HOW WE WORK
LEARN AND CONNECT
ASSEMBLIES
The Educateurs sans Frontières Assembly is a unique retreat for a diverse, international group of people who support children and families to flourish in all kinds of communities, by applying Montessori principles both within formal education and within the community and the family.
EVENTS
EsF hosts and co-hosts regular events, focussing on the social mission of Montessori and the application of Montessori principles in innovative ways and diverse contexts. They highlight topics directly related to Montessori’s social mission such as children’s rights, sustainability, and peace.
COURSES AND RESOURCES
Montessori courses and resources will help create a deeper understanding of the Montessori principles, enabling you to apply them in diverse contexts and innovative ways, creating a foundation for the innovative and effective application of the principles in diverse contexts.
A COMMUNITY-BASED, SUSTAINABLE APPROACH
EsF works with a sustainable and community-based approach. We believe that people are the experts of their own lives, needs and challenges and that community involvement is therefore essential in creating a sustainable impact. EsF works with others to build local capacity for the development of independent initiatives that are sensitive to the local context and capable of achieving sustainable change.
EsF initiatives are grounded in the foundational principles of human development: Human Tendencies, Fundamental Needs and Planes of Development. Their establishment requires preparation and inquiry, and they are developed through relationships of trust and patience. The belief that people are capable and have the drive to develop themselves into their full potential is at the core of Montessori’s work and a key principle of EsF initiatives. Building on Montessori’s guiding principle “Help me to do it myself”, EsF initiatives work towards local ownership and sustainable change.
EsF supports innovative educational initiatives worldwide that are based on Montessori principles, through connections, mentorship and resources, guiding them towards sustainability, expansion and replication.
EsF initiatives are based on the following principles:
- Promoting a culture of peace, solidarity and equality
- Having a clear Montessori vision of the child’s contribution to social reform
- Demonstrating an understanding of Montessori principles and practices with the needs of a community in mind
- Embracing community involvement and engagement in the project design and implementation
- Focusing on empowerment and long-term sustainability
- Using an inclusive approach in regards to gender, language, culture and socio economic status
- Understanding the value of Montessori principles as a contribution to non-violent social change
MONTESSORI PRINCIPLES
EsF promotes the social mission of Montessori and takes an approach which is based on Montessori Principles. EsF strives to explore innovative ways in which Montessori principles can be applied whilst guaranteeing their quality and authenticity. EsF initiatives demonstrate that Montessori principles can be applied in all kinds of contexts, beyond the classroom and beyond just children. At the core are Montessori’s foundational principles of human development: Human Tendencies, Fundamental Needs and Planes of Development.