Our SMTC AMI Trainers bring a wealth of knowledge and experience and have supported Montessori courses, schools and programs not just in Australia but throughout the world.
We are fortunate in Australia to have such a strong group of AMI Trainers supporting our community across the 0-18 age-levels and also in leadership training.
SMTC Directors of Training 0-18
Rebecca Dallam 6-12
Rebecca’s Montessori journey began in 1985 when she accepted a job as a 3-6 classroom assistant, which led her to undertake AMI 3-6 training the following year. In 1987 she began teaching in the newly established Prince George’s Country Public Schools magnet programme in Maryland, USA, where she worked with 3-6 and eventually 6-9 children for nine years. Rebecca completed the Washington Montessori Institute’s first three-summer 6 – 12 course in 1996 and moved to Milwaukee, USA, where she worked with 9-12 children in the esteemed Milwaukee Public Schools Montessori programme.
After moving to Australia in 1998, Rebecca worked briefly in long-day care in Geelong. She moved to Sydney in 1999 and has worked at the 6-9 and 9-12 levels in several local schools. She undertook the Training of Trainers programme in 2006 and was awarded the title of AMI Trainer at the Elementary level in 2014. She is the first Australian AMI 6-12 trainer and has benefitted from the wealth of experience of many AMI trainers who shared their wisdom with her during the training process.
In 2013 Rebecca founded Cameragal Montessori School’s first primary class, which began with seven children and today encompasses a thriving 6-12 programme. It was a joy to be able to implement Cosmic Education more fully as a result of her increased understanding. She left the school in 2017 to begin working as a full-time trainer.
Rebecca holds a B.A. in English literature from Temple University, USA, with a minor in Italian literature, and an M.Ed. from Loyola University, USA, in Montessori elementary education. She holds the AMI 0-3 and 3-6 Orientation certificates, as well as the Montessori Core Principles certificate. Rebecca completed summer Spanish language and literature programmes at the Universidad de Granada (1990) and the Universidad de Guadalajara (1991). She is currently studying Russian through the University of Queensland.
Rebecca offers modular format 6-12 courses, face-to-face and blended format Orientation Courses, as well as workshops and mentoring, through Sydney Montessori Training Centre. She loves international collaboration and has worked with parents, teachers and administrators in Brazil, China, Japan, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, Portugal, Qazaqstan, Russia, Thailand and Ukraine. Rebecca is happy that we have a vibrant Montessori community among Australian independent schools and would like to be part of the change that makes 6-12 classes available to more families within the public sector.
Rebecca is Director of Training on SMTC’s AMI 6-12 courses.
Amy Kirkham 3-6
Amy has worked in the Early Childhood field for over 30 years in a variety of roles including play therapist at the Royal Children’s Hospital, preschool educator, Montessori Guide, lecturer, examiner, and consultant. She is the 3 to 6 AMI Director of Training in Melbourne (since 2008) and a founding and continuing member of the 3 to 6 AMI China Faculty (since 2011). As part of the Australian AMI training centre, Amy has run AMI 3-6 Diploma courses through SMTC in Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.
Amy completed both the 0 to 3 and 3 to 6 AMI Diploma in Melbourne and was awarded her AMI 3 to 6 Trainers’ Certificate in 2006. She also holds an AMI Certificate for 6 to 12, Adolescents, Montessori Core Principles and Montessori Sports. In addition to her Montessori qualifications, Amy is a VIT registered Early Childhood Teacher and has a Bachelor of Educational Studies (Hearing Impairment) and a Master of Education from the University of Melbourne.
Outside of formal training delivery, Amy has supported the construction and establishment of new Montessori centres in Melbourne and collaborated with Nienhuis on the revision and development of Montessori materials. She was a member of the team who developed the Montessori National Curriculum which is now used in multiple countries worldwide and was one of the original members of the Australian Montessori Quality Assurance Council. Amy has completed Mentor Training with the Victorian Institute of Teachers and the DEEWR Recognition for Prior Learning (RPL) Assessors’ Training.
