Dr. Gay Named 2020 Dr. Maria Montessori Ambassador Award Recipient
Every year, through a variety of awards, the American Montessori Society (AMS) honors individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the Montessori Movement. AMS is proud to honor and recognize the ways in which they move Montessori forward.
“An ordinary teacher cannot be transformed into a Montessori teacher, but must be created anew, having rid herself of pedagogical prejudices.”
The Dr. Maria Montessori Ambassador Award honors individuals who, through their work in a variety of areas such as the arts, sports, government, and higher education, are fostering a landscape in which Montessori education cannot only thrive but flourish.
Dr. Derrick Gay is proud to be the 2020 Dr. Maria Montessori Ambassador Award recipient. Other award recipients include Ashley Judd (2023), Wynton Marsalis (2022), and Chelsea Clinton (2021).
On accepting the award, Dr. Gay remarked,
"I consider myself fortunate to have served and advocated in the education space over the past 23 years, consulting with organizations across many sectors (education, nonprofit, finance, law, the arts). If I had to impart one lesson to empower individuals to design and support inclusive environments, I would share this: Inclusion is always intentional. Cultivating a sense of belonging and connectedness is not an organic function of our belief that we are good people. Moreover, while Montessori undoubtedly values inclusion, this belief should not be confused with action. Inclusion always requires the ongoing intentional efforts of each and every one of us in the community in partnership with each other."
Find out more about the American Montessori Society on their website.