Dear Montessori Colleagues,

The NAMTA Officers are thrilled to announce the digital publication of The NAMTA Journal, Vol. 45, 2021. It has been a pleasure and an honor to produce.

This collection reflects not only the journey of NAMTA, but of the Montessori movement. Included are special reprints from the founding voices of Maria and Mario Montessori, Abs Joosten, and Lena Wikramartne, as well as original articles from Molly O’Shaughnessy, David Kahn, Jacquie Miller and Kimberlee Belcher-Badal. We have also included tributes to three trainers who are no longer with us, but whose guidance lives on.

I want to thank all of those who have contributed their thoughtful writing, and to the NAMTA officers who rooted each section with a considerate reflection. And I would like to give a special thanks to our editor, Amy Eikenbery.

This journal represents the final of 45 years of publishing The NAMTA Quarterly and journal. The last three have thus far only been published digitally; we will be printing limited editions of these final three. Please look for an update this summer on the date of the printing as well as the process to pre-order your three-volume set. This latest journal, as well as Vol. 43 and Vol. 44, is available here, and at our website, www.montessori-namta.org

Although this is our final journal, the NAMTA services will continue: the NAMTA store through Shopify offers our publications, selections from our archives, job postings, and the school directory. We will also publish an occasional bulletin to feature relevant articles and important reflections on the Montessori movement and the current and future work of Montessori educators. Thank you for all of your continued work and support of children and families.

Debbie Guren and Barry Hershey, long time supporters of NAMTA and of Hershey Montessori in Ohio, are pleased to share with you a series focusing on the Climate Emergency and Feedback Loops, hosted by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.