Amy is actively involved in the provision of Montessori professional development, including parent and community education. When she is not training, Amy can be found working with children and mentoring in different 3 to 6 environments.
In 2023 Amy was honoured to be the joint recipient of the inaugural Montessori Australia Living Legend Award for dedication and service to the Montessori Movement. She is currently a member of the AMI Scientific Pedagogy Group which works to ensure the scientific, observation-based foundation of Montessori education remains strong and accessible globally through ongoing research, training, and dissemination.
Amy is SMTC’s Director of Training on its AMI 3-6 courses.
Sara holds AMI Diplomas at both Assistants to Infancy (0-3) and 3-6 levels. She has a Masters in Education from Loyola College in Maryland.
Sara has worked extensively in a variety of Montessori settings: long-day care, pre-school and Montessori in the home. She has enjoyed working in Nido and Infant Communities as well as parent-infant classes. Sara lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband and three children.
Sara is a highly experienced AMI Trainer in 0-3 (Assistants to Infancy) having worked in many countries (United States, China, Japan, UK, Australia to name a few) around the world and having also completed many AMI Montessori 0-3 (Assistants to Infancy) Diplomas in Australia as a trainer. Sara is also an examiner at this level.
Sara is a Director of Training for SMTC’s 0-3 courses.
Kay Urquhart 3-6
Kay’s Montessori journey began the very day she visited a Montessori school in Sydney’s South West. As a student studying for a degree in education, she knew from that day that a Montessori environment was a natural way for children to learn about themselves and about the world in which they live.
So, within the next few years, Kay gained her Teaching Degree from the University of New South Wales, and her AMI Montessori 3 – 6 Diploma from the Australian Montessori Teacher Education Foundation and began her career as a Montessori Guide. For almost 20 years she served communities in several Sydney Montessori schools, guiding children and supporting families while mentoring assistants and new guides.
In 2012 Kay joined the AMI Training of Trainers program which saw her assist the Directors of Training in AMI Montessori 3 – 6 courses in Sydney and the United States. Kay has been the AMI Sydney trainer since 2021 for AMI 3-6 Diploma courses and remains passionate about supporting quality Montessori practice both through the courses and via mentoring and supporting educators.
As an indigenous woman, Kay is passionate about empowering teachers to invest in honouring the culture of First Nations people and incorporating the values of culture and the connections to country into Montessori environments.
Kay is a AMI 3-6 Director of Training on SMTC’s 3-6 courses.
Julia’s attraction to Montessori education began when she commenced studies toward her AMI Children’s House Diploma in London in 1985. In the years following, she has established centres and run classes in the UK and Australia. She also completed her 6-12 Course in Bergamo, her 0-3 Course in Australia – as well as attending the inaugural Educateurs sans Frontieres gathering at Citta De Castella in 1999. Following several visits to remote Indigenous communities she was asked by Montessori Children’s Foundation to move with her family to Thursday Island and establish the Montessori stream at Tagai State College in Torres Strait in 2009. Julia lived in this remote community for 6 years. This initiative has now grown to include two 3-6 Montessori Classes within the Tagai Primary School and five Parent/Toddler Groups on separate Islands throughout the Torres Strait.
In early 2015 Julia began work with a remote Aboriginal Community in Cape York called Lockhart River and is still actively supporting this community.
Julia lives on the Gold Coast , QLD , Australia where she supports the Montessori programs across the Islands and Aboriginal Community in between her training commitments.
Julia also holds a Bachelor and Masters in Education and is an AMI Trainer at A-I Level and a 0-6 Montessori Consultant and International Examiner. Julia has been Director of Training on AMI Orientation and Diploma Courses in Australia, London, South Africa, New Zealand , The Gambia, Nigeria, Japan, Vietnam, Portugal and India.
Her special interest lies in empowering adults from Indigenous communities and supporting all families to grow in their understanding of the importance of the first few years of life and the help needed to have a lasting impact on their children’s future.
Julia is a Director of Training on SMTC’s 0-3 courses.
