We prepare teachers, parents, caregivers, and aspiring guides with authentic AMI programs, from the full accredited diploma to shorter assistant courses and focused workshops.
The direct route to becoming a fully certified AMI Montessori guide
A shorter, more flexible way to build real Montessori skills
Explore Montessori one focused topic at a time
Not sure which program is the right one? Ask us anything by text, or request the full details and pricing, and we will help you compare your options.
The application itself takes only a few minutes, whether you are going for the diploma, an assistant course, or a workshop.
Once you are accepted, your studies begin. Depending on your program, that means in person time, hybrid study, or fully online coursework, arranged around your real life.
When we say AMI, we mean it. The diploma carries real AMI and MACTE accreditation, and it can open the way to a Loyola master's degree.
Every program is guided by AMI trainers whose careers span decades of genuine Montessori teaching and training.
However your schedule and background look, there is a format that fits, and our programs come in English or in Spanish.
At Montessori Stoppani, educators, parents, and aspiring guides train in authentic Montessori practice grounded in an AMI and MACTE accredited diploma. Students learn from experienced AMI trainers, work with a rigorous curriculum, choose from blended and hybrid schedules, and can study in English or Spanish, all while building real classroom skill.
Whether you pursue the accredited diploma, an assistant course, or a workshop, you gain authentic AMI preparation and professional development for your Montessori career. Diploma graduates also earn a credential respected internationally and can explore the Loyola master’s pathway.
Our team of world-class AMI trainers are internationally recognized.
Alejandra Rosas is an AMI Infant and Nest Community Trainer and Training Director at Montessori Stoppani Institute with more than 25 years of Montessori experience. She received her AMI 3 to 6 diploma in Italy and her 0 to 3 diploma in San Diego under the direction of renowned Montessori educator Dr. Silvana Montanaro. Alejandra has dedicated her career to supporting young children, families, and future Montessori guides through internationally respected AMI training, workshops, consulting, and classroom leadership.
Cristina A. De León holds advanced degrees in Clinical Psychology, Pedagogy, and Education and has more than 25 years of experience working with children in Montessori and traditional educational environments. She received her AMI diplomas in Early Childhood and Elementary Education through the Montessori Institute of San Diego and currently serves as a Casa de Niños AMI Trainer and Examiner. Cristina has guided Montessori educators internationally throughout the United States, Argentina, Costa Rica, Taiwan, and Spain, bringing deep educational experience and a global Montessori perspective to her training work.
Gabriela Velázquez began her Montessori journey at an early age, first as a Montessori student and later as an assistant in the same school where her mother worked as a Montessori guide. She earned a degree in Early Childhood Education, her AMI Nido and Infant Community diploma, and a master’s degree in education before spending more than 20 years working in Montessori schools throughout Mexico and the United States. Today, Gabriela serves internationally as an AMI 0 to 3 trainer, examiner, consultant, and speaker, helping future Montessori guides deepen their understanding of early childhood development.
Emily Hansen is an AMI 0 to 3 Trainer with more than 21 years of Montessori classroom experience across Toddler and Primary communities. She holds degrees in Psychology, Sociology, and Montessori Education, along with AMI diplomas at both the 0 to 3 and 3 to 6 levels. Emily combines deep Montessori expertise with a warm and practical approach to education, bringing years of experience supporting children, families, and future Montessori educators through her training work.
Dr. Mario Salguero is a physician, researcher, and educator specializing in personalized medicine, psychiatry, nutrition, and integrative health. After graduating from the University of Guadalajara School of Medicine, he completed advanced studies in Clinical Nutrition and earned a PhD in Molecular Biology in Medicine before completing his Psychiatry Residency at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Salguero combines scientific research, medical education, and a compassionate approach to child and human development as part of the Montessori Stoppani training team.
Deciding on a Montessori training program raises real questions, and we want to make yours easy to answer. Here is what prospective students ask us most about the AMI diploma, the assistant courses, our workshops, and how scheduling and formats work.
Yes. The AMI diploma is internationally respected and MACTE accredited, and it is recognized everywhere in the world, which supports professional teaching roles, advanced study, and certification across borders.
It depends on the program. The diploma is a blended and hybrid credential anchored by in person summers in San Diego, while the assistant courses and workshops are offered online and blended, giving most students flexible ways to study.
Cost varies by program, by level, and by the format you choose. Request our program details and pricing guide for the full breakdown, with instant access once you submit the short form.
No, the diploma does not carry transferable course credits. It is a professional AMI qualification. For students who want a graduate degree, the path forward is the Loyola master’s option, and our program details explain exactly how to pursue it.
The guide runs the classroom and carries the complete AMI diploma, whereas an assistant backs up the prepared environment and the lead teacher. Our diploma is what trains guides, while our assistant courses prepare parents, educators, and classroom assistants.
AMI is the Association Montessori Internationale, founded to protect the integrity of Maria Montessori’s method. Training that carries the AMI name signals authentic, high standard Montessori education, which is exactly what many educators and schools search for.
The diploma holds both AMI and MACTE accreditation. Assistant courses are AMI recognized, and workshops provide practical Montessori learning, so the full accreditation applies specifically to the diploma.
Yes. Because the diploma is MACTE accredited, it may open pathway opportunities toward a master’s degree through Loyola for graduates who wish to keep going. Request our full program details to see how that route works.
Begin by requesting your program details and pricing, or send us a quick text with any questions. When you feel ready, fill out the short online application and our admissions team guides you from there.
Montessori Stoppani Institute offers MACTE accredited Montessori teacher training in San Diego through its AMI diploma, a guide credential earned across two in person summers in the city with blended coursework in between. MACTE accreditation means the training is reviewed against recognized standards for Montessori teacher education, which gives graduates confidence that the credential is genuine and respected. The diploma covers the Infant (0-3) and Primary (3-6) levels, and students travel to San Diego from across the country and internationally for the summer intensives. For educators who want authentic AMI preparation held to a real accreditation standard, this is the program worth a serious look.
MACTE is the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, the body that reviews and accredits Montessori teacher training programs. When a diploma is MACTE accredited, it tells employers and prospective students that the program meets established standards rather than teaching an unverified version of the method. For Montessori Stoppani, MACTE accreditation also supports a master’s degree pathway through Loyola, so a diploma graduate can pursue an advanced degree by completing further study. Accreditation applies to the AMI diploma, the flagship credential for those who plan to lead a Montessori classroom as a guide.
San Diego is home to the in person summers that anchor the AMI diploma at Montessori Stoppani. Rather than spending a full year in a classroom, students complete two focused summers in the city and continue the rest of their coursework through a blended format, a structure that makes the diploma possible for working teachers and career changers. Because the training is genuinely AMI and MACTE accredited, students fly in from across the United States and from other countries to complete it here. The summers combine lectures, practical work with authentic Montessori materials, and observation, so graduates leave with real classroom readiness at both the Infant and Primary levels.
AMI Montessori teacher training is built for practicing teachers, career changers, and future guides who want a credential that is recognized everywhere in the world. If your goal is to lead a Montessori classroom, the accredited diploma is the direct route, and the Loyola master’s pathway opens further opportunities for those who want an advanced degree. Bilingual educators bring an added advantage as well, since many Montessori schools value Spanish speaking, AMI trained teachers. The best next step is simple: request your program details and pricing, or text us your questions, and we will help you find the program that fits your goals.
