PROGRAMMEFriday 13 March 202615:00-16:00 registration
16:30-17:30 1st lecture:
The Montessori Continuum: The Big Picture We All Need
Baiba Grazzini, Jenny Höglund, Patricia Wallner This opening talk brings the Montessori continuum back into the spotlight. Montessori never intended guides to work in isolated age levels — she envisioned a unified developmental journey from birth to adolescence. Understanding this full arc transforms how we observe, prepare environments, and support the children in front of us. In this session, participants revisit the essential characteristics and needs of each developmental plane and discover how the stages connect, build on one another, and illuminate our daily practice. Whether you guide infants, children, or adolescents, seeing the whole journey offers fresh insight, renewed clarity, and a deeper sense of purpose.
17:30-18:00 coffee break
18:00-19:00 2nd lecture: Foundations of Humanity: The Power of the First Six Years
Patricia Wallner The first six years of life are a period of extraordinary construction. In this talk, we return with Patricia Wallner to the heart of Montessori’s vision for early childhood — a time when the absorbent mind, sensitive periods, and the child’s inner drive shape the foundations of personality, intelligence, movement, language, and social life. Participants will explore the unique psychological needs of the 0–3 and 3–6 child, the developmental tasks that define each stage, and the profound role of the prepared adult and environment. The session highlights how early childhood lays the groundwork for all later development and why guides at every level benefit from understanding this formative period. This lecture offers a fresh, energizing look at the youngest children in our communities — and invites us to see the 0–6 years not as a beginning, but as the powerful engine of the entire Montessori continuum. 19:15-20:00 dinner
19:45-20:30 Connecting conversations: We turn our lens to very important form of human expression: conversation. Participants are invited to gather in small groups, where each table will find a simple conversation starter card to spark meaningful dialogue. Speaking and listening are powerful ways to reveal our inner selves. When we share our thoughts openly and receive the thoughts of others with curiosity, we begin to see the beauty of human expression in its spoken form. Converse & Connect offers a gentle space to unwind, meet new people, get to know each other better and let conversation enrich us. Through shared dialogue, we discover the quiet power of being heard, of hearing others, and of building community one conversation at a time. 20:30 closing of the day
Saturday 14 March 20268:30-9:30 coffee + refreshment
9:30 opening of the day 9:45-11:00 3rd lecture: Cosmic Education: Awakening the Child’s Place in the Universe
Baiba Grazzini Cosmic Education offers children a vision of the universe that is both vast and deeply personal. In this keynote, Baiba Grazzini revisits Montessori’s cosmic plan — a framework that reveals the interdependence of all creation and the unique contribution each being is called to make. Participants will explore the core ideas of cosmic education: the cosmic task, the harmony of natural laws, and the child’s emerging sense of purpose. Baiba Grazzini will illuminate how this approach helps children understand their place in the unfolding story of the universe and inspires them to act with responsibility, gratitude, and wonder. This session invites guides of all ages to rediscover Cosmic Education not as a curriculum, but as a worldview — one that nurtures a profound awareness of connection, meaning, and the mission each human being carries into the world. 11:00-11:30 coffee break
11:30-13:00 WORKSHOPS
13:00-15:00 lunch + break ( guided walk to observatory - students?) 15:00-16:00 4th lecture: From Identity to Purpose: Dr. Montessori’s Vision for Adolescence
Jenny Höglund Adolescence is a time of profound transformation — a second birth, when the young person steps into society and begins shaping their identity, values, and purpose. In this keynote, Jenny Höglund brings the third plane to life, showing how the prepared environment becomes a powerful catalyst for the formation of the adolescent as a social human being. Participants will explore the essential needs of the adolescent, the psychological shifts of the third plane, and the role of meaningful work, community, and real responsibility in supporting this stage. Jenny will illuminate how the right environment nurtures belonging, confidence, and the emerging sense of personal mission. This talk invites guides of all ages to see adolescence as a remarkable opportunity — a moment when the prepared environment can help young people become purposeful, grounded, and ready to take their place in the world. 16:00-17:30 Self-expression / coffee + refreshment We invite participants to engage in simple self‑expression activities. Each person creates independently, yet the shared creative atmosphere opens a gentle space for connection with others. In Montessori’s view, self‑expression helps us reveal our authentic selves, which is meaningful step toward human solidarity and unity. Create & Connect offers a time to relax your mind, express yourself, and form natural connections through the creative process. 17:30-18:45: Conversations With Keynote Speakers: Q&A Sessions with Patricia Wallner, Baiba Grazzini, and Jenny Höglund Participants are invited to join one of three parallel Q&A sessions, each hosted by one of our keynote presenters. This is a unique opportunity to engage directly with Patricia Wallner, Baiba Grazzini, or Jenny Höglund — to ask questions, explore ideas, and deepen your understanding of the themes introduced throughout the day. Each room offers a different lens into Montessori practice: • Patricia Wallner brings decades of insight into early childhood and the foundations of human development. • Baiba Grazzini opens the door to the vast, interconnected world of Cosmic Education. • Jenny Höglund offers clarity and inspiration on the adolescent journey and the third plane of development. Participants can choose the room that resonates most with their interests. These sessions are designed to be dynamic, personal, and enriching — a chance to connect, reflect, and learn in conversation with some of the most respected voices in Montessori education. 18:30-19:30 dinner
19:45-21:00 evening programme - coffee house
Sunday 15 March 20268:30-9:30 coffee + refreshment
9:30 opening of the day
9:45-11:00: From Absorbent Mind to Emerging Adult: Panel Discussion
Patricia Wallner, Baiba Grazzini, and Jenny Höglund The final day begins with a powerful cross‑age panel bringing together all three keynote speakers. Patricia Wallner, Baiba Grazzini, and Jenny Höglund join in conversation to illuminate the deep connections across the Montessori continuum — from the earliest years to the cosmic vision of the elementary child and the transformative journey of adolescence. This session offers guides of every level the chance to hear perspectives beyond their own age group and to see how each developmental stage prepares the ground for the next. Through shared reflections, questions, and dialogue, the panel highlights the unity of Montessori’s developmental vision and the importance of understanding the whole arc of human growth. A lively, inspiring start to the day, this conversation invites participants to think across planes, deepen their insight into the child’s unfolding, and reconnect with the purpose that binds all Montessori work together. 11:00-11:30 coffee break 11:30-13:00 5th lecture: To What End: Montessori’s Vision of Peaceful Humanity
Patricia Wallner, Baiba Grazzini, and Jenny Höglund This final talk brings the conference to its deepest question: To what end? Dr. Montessori envisioned education not simply as the formation of the child, but as the preparation of the adult who knows himself, understands his place in the world, and recognizes his responsibility toward humanity. This session explores Montessori’s vision of the fully formed human being — a person grounded in self‑knowledge, guided by inner discipline, and aware of their unique contribution to the unfolding story of the universe. The talk touches on the cosmic mission of humanity, the unity of all people, and the role of education in building a more peaceful world. It invites participants to look beyond the classroom and consider the higher purpose of Montessori’s work: preparing individuals capable of transforming society through conscious action, cooperation, and a deep sense of interconnectedness. A fitting conclusion to the conference, this session reconnects us with the ultimate aim of Montessori education — the development of human beings who can help bring about a more unified and peaceful world. 13:00 final speeches, closing of the conference 13:15 - 14:00 lunch, goodbyes
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