Laurie Ewert-Krocker has been a presenter and Course Director for the AMI-NAMTA Orientation to Adolescent Studies and has consulted with Montessori adolescent programs around the world for 15 years.
She holds AMI diplomas at the 3-6 and 6-12 levels. Laurie was the founding head teacher of Hershey Montessori School’s Adolescent Community in 1996 and served as both Middle School Program Director and Upper School Program Director at Hershey where she worked for 28 years.
Laurie is now the Director of IMTI and frequently travels around the world to various Montessori Adolescent Programs and events as a speaker and consultant. Laurie is SMTC’s Director of Training for its AMI 12-18 Diploma and Orientation certificates.
As is true for many other Montessorians, J McKeever’s introduction to Montessori was as a parent. While on vacation with her toddler, a friend invited J to visit the Children’s House where her son attended. J was immediately smitten with the peace, order, beauty of the community and especially with the joy and concentration of the children. This experience led J to read one of Dr. Montessori’s books, which transported her to a whole new understanding of childhood experience, and one she ardently wanted for her son and one she wanted to understand more fully. This led her to assisting in a Casa community and to undertaking AMI training for that level with Pearl Vanderwall, who was trained by Dr. Montessori. J’s interest in Montessori grew and she left home and friends for the AMI 6-12 training with the indomitable Margaret Stephenson and Fahmida Malik (both trained by and collaborators of Mario Montessori).
J’s career in the classroom spans twenty years and encompasses many iterations of the 6-12 experience (6-9, 9-12, 6-12) from beginning a class with six children, to directing a 6-12 community of thirty-nine. Peers and mentors encouraged her to become a trainer, and J was fortunate indeed to begin that journey with her beloved Miss Stephenson, whose guidance and spirit still animate J’s work with adults – as does J’s own passion for Cosmic Education. She has been Director of Training, Co-Director, or Lecturer on 6-12 diploma and certificate courses in the United States, France, South Africa, and China. She has presented workshops to teachers, parents, and administrators in the United States and internationally on a variety of Montessori topics.
J is a founding member and past board member of the Elementary Alumni Association (AMI-EAA), and she is an AMI examiner and school consultant at the 6-12 level. J McKeever holds a B.A. in English, M.A. in Educational Processes, and is a former adjunct professor of Loyola University Maryland.
Returning to Australia has been one of J’s dreams! She first visited in 2014 to present a series of music workshops in four different cities and returned in 2015 with writing workshops. She was so charmed by the earnest and energetic participants in these endeavors and hopes to reconnect with some of them during the 2023 6-12 Brisbane AMI Diploma course.
J is equally delighted to collaborate with her colleague, Rebecca Dallam, strengthening the bond they established at the training center in Milwaukee.
J was the Director of Training of SMTC’s AMI 6-12 Diploma Brisbane which commenced in 2023 and completed in July 2025 and was the first time 6-12 AMI Diploma training had run outside of Sydney in Australia. We hope J will continue to work with us in Australia for upcoming courses.
Emily Dowell (she/her) received a BSc in Nursing from McMaster University and worked as paediatric nurse prior to her life in Montessori. Emily trained at the 3-6 and 6-12 levels, but her passion is adolescence. She attended the NAMTA/AMI Orientation to Adolescent Studies in 2011 and was an establishing member of Strata Montessori Adolescent School in Dundas, Ontario, Canada.
Over the past 15 years, Emily has worked in several adolescent communities including Hershey Montessori’s Farm School. Emily was the Lead Guide and Curriculum Coordinator of the Montessori School of Tokyo’s Adolescent Community for a number of years and its now working in the Adolescent Community of the Y2 Montessori School in Taiwan. Emily was a trainer-in-training on SMTC’s 2022 & 2024 commencing AMI 12-18 Diplomas (Perth & Sydney) and became an AMI Trainer in 2025.
Now an AMI trainer, Emily will take a lead role in the faculty for SMTC’s next AMI 12-18 Diploma due to commence in August 2026.
