For over three decades, MSM has been proud to deliver an exceptional conference experience for Massachusetts area schools. Get ready to mark your calendars because we're ecstatic to announce that the 2025 Annual Conference will be held at the conveniently located Dean College on January 11, 2025. Brace yourselves for an exciting lineup featuring a distinguished Montessorian as our keynote speaker, tailored workshops for all levels, engaging discussions on pertinent topics, a bustling vendor space, and so much more. But here's the real kicker: attending the MSM Annual Conference isn't just about the event itself; it's about the invaluable insights and strategies you'll bring back to your community. From groundbreaking workshops to enlightening discussions and networking opportunities, the knowledge gained here will empower you to make a lasting impact in your own school. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to ignite change and elevate Montessori education to new heights!
Registration for the 2026 Annual Conference will open in November of 2025.
8:00, Registration opens. A continental breakfast, vendors, and our raffle table will be available
8:45-9:05, Opening remarks from MSM President
9:05-10:35, Keynote speaker
10:45-12:00, Morning workshops begin
12:00-1:15, Lunch
12:30-1:15, Roundtables by level/area
1:20-2:35, Afternoon workshops begin
2:25, Conference wraps up and raffle items are distributed
2:40-3:40, New for 2025! "Ask a Trainer" Honoring the work of AMS Living Legacy Charles Terranova
The Neuroscience of Learning
How does learning happen in the brain? How can we use the teachings of neuroscience in the classroom to make learning inherently enjoyable and accessible for our students? This interactive, lively session will present foundational information that connects educational practice with the science behind plasticity, attention, stress, emotions, and more. This information is applicable to lifelong brain health as well as learning.
Julia Volkman has been teaching children and mentoring teachers in private and public schools since 1997. She is a Faculty Member of the Brain Health Initiative, guest lecturer for Harvard University’s Neuroscience of Learning course, a Montessori teacher mentor, and the founder and president of the educational project Maitri Learning. Among other things, she has worked as a primary consultant for the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS), a columnist for the Public School Montessorian (now Montessori Public), and as the teacher’s representative on the Advisory Panel for the Annenberg Foundation's course Neuroscience & the Classroom (developed in conjunction with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics). Ms. Volkman earned her AMI 3 to 6+ diploma from the Montreal Montessori Training Centre (a bilingual program) and her Master’s degree from Harvard University. Her graduate research on early literacy (the Montessori movable alphabet) won her Harvard Dean’s prize for outstanding research. Her work focuses on transforming education into a transdisciplinary, scientific pedagogy grounded in mind, brain, and education (aka, Montessori education). Ms. Volkman is the mother of two (one by birth and one by adoption) and married to a biochemist/MBA. She enjoys kayaking, hiking, yoga, meditation, singing, playing with her puppy, and conversation at the dinner table.
You can scroll below to read about all our workshops and presenters.
MSM has created a mobile guide for the conference on Guidebook! Get the guide to access the most up-to-date information about our event, including schedules, maps, and much more.
A link to the mobile guide will be sent shortly after your registration is complete.
We strongly encourage attendees to download the app in advance of arriving to the conference so that you will have the most up-to-date information about the event and be able to access presenter handouts. There will be no registrant folders this year as we are using this app as a green alternative.
Centrally located and easily accessible, Dean College's light-filled, modern, well-equipped facilities have helped provide a comfortable and nurturing learning environment for teachers....especially at lunch. The conference will be held in their campus center at 109 West Central Street Franklin, MA 02038 - if you are using a GPS please use this address as it will bring you directly to the conference building. Any other address used will take your elsewhere on campus. Click here for a map of the Dean College campus.
Thank you to everyone who submitted a proposal for the 2025 Annual Conference! The call for proposals is now officially closed. We appreciate your interest and effort in contributing to our upcoming event.
For those who may not have had the chance to submit, we encourage you to consider presenting at our 2026 Annual Conference. The call for proposals will open in February 2025, and we look forward to receiving your innovative and inspiring ideas then.
Thank you for your continued commitment to our community and for sharing your expertise!
There is ample parking at Dean College. The Main Entrance lot (#25 on the map) is directly outside the Campus Center building where the conference is held. Additional parking is across the street at the Adams Lot (#31). We ask that you not park in any lots not owned by Dean College Out of respect to local residents and buildings.
Click here for a map of the Dean College campus.
