Perhaps you do not know that Maria Montessori lived during both World Wars.
Maybe you do not know that she was involved in the creation of The League of Nations, the precursor to The United Nations.
Dr. Montessori fiercely believed in peace. In her book Education and Peace, she said “establishing peace is the work of education.” She was truly convinced that through education we can attain lasting world peace.
You will hear Dr. Montessori’s peaceful intentions in our lessons and our stories in the classrooms. Montessori schools hope to inspire children to transform the world and make it a better place for generations to come.
Ideas of peace are present in our classrooms through:
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Community responsibility as all children care for their classroom environments
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Encouraging an attitude of respect for all
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Showing examples of empathy and care
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Reminders to slow down and to be thoughtful
September 21 is declared the International Day of Peace by The United Nations. This day was established to reflect on the ideas of peace and have a 24 hour period of non-violence and cease-fire. This year’s theme is “recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world.”
Each year our sixth year students travel to New York City to participate in Montessori Model United Nations, a program where children are asked to imagine the world they want. From a young age, children have a sense of justice and they love freely. These tendencies lead them to stand up for each other and what they believe, encourage their peers and help them, suggest solutions to problems, and dream of improved futures. They understand that they are part of a community and that they are needed.
“All humanity that works for the common good, even though it may be unaware of it, is creating the new world that must be the world of peace.” Maria Montessori, Education and Peace