The Montessori-Palau International Research and Training Center (MIRTC) is staffed by highly qualified professionals who are active members of the Montessori Palau Girona School’s faculty and participate regularly in the school’s training courses and activities, as well as in workshops, seminars and international conferences.
Three of the school’s faculty members are currently undertaking the rigorous AMI Trainer of Trainers Program and they will be responsible for leading, coordinating and supporting all the activities related to the MIRTC, including all the AMI official teacher training courses. Monica Kleiner is actually undertaking the course to become an AMI Assistant to Infancy (0-3) trainer, while Eduard Vilanova and Dani Cañigueral are intensively engaged in the process of becoming AMI Elementary Teacher (6-12) trainers.
Our AMI training courses are supported by the expertise of seasoned and experienced AMI trainers from around the world, and we are working closely together with other educational and training centers, as well as universities, in the organization of a wide variety of training activities.
The professional staff, resources and the administrative network of the Montessori Palau Girona School bring extensive support to the MIRTC in order to ensure it provides rigorous, in-depth and hands-on training to the very highest standards.
The MIRTC’s Executive Directors are Ana Juliá, President of Spain's Montessori Association (AME) and Coordinator of Research and Innovation at the Montessori Palau Girona, and Montse Juliá, Director of the Montessori Palau Girona.
The AMI International Elementary Teacher Training (6-12), the course that the MIRTC offers over a three summer period (2019-2021), comprises the following staff:
Dani Cañigueral holds a Bachelor’s degree in Primary Education from the University of Girona. He has worked in several public schools, and since 1989 he has been working as a Primary teacher at the Montessori Palau Girona.
For the last 15 years he has been a Montessori teacher certified by the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI).
He has been responsible for coordination and has assumed functions related to pedagogical innovation in his school. He participated as a speaker at the 27th International Montessori Congress, which was held in 2013 in Portland (Oregon). The Congress showed how the Montessori Palau Girona evolved from being a traditional school to a Montessori school (giving prominence to environmentalism and the environment). With more than 15 years of experience as an AMI guide, he has directed and participated in talks, peer learning activities, workshops and seminars related to the Montessori method. He has the AMI diploma for Early Childhood Education (3-6) and Elementary Education (6-12). He is an international trainer of AMI guides in Elementary Education. He has currently taken credits of inclusive education at the University of Vic and is a PhD candidate preparing to do a PhD in education from the same university.
Eduard Vilanova is attending the Association Montessori International (AMI) program for trainer of Elementary education trainers. He is especially interested in cosmic education, the cornerstone of the Montessori Elementary Education classroom and the path through which the child develops a global vision of humanity, the universe and his own life in it. He participated actively in the organization of the first Montessori AMI in Elementary Education that was carried out in the Montessori Palau Girona School from 2002 to 2005, also collaborating in translation tasks. He is a teacher of Elementary Education at the Montessori Palau Girona. He has a degree in Educational Psychology and has a Diploma as a professor of Elementary Education of the University of Girona. He obtained the AMI Diploma of Elementary Education (6-12 years) at the Centro Internazionale Studi Montessoriani of Bergamo (Italy), the first AMI center to train Montessori teachers of Elementary Education and, consequently, the center with the greatest tradition in teaching Montessori advanced courses. He obtained the AMI Diploma of Early Childhood Education (3-6 years) at the University of Vic. Since 1999 he has participated in talks and organized workshops on the Montessori method for parents and teachers.
Guadalupe Borbolla, with dual nationality (Mexico/Spain), has been involved in Montessori education since 1977, first as a mother and then as a practitioner. She is an AMI Trainer for the 3 to 6 and 12 to 18 age levels at the Montessori Institute of Mexico, A.C. (IMMAC) in Mexico and Spain. She holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Birmingham, England, has a postgraduate degree in Special Education from the West London Institute of Higher Education, and a Master’s in Education from Loyola University in Maryland. She has been the Director of the Montessori School of Tepoztlán, A.C., in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, for over 30 years. The school offers a comprehensive program for children aged 1 to 18, including a Farm-School project and a Baccalaureate for adolescents. The school has three campuses: Cuernavaca, Querétaro, and Tepoztlán. Guadalupe holds all three AMI diplomas: 0-3, 3-6, and 6-12, as well as the Orientation Studies for Adolescents certificate offered by NAMTA/AMI. She has been a pioneer in implementing Montessori education at the adolescent level since 1990. Guadalupe has over 30 years of experience in the field of Montessori education and is an international speaker. She leads training courses in Mexico, Spain, and Portugal and has participated in training Montessori teachers in various countries around the world. She has actively participated in parent training since 1990. She is a School Consultant for AMI/USA and served on the AMI Board of Directors for 8 years. Guadalupe is happily married and is the mother of three Montessori adults and four Montessori granddaughters. She enjoys meditating, knitting and crocheting, reading, traveling, and writing children's books. She is an animal lover.