Suganthi Vijayakumar 6-12
Suganthi holds AMI Diplomas at both the 3-6 and the 6-12 levels. She has a masters in English language and literature, Bachelors Degree in Education , Diplomas in special education and teaching English. Suganthi has worked in primary and elementary classes and has 15 years of experience working with children. Suganthi lives in Jakarta, Indonesia with her husband and has grown up children living abroad whom she visits often.
Suganthi started her work to become a trainer in Australia in 2020 and we were pleased to have Suganthi as part of our faculty during her training on our Sydney courses.
We are now delighted that Suganthi has come back to help serve in Australia as an Auxiliary Trainer on some of our upcoming AMI 6-12 courses.
SMTC Leadership Trainers
Karen Bennetts
Following a number of years working in large government and corporate organisations, Karen became involved with Montessori education in 1993 when her first child began in a Montessori program. She subsequently undertook state teacher training, completed two Montessori diplomas with Montessori Institute and subsequently, the AMI Diplomas at 3-6 and 6-12 levels and the AMI Orientation to Adolescent Studies. Karen has mostly taught 6-12 children and was the founding principal of a Montessori school just outside Melbourne for ten years. She worked as Senior Advisor, Schools at Montessori Australia Foundation for four years. Karen has a PhD in Montessori leadership and is a recent member of AMI’s Global Research Group. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has almost 20 years of governance experience. Karen is currently a board member at Sydney Montessori Training Centre and Chair of Mansfield District Hospital. In 2016, Karen was the recipient of a State Fellowship Award from the Australian Council of Educational Leaders for her contribution to the education sector. Karen is an AMI Trainer of Administrators for the AMI School Administrators Certificate course. Karen works all over the world in this role and will start her 7th Australian course in March 2026.
Nancy Coronado
Nancy Coronado has worked as a guide, program director, and interim Head of School at Childpeace Montessori, and has been involved in Montessori Education since 2009, first as a parent and subsequently in her professional life. Nancy spent 20 years as an educator in mainstream high schools in the US prior to her involvement in Montessori and also ran her own products business for 6 years. She currently works as a Culture, Equity, & Inclusion consultant/facilitator for schools and small businesses, and is an AMI (Auxiliary) Administrators Course Trainer.
Nancy holds an AMI Adolescent Diploma, as well as a Master’s in Education (Adolescent Psychology) from Harvard University, a B.A. in Classical Studies (Archaeology/Greek) from Carleton College, and is certified by the Center for Equity and Inclusion as a DEI Facilitator. Nancy is English/Spanish bilingual.
We are delighted that Nancy will again join Karen Bennetts as AMI Administrator trainers for the March 2026 AMI Administrator course.
We are pleased to have a dedicated group of AMI Trainers-in-Training across all age-levels who are working on completing their AMI Trainer program and represent the future of AMI Training.
Rebecca Bridge(Training in 0-3)
Rebecca is a very proud Marrawarri woman who lives and works in Brisbane. She holds a 0-3 AMI Diploma, a Diploma in Children’s Services and will be completing her Bachelor of Teaching (Early childhood) in 2022. She has 11 years of experience working in Montessori toddler environments and in 2015 had the privilege of supporting some of the Strait Start Programs in the Torres Straits. Rebecca is passionate about closing the gap for First Nations People in Australia and has been a Reconciliation Action Plan coordinator, a guest speaker at Educator Yarning circles and a Masterclass speaker for the Koori Curriculum.
Natasha Williams (Training in 3-6)
Natasha Williams is an early childhood educator with a passion for following the natural development of the child using the Montessori Method. Natasha became an educator after serving as an Officer in the Australia Army for 10 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts in History and English and it was whilst she was studying her Graduate Diploma with Edith Cowan University in Western Australia that she was first introduced to the pedagogy of Dr Montessori. The method seemed to put the child at the centre of their education and supported them to achieve what was naturally unfolding as part of their developmental goals.
Trained in London with the Maria Montessori Institute, Natasha obtained her Association Montessori Internationale 3-6 Diploma in 2013 and has enjoyed working with children from 3 to 6 years of age in schools in London, Sydney and now in the Bega valley ever since. She has been accepted into the AMI teacher trainer program and is passionate about increasing children’s access to authentic Montessori education through AMI trained adults.
