Northeast Montessori Institute is committed to providing excellence in Teacher Education and has continuously offered Montessori Early Childhood Teacher Certification Programs on the North Shore of Massachusetts for over a quarter of a century. Northeast Montessori Institute (NMI) established the first AMS affiliated Montessori Teacher Certification Program in mainland China. Other additional locations have included Boston’s South Shore, northern Virginia, Saipan and both Beijing and Shanghai, China. NMI continues to provide conusltation and professional enrichment in both China and Vietnam.

Martha Monahan, the Executive Director of Northeast Montessori Institute since 1990, has been with NMI since its inception in 1984. After receiving an A.M.I. diploma from the Toronto Montessori Institute in 1977, Martha taught in Montessori schools in Maine, Massachusetts, and Michigan. Martha has worked as a lead teacher, an Educational Director and a School Administrator. Her varied background provides her an insightful and multi-faceted understanding of the needs of children and of parents. Combined with her on-going work as director, teacher trainer, and field consultant for NMI, Martha is able to bring the right combination of support to her work with interns, supervising teachers, and heads of schools in connection to NMI’s certification courses.

Martha is a recognized speaker, effectively blending the essence of Montessori Philosophy with real classroom practice. She is able to provide an insightful and inspiring presentation, whether for fellow Montessorians at a National conference or weekend workshop, students in training, or before a small gathering of inquisitive parents. Martha served as Chair of the American Montessori Society‘s 38th National Conference held in Boston and was a presenter for the AMS National Conference in New York City in 2007. Martha is currently serving on the Board of the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE).

In 1999, Martha’s work as a school consultant brought her to Beijing, China, where she continues to work together with local educators and administrators to train Montessori teachers to bring quality Montessori education to Chinese children. Martha has also consulted with non-Montessori schools, as well in both the public and private sector. Martha is an effective network person, able to provide recommendations and resources for other professional consultants. She invites you to contact her at anytime if she may provide professional assistance to you or your school community.

Martha also founded Rising Stars in 2001 to work in conjunction with Northeast Montessori Institute to provide support and enrichment to the Montessori community. Rising Stars offers two-day seminars for Assistant and Advanced Assistant Teachers through its annual Summer Institutes, as well as a more in-depth five-day Early Childhood Overview. This Overview meets the admission requirements for individuals entering Montessori Elementary training who have no prior Early Childhood experience or training. Rising Stars is also committed to providing experienced teachers with enrichment and rejuvenation by offering teacher workshops through the Ann Neubert Enrichment Series. Please use the link on the left of this page for further details.

In Memoriam

Northeast Montessori Institute is dedicated to the life and work of Ann Burke Neubert. Ann founded NMI in 1984, and was its director until her untimely death in 1990. Ann trained hundreds of teachers during her twenty-three years of dedication and service to the Montessori Method of teaching.  These teachers, in turn, have taught thousands of children. Ann’s life touched the lives of many people throughout the world, and her intelligence, humor, sincerity and integrity were greatly admired.

NMI will forever be honored also by the contributions to the Institute by the life and work of Sister Anthonita Porta (03/09/33 – 09/09/09).  Sister Anthonita was a cornerstone of NMI since its inception and had been a friend, colleague, and mentor to Anne Neubert prior to that time. Her insights and inspiration will live on in the hearts and minds of us at NMI as we dedicate ourselves to continuing to provide excellence in Montessori teacher training.