Filipino youth, educators join Montessori congress in Prague

The Abba’s Orchard School (AOS) of Davao sent adolescents to the 28th Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) Congress in Prague, Czech Republic last July 27-30, 2017.

Over 2,000 participants came from more than 70 countries all over the world, which comprised of educators, professionals, and students who adhere to further lead the Montessori movement in this fast changing world.

AMI was established in 1929 by Dr. Maria Montessori to promote the exchange of ideas through International Congresses. This year, the Montessori Congress was held in Prague after some 16 years since it was conducted in Europe.

The Abba’s Orchard School sent delegates from Davao as well as from 3 other AOS high school campuses in the Philippines than run the Erdkinder Montessori Program (i.e. from the farm campuses in Antipolo, Cebu, and Bukidnon).

Erdkinder is German for “children of the earth.” It is the adolesent program Dr Maria Montessori espoused that places the adolescent in the environment of the farm. “Not only does the Erdkinder program engage academic rigor and discipline, it also hones leadership, actualizes empathy, demands hardwork, valorizes the spirit, and reveals mission and purpose. It is laboratory for life.,” says school director Joseph Christopher N. Barrameda. The AOS is the first to run such program in the Asia-Pacific and the only one running it in the Philippines, even in 4 locations. The first Erdiknder farm campus in the world was established in 2000 in Huntsburg, Ohio.

“As the country that sent the biggest group of delegation to the concurrent Adolescent Summit, the Filipino youth proved to be a shinning beacon with the theme Pathway to Peace: Montessori Education for Social Change, ” Barrameda added.

The Filipino delegates impressed the other participants of the congress as they were among the most brilliant and active in the event. They had access to various workshops, inspiring lectures, interactive breakout sessions and Congress fairs facilitated by experienced Montessori practitioners. The adolescents from AOS Davao focused on the problems of Food Waste Segregation and Saving of Phytoplankton. At the end of the congress, they created a manifesto, which consisted of their proposal for the problems they sought to find solutions in their own localities.

The Filipino participants also traveled to Europe as part of their 15-day European Odyssey socio-cultural and historical tour in Austria, Slovenia, Italy, and Greece.

“The congress and the trip was life changing. I got to travel with friends, which enabled me to learn more about myself as I learned so many things from other cultures,” Katrina Calabio, an Abba’s Orchard student from Davao shared when asked about her experience.