St. Catherine’s Montessori Achieves AMI Recognition for Upper School

By Renee Smith

The First and Only School in the U.S. to Offer a Continuous AMI Montessori Program from Infancy Through Adolescence

St. Catherine’s Montessori is honored to announce that our Adolescent Community and High School programs were officially recognized by the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) in December 2025. This distinction establishes St. Catherine’s as the first and only school in the United States, among the first in the world, to offer a continuous AMI education across the entire developmental arc, from infancy through high school graduation.

Upper School Director, Dr. Brian Tucker notes, “This recognition reflects many years of tireless dedication of our guides. Their commitment to nurturing adolescents into capable, thoughtful adults has brought this vision to life.”

A Continuous AMI Journey, Ages 14 months–18 years

Founded by Dr. Maria Montessori in 1929, AMI preserves the integrity of her pedagogy and her vision of education as an aid to human development and a conduit for peace. In 2025, AMI finally launched the formal consultation and recognition process for the adolescent level—opening the door to a fully articulated AMI journey after years of recognition for our Early Childhood and Elementary programs.

AMI’s recognition program supports schools in upholding the high educational standards set out by Dr. Montessori, including: mixed-age classes, student ratios, a full complement of Montessori materials in each environment, and uninterrupted work-cycles that allow freedom of movement and choice. AMI teachers (known as guides) are trained in Montessori’s scientific approach to human development for the developmental stage they guide.

To maintain AMI recognition status, each level undergoes a consultation every three years, with recognition granted at three levels:

1. AMI Recognized programs meet all AMI standards with 100% of guides holding an AMI diploma at the level served. 
   (Adolescent programs must have at least one teacher holding an AMI diploma in a position to guide pedagogy, with multiple adults, both generalists and specialists, collaborating as a team, guided by Montessori principles.)
2. AMI Affiliated programs meet all AMI standards with 50-100% of faculty holding a diploma at the level in question.
3. AMI Associated status recognizes developing programs that are working toward achieving all AMI standards and programs with 50% of faculty AMI trained.

St. Catherine’s AMI recognition reflects our commitment to preparing environments where children and adolescents build independence, intellectual curiosity, personal responsibility, and a sense of purpose. Currently, St. Catherine’s programs are recognized by AMI as follows:

●      Infancy (14 months - 3 years)—AMI Recognized

●      Early Childhood (3–6 years)—AMI Recognized

●      Elementary (6–12 years)—AMI Affiliated*

●      Adolescence (12–18 years)—AMI Recognized

*The Elementary program’s AMI Affiliated status reflects an active moment of committed professional growth. The Elementary level fully meets AMI standards, and currently, five out of six guides are AMI Elementary diploma holders, with the sixth pursuing the diploma.

[St. Catherine’s] Adolescent Community has grown and evolved over the years and has pushed its practices toward authenticity in steps and stages, but always with vision and intention. The High School Community is growing and evolving, finding ways to observe and meet the needs of older adolescents, which is a relatively new and emerging practice in Montessori education worldwide. The High School team demonstrates positive vision and intention, willing to be pioneers in the work as they listen carefully to the emerging young adults they guide and support. They are curating a program that other schools can learn from! The adolescent years represent a critical stage of social, moral, and intellectual formation—one that Montessori believed  required environments rooted in meaningful work, responsibility, and connection to real-world purpose. St. Catherine’s guides are deeply prepared to work in attunement with students’ developmental needs and support their emerging independence as they prepare to step confidently into the adult world.   Leading with Purpose Since its founding in 1966, St. Catherine’s has grown with intentionality, faithful to Montessori principles and responsive to  the needs of our students and families. Each new level has emerged from a desire for continuity of learning in an environment that honors developmental needs and builds independence. St. Catherine’s students are afforded respect and trust from their earliest years to develop their unique gifts. They graduate High School as articulate, self-directed young adults who pursue meaningful work and collaborate thoughtfully. They matriculate to top-choice universities and colleges that reflect personal fit—where their intellectual curiosity and sense of purpose can continue to flourish. Our alumni choose their next chapters with a clear sense of who they are becoming. As Montessori evolves globally, Head of School, Lina Delgado affirms, “St. Catherine’s is honored to stand at the forefront of this work and to walk this path alongside our students, families, alumni, guides, and staff. We could not do this work without their partnership and trust in our shared mission.” For more information about the AMI Recognition Program for schools in the US, visit https://www.amiusa.org/ami-recognition-program