Help AIM Bring Montessori Training to South Africa this Year

Join us in our mission to bring high-quality Montessori training to South Africa. Our goal is ambitious, but with your support, it's achievable. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on charitable giving to fuel our initiatives. To ensure the success of our program, we need to raise a total of $60,000 by June 1, 2024. Your contribution will directly impact our ability to cover the minimum costs required to launch this transformative program. Together, let's make quality Montessori education accessible to all in South Africa. Every donation counts. Thank you for your generosity and belief in our mission.

Your donation can make a world of difference.

Donate to our South African Scholarship Fund and directly support South African teachers who wish to become Montessori certified.

Authentic + Innovative Montessori Training

By choosing AIM, you are choosing a comprehensive Montessori education program that will support you from start to finish. Our faculty will serve as mentors to you throughout your journey and throughout your career as a Montessori teacher.

Online Course Work

All programs provide the same rich online coursework that delves deeply into the philosophy and pedagogy of Montessori education.

Residency

AIM will offer an in-person residency in South Africa in April of 2025.

Internship

Our Career Pro program includes mentorship and support over the course of a 9-month internship at a Montessori school of your choice.
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Programs + Pricing

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Essentials

Infant
Toddler
Early
Childhood
Elementary I & II

$1,950 USD
AIM Sponsored Scholarship -$950

Price for Adult Learners
$1,000 USD

  • Online Course Work
  • Independently Completed
  • Start Anytime
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*note that Essentials learners can begin anytime

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Career Starter

Early
Childhood
Elementary I

$4,250 USD
AIM Sponsored Scholarship -$2,250

Price for Adult Learners
$2,000 USD

  • Online Course Work
  • Full Faculty Support
  • Upgradable to Career Pro
  • Courses Start July 2024*
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*note that the start date for our South Africa Cohort is July 2024
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Career Pro

Early
Childhood
Elementary I

$9,150 USD
AIM Sponsored Scholarship -$5,650

Price for Adult Learners
$3,500 USD

  • MACTE accredited 
  • Online Course Work
  • Full Faculty Support
  • In-Person Residency in South Africa (April 2025)
  • Supervised Internship
  • Courses Start July 2024*
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*note that the start date for our South Africa Cohort is July 2024
*Please note that while we welcome early applications we cannot guarantee enrollment until our fundraising and minimum student goals are met. 

Meet Our Team

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Debi McArthur

AIM Faculty Advisor
bio
Debi has been teaching as a Montessori teacher for over 40 years and has served as the principal of a Montessori school, spanning from toddlers up to Cambridge high school, for 10 years.

The potential within every child is what she sees, looks at, and works towards – always keeping this as her vision and motivation. She links emotionally with each child in a way that works for them, building trust, and in this way, she can teach academics and share or exchange truthfully and honestly.

In true leadership, leaders are encouraged to see the potential in each person and provide an environment and the tools with which to make this happen. Debi does this using the Montessori philosophy – the true potential within every child, using Montessori material. She finds it beneficial to work with teachers and parents, as they are a team supporting the child. Maria Montessori speaks of the spiritual preparation of the teacher and the true nature or psyche of the child. This is what draws Debi and motivates her to be of service to the child, to create peace, and change the fundamental way that our world operates, to include the philosophy Montessori lays out for us.
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Mary Ellen Maunz

AIM Founder and Program Director Emeritus
bio
Mary Ellen earned her M.Ed. in Integrative Education with an emphasis on Montessori from Endicott College, and she holds a BS in Child Development from the University of La Verne. She also holds an AMI Montessori diploma for ages 2½ – 7 and a Pan-American Montessori Society diploma for ages 6 – 12. She has a certificate of Pastoral Care from Houston’s Institutes of Religion where she studied the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd with Dr. Sofia Cavalletti.  

She has lectured widely both nationally and internationally for more than 30 years on multiple topics relating to children and education. She founded a Montessori teacher education institution in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2007, where she taught every summer for a number of years.

Mary Ellen also has an extensive background as a school consultant and as the co-creator of a successful business in early reading products, the Early Reading Company. She was lead author of the book, Learning to Read is Child’s Play, published in 2000.  

In addition to her personal projects and work at Authentic Institute of Montessori, Mary Ellen has been active in the Montessori community over the course of her career, serving as Commissioner for Accreditation and Member of the Board of Directors for MACTE from 1992-2000 and holding the position of Vice-President of the International Association of Montessori Educators (IAME) from 2001-2004. Her contributions were recognized in 2013 when she was honored as the recipient of the esteemed MACTE Wisdom of the Elders award.

Mother of three grown children, Mary Ellen’s great passion is exploring the deeper spiritual message of Maria Montessori. She loves to read, swim, and hike with friends and family.
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Karen Walton

AIM Program Director
bio
Karen is AIM's Program Director. She has been working at AIM since 2018 as the Level Coordinator for Early Childhood, Internship Coordinator and Residency Instructor. Before that, she owned & taught at her own Montessori school in rural Montana. She has a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, an Early Childhood certificate and a Master's of Education in Advanced Montessori. Karen is newly certified in American Sign Language. 

She has taught music in the public-school sector in addition to teaching in Montessori classrooms since 2007 both in Rhode Island and Montana. At AIM, she works with interns, observes Montessori classrooms, and participates in webinars. 

When she is not working, she can be found gardening, trail running and cooking. She enjoys long walks with her dog, Jax and camping trips with her husband. 

AIM South Africa Sponsors

Sponsor AIM South Africa

Become a sponsor and change the lives of not only our certification students but the hundreds of South African children they will serve.