We hope you will find the following anti-bias, anti-racist (“ABAR”) resources from the American Montessori Society helpful as you work toward creating and promoting a culture of compassion, kindness, and equitability in the world. As Dr. Maria Montessori reminds us, “education is the best weapon for peace” (Education and Peace).

Student Resources

These youth-focused organizations empower students to make a difference in their community.

  • DoSomething.org mobilizes young people worldwide to sign up for a volunteer, social change, or civic action campaign that has real-world impact.
  • Great Kindness Challenge is an annual event based on the belief that everyone has the power to change the world.
  • Kids for Peace focuses on youth leadership, community service, global friendships, and thoughtful acts of kindness.
  • March for Our Lives is a student-created, student-led movement with a mission to effectively address issues of gun violence. There are opportunities for starting local chapters, participating in rallies, and more.
  • Peace First provides grants, networking opportunities, and other resources to help young people around the world become powerful peacemakers.
  • Sandy Hook Promise’s “Start with Hello Week” is a program that teaches students skills for reaching out and including peers who may be dealing with chronic social isolation, and for creating a culture of inclusion and interconnectedness in their schools.
  • World Citizen designates International Peace Sites to promote a more just and harmonious world. AMS is an International Peace Site, and your school can apply to become one as well.

International Day of Peace

The International Day of Peace, observed every year on September 21, is an initiative of the United Nations devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.

  • International Day of Peace Activities. Peace Day provides a powerful and inspiring opportunity to engage children and youth in diverse activities related to peace, unity, and making a positive difference in their world.
  • March for Peace” is an original song, dedicated to Dr. Maria Montessori, by Montessori music specialist and steel band director, Frank Leto. He encourages you to sing it with your students on the International Day of Peace—and throughout the year, too. Here are the “March for Peace” lyrics.
  • Sing Peace Around the World invites Montessori students from around the world to sing “Light a Candle for Peace” on the International Day of Peace. Sign up (for free) to show your support.

Anti-Bias, Anti-Racist Book Lists for Children & Youth

One of the best ways to broaden understanding is through the words we read. These lists offer diverse landscapes for young readers to explore.

Amira Mogaji

President, American Montessori Society Board of Directors

Black Lives Matter

Now is the time for us to be intentionally anti-racist, and to denounce and call out injustices that are occurring right before our eyes—injustices that impact the students, parents, staff members, and schools within our community, and in some cases determine whether they live or die. It’s time to stand for, and with, justice.

READ AMIRA’S FULL STATEMENT 

Expanding Your ABAR (Anti-Bias, Anti-Racist) Horizons

Organizations to Follow

This sampling of organizations will help you deepen your understanding of social justice issues. Many of these organizations share educator’s guides, classroom activities, and additional resources.

  • Black Montessori Education Fund (BMEF) is committed to quality education for Black children through the proven liberating philosophy of the Montessori Method.
  • The Conscious Kid provides parenting and educational resources through a critical race lens.
  • Educolor seeks to elevate the voices of public-school advocates of color on educational equity and justice.
  • Embracing Equity is a social change agency dedicated to centering racial justice in education through racial and ethnic identity development and critical consciousness and action.
  • Family Equality provides resources, activities, and advocacy work for LGBTQIA+ families.
  • The Global Oneness Project offers multicultural films, photo essays, and articles that “explore cultural, social, and environmental issues with a humanistic lens.” Sign up to get their lesson plan of the week, stories, and more, sent to your inbox.
  • GSLEN is a national education organization focused on ensuring safe and affirming schools for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning students. We especially recommend this resource of considerations when working with LGBTQ students of color.
  • KnowThySelf Inc., provides educational materials and professional development designed to assist children in their self-discovery journey. Co-founded by 2 Montessori educators, Koren Clark and Nicole Dixon.
  • Montessori for Social Justice is a group of Montessori educators committed to social justice, racial equity, and an anti-bias, anti-racist application of Montessori pedagogy.
  • The National Museum of African American History & Culture shares resources specifically for educator’s looking to bring race topics into their classrooms. Includes conversations around being anti-racist, racial identity, and whiteness.
  • PBS shares information for parents and teachers around educating children about Black History Month.
  • The Peace Alliance empowers civic engagement toward a culture of peace. Their network includes volunteer grassroots teams in cities, towns, colleges, and high school campuses nationwide.
  • Social Justice and Anti-Racism in Policing provides a guide with over 100 different articles, websites, fact sheets and more regarding the issues of social justice, police reform and racism in the policing and the justice system.
  • Teaching Tolerance has lesson plans that promote social justice, challenge bias, and engage students in discussions about diversity.
  • The Trevor Project is a national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth.

People

  • Austin Channing Brown is a speaker, producer, and New York Times bestselling author. She created The Next Question, a video series that deepens conversations about racial justice.
  • Ayize Sabater is a researcher, author, and educator who has founded several nonprofit organizations, including a Montessori public charter school in Washington DC. He is also the co-human relations officer at Montessori for Social Justice.
  • Blair Imani is the host of the podcast America Did What, the author of 2 books, and an advocate for global Black and LGBTQIA+ communities.
  • Britt Hawthorne is a nationally recognized equity trainer in education who partners with action-oriented educators to create classroom environments that are inclusive and equitable for all learners.
  • DeRay McKesson is the co-founder of Campaign Zero and co-host of Pod Save the People. He is also a leading voice in the Black Lives Matter movement.
  • Ibram X. Kendi is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Black Campus Movement and How to be an Antiracist. He is also founding director of The Antiracist Research & Policy Center.
  • Munroe Bergdorf is a trans model and activist who has spoken out against racism in the modeling industry and is an advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community.
  • Nikole Hannah-Jones is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter covering racial injustice for The New York Times Magazine, and creator of the landmark 1619 Project.
  • Rachel Cargle is an academic, lecturer, and writer who focuses on the intersection between race and womanhood.

Read

By educating ourselves in the realm of social justice, we are better prepared as Montessorians, as educators, and as community members to create lasting change for all. These text-based resources are a great place to start.

Watch

It is in being intentional that we are able to expand our ABAR work. These videos—some as short as1 1-minute—can educate you and your students about anti-bias, anti-racist work.

Listen

It is perhaps our greatest responsibility to strive toward peace within ourselves. Visit these audiovisual resources to learn more about how you can stand up for peace and social justice.

  • The 70 Million podcast, named for the 70 million American adults with a criminal record, tells a different story of the lived experience behind criminal-justice policy choices, and of the people, neighborhoods, counties, and cities trying to break cycles of incarceration.
  • The Come Through with Rebecca Carroll podcast invites special guests for 15 essential conversations about race in the United States.
  • Seeing White podcast turns the focus of conversations about race toward whiteness.
  • The Stoop podcast points a journalistic lens at a different facet of black life in all its variety.
  • Talking Race with Young Children.” This 20-minute lesson from NPR talks about handling conversations about race, racism, diversity, and inclusion with young children.
  • Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race. This resource roundup from Pretty Good shares articles, podcasts, and books for educating children on race.