She is married with two daughters who have both enjoyed access to Montessori education in both the UK and Australia.
Laureen Barnard(Training in 12-18)
Laureen Barnard (she/her) began her career as an Engineer and Industrial Designer, but the humanistic side of corporate work captured her heart, leading her to change management and education. Retraining with a Graduate Diploma in Education (P-12), she gravitated towards initiatives driving educational innovation. In 2011, Laureen was awarded an International Teaching Fellowship by the Victorian Department of Education, taking her to Ontario, Canada. She completed her AMI 12-18 Montessori Diploma in 2014 (Hershey) and, as a Leading Teacher with a passion for reform, she successfully established the MAP@BSC, an opt-in Montessori adolescent program within a mainstream public high school in Beechworth, Australia.
Laureen Barnard (she/her) began her career as an Engineer and Industrial Designer, but the humanistic side of corporate work captured her heart, leading her to change management and education. Retraining with a Graduate Diploma in Education (P-12), she gravitated towards initiatives driving educational innovation. In 2011, Laureen was awarded an International Teaching Fellowship by the Victorian Department of Education, taking her to Ontario, Canada. She completed her AMI 12-18 Montessori Diploma in 2014 (Hershey) and, as a Leading Teacher with a passion for reform, she successfully established the MAP@BSC, an opt-in Montessori adolescent program within a mainstream public high school in Beechworth, Australia.
With over 20 years of diverse experience in education and leadership, she has developed expertise in navigating the complex dynamics of the school – system interaction, holding Montessori principles as core to her work. As a creative, systems thinker, she is passionate about applying Montessori principles not only in classrooms, but also in adult education and training.
Laureen consults at the 12-18 level and is particularly enthusiastic about mentoring staff as she attributes much of her success and confidence to the invaluable wisdom generously shared by her mentors and trainers throughout her own journey. Recently, Laureen earned AMI Administrators and AMI 0-3 certifications, reinforcing her commitment to lifelong learning and Montessori advocacy from birth through adulthood.
In 2022, Laureen began the AMI Trainer of Teachers Programme, serving as an Advisor on Australia’s first AMI 12-18 Diploma (Perth) and has continued this work with SMTC’s next AMI 12-18 Diploma which commenced in August 2024. Laureen will join the faculty for SMTC’s upcoming AMI 12-18 Diploma commencing in August 2026.
Yui Fukusaki (Training in 3-6)
Yui’s journey into Montessori began through the experience of her own children attending a Montessori Children’s House. Witnessing children deeply engaged in purposeful activity, observing the kindness within a mixed-age community, and seeing young children think independently and act with confidence in an atmosphere of peace profoundly moved her. Inspired by this environment, she felt called to study Montessori and contribute meaningfully to society.
In 2014, she obtained the AMI 3–6 Montessori Diploma at the Montessori Institute of Tokyo. She continued her work at the same centre, serving as a course assistant under Trainer Shizuko Maria Matsumoto, where she further deepened her understanding of Montessori philosophy and practice.
With the opening of Maria Montessori Children’s House, she began her career as a Montessori Guide. Together with the children and their families, she built a community grounded in growth and mutual trust. She also welcomed numerous practicum students from the Montessori Institute of Tokyo, supporting them throughout their training.
Yui graduated from Waseda University in Tokyo, majoring in Development Economics. Her academic work focused on sustainable development grounded in the inherent strengths and inner needs of each region. She explored whether true development is not externally imposed, but rather arises from within communities themselves, leading to genuine well-being for the people who live there. Since that time, the questions of individual well-being and community well-being have remained central to her thinking. In this sense, her encounter with Montessori education felt deeply aligned and inevitable.
In 2024, she transitioned from her role as a Montessori Guide to pursue the path towards becoming an AMI Trainer, Yui was a Trainer in Training on SMTC’s AMI 3-6 Diploma in Brisbane (2024-2025) and is now joining us on the AMI 3-6 Diploma, Melbourne (2026-2027).