Yuri Aldama Saiz holds a degree in Mathematics. He has over 20 years of experience working full-time in the Adolescent Community at the Montessori School of Tepoztlán in Cuernavaca, in the area of Sciences with adolescents aged 15 to 18. He completed the NAMTA Orientation for Adolescent Studies in Chihuahua, Mexico, in 2016 and holds the AMI Casa de Niños Diploma from IMMAC since 2011. In 2020, he participated as a speaker in the IMMAC Introduction workshop for adolescents. He has been appointed by AMI as an Advisor. Yuri is the father of two Montessori children and enjoys cycling and hiking.
Alejandra Rosas is an AMI Trainer for Assistants to Infancy, examiner, and consultant. She is currently the director of the 0-3 training at the Montessori Institute of San Diego. Alejandra received her AMI 3-6 diploma in Perugia, Italy, and her AMI 0-3 diploma in San Diego under the guidance of Dr. Silvana Montanaro. She also holds an A.S. in Childcare and a B.A. in Early Childhood Education. She is fluent in Spanish and English. Alejandra has been part of the Montessori Community for over 20 years. She has worked in the 0-3 and 3-6 levels, serving countless young children and their families as they navigate their children's development.
Born in Mexico City, in 1979 she received her Diploma as Montessori Guide of Children’s House (3 to 6 years old) by the ‘AMI Education Studies Center Mexico’, and in 1983 she received a Diploma in Montessori Special Education by this same institution.
Within her training, she has taken several Diplomas in the Iberoamerican University in:
She attended the Bachelor of Preschool Education at the "Hebraic University" and a Master of Science in Education at this same University.
In 1998 she opened the Training Center for Children's House Guides and shortly after, she opened her school, "Montessori de Metepec", which currently has a Children's Community, Children's House, Elementary and Adolescent’s Community, where she is the Director.
In 2011 she received her diploma as AMI International Coach for Children's House (3 to 6 years old).
Currently she is also an International Consultant and Examiner and has given courses in countries such as Canada, China, Argentina, Spain, United States of America and Mexico.
She is also part of the AMI Training Group, as a Spanish-speaking member.
Gladis Cañigueral Routier holds a Master's degree in the specialty of physical education from the Barcelona University (2005-2008). Has an interuniversity master's degree in youth and society (2009-2010). She holds the AMI Montessori diploma (6-12) of CISM Bergamo (courses 2010-2011). Since 2008 she works at the Montessori Palau school in Girona. He participated in an AMI refresher course in artistic education in Bergamo.
Aleksander Modekin works as a lead Lower Elementary teacher in Semitsvetik Montessori School, Dolgoprudny town, Moscow district, Russia. He holds a degree in Law and an additional diploma in Education. In 2017 he graduated from Montessori-Palau International Research and Training Center, where he took an AMI Elementary training course. Mr. Modekin has given a number of speeches and presented several workshops at different educational conferences in Russia. Moreover, he is currently involved in the research and is a post-graduate student.
Saša Lapter holds a master’s degree in Physics from the University of Vienna. He was trained by Dr. Kay Baker in Prague as an AMI Montessori Teacher for Children from 6-12 Years of Age and he also holds an AMI Montessori Orientation Programme to Adolescent Studies (12-18) from Huntsburg, Ohio. Saša is the chairman of the board, principal, and CEO of "Montessori-Schule Wien 1 im Heiligenkreuzerhof" (a Montessori school for children from 6 to 12 years in historical centre of Vienna) and "Montessori-Schule Prein an der Rax" (a boarding Montessori Erdkinder environment for adolescents).
He has been working in Montessori environments with age groups 6-12 and 12-18 since 2010. Before becoming a Montessori teacher, Saša worked as a business consultant. Due to his background both in physics and in Montessori education, Saša is actively involved in the integration of physics into the universal curriculum of Montessori’s Cosmic Education and adolescent Plan of Study and Work. Saša is lecturing and facilitating workshops on different Montessori topics. His special focus is Montessori for adolescents and natural sciences in Montessori education.
Is the co-owner, manager and educational director of a Montessori institution with a Toddler Community, two Children's Houses and a Primary School in Switzerland. She is also the main teacher in the Primary School. Renée Classen has an AMI 3-6 and 6-12 diploma, furthermore she has completed the AMI Orientation for the "Adolescent program" for the third developmental level as well as the AMI 0-3 Orientation. She is currently in the "Training of Trainers" programme with the aim of becoming an AMI trainer for the second stage of development. Ms. Classen is regularly giving lectures and organising workshops (before Covid). Together with a passionate Montessori colleague, she created the format "Montessori in Practice" a few years ago, which offers refresher courses on learned course content as well as ideas on new areas such as chemistry. She has specialized in this field, developing and putting into practice the proposals outlined by Dr. Montessori and following the advice of experts in chemistry.