indaba Montessori Institute’s Project Manager. The IMI focuses on supporting adults in working with children during the most formative years of their life, and topics such as Montessori philosophy to the development of language and movement to obstetrics and nutrition are covered. With the course being offered in South Africa, people from all across the continent have the opportunity to train in this way. “This type of training is of huge importance if we wish to implement early-years education that is focused on truly supporting the needs of the child,” says Snowball.
With the training based on African soil, students will be exposed to a diverse range of culturally rich communities and also begin to gain experience and understanding into the intricacies of working within these types of diverse environments.
To find out more about the IMI course and to join a close knit community of leading educators, students can email admin@indabamontessoriinstitute.org or visit www.indabamontessoriinstitute.org.