In the meeting of the working group ‘Secondary Education and Montessori Express’ we evaluated the experiences of the road trips with the Montessori Express in 2018 and 2019. The participants in the road trip underlined the value and worth of these visits to Montessori secondary schools in urban areas in the Netherlands and Germany (Nord Rhein Westphalen). Exchanging experiences between schools in very different conditions was very inspiring for all the participants. All the schools have their own characteristics that could be inspiring and exemplarious for other secondary Montessori schools. Teachers of primary schools who participated in the road trips, collected inspiration and lessons that they could use in creating a secondary department on top of their primary school.

After the road trips several schools decided to visit teach other later with larger delegations; The Leibniz Gymnasium Düsseldorf visited the Montessori Lyceum Herman Jordan (Zeist), which stimulated them to create a “Montessori-plus”-movement in their school. Teachers from “Gymnasium Am Geroweiher” in Mönchengladbach and Montessori College Nijmegen/Groesbeek inspired each other by follow-up visits.

Special attention was also paid to the Global Montessori Games – see below.

The next project that will be organised with the Montessori Express is a bus trip from Amsterdamn to Rome, taking place from 17 – 27 October 2020. In 2020 there will be a lot of activities everywhere, but especially in Rome, because of the 150th birthday of Maria Montessori.

Participants on this trip can hop on the bus in various places in the Netherlands and Germany. After a two-days-program in Bergamo, the participants will visit the Casa dei Bambini and other interesting Montessori-places in Rome. On 22-23 October there is the option for participation in a Teachers Training for the Montesssori Model UnitedNations or the Youth Impact Forum-project. In the weekend 24-25 October  there is the possibility to participate in the AMI-Montessori150-conference in Rome. More information about this trip will soon be given on our website and social pages.

Gabriël Enkelaar
Netherlands