Montessori Global Education is proud to be working in partnership with the Bright Start Foundation. Our organisations share a vision of the future which is child-led, where empowering opportunities of education are accessible for all.

Our valued strategic relationship champions learner-centred innovations and initiatives, as we navigate the varied learning and sharing opportunities available to our communities and colleagues. Our organisations’ alignment became evident in 2024, when we secured an annual Bright Start conference presence for our Montessori’s Vision in Action series. Montessori Global Education is also now enables the pioneering International Voices of Children Pedagogy action research project alongside Bright Start – empowering children as co-creators of sustainable change, using art and creativity.

Want to get involved?

Montessori Global Education is keen to involve members of our Network in this exciting programme of work. If you’re a member of our Network, we invite you to get in touch and share your insights on successfully evaluating activities which empower children and put them at the forefront of their own learning. We welcome your insights in any format – from a simple written description of what you did and why it worked, to existing evaluation reports. To share your examples, simply email us at connect@montessori.org.uk.
And if you aren’t yet a member of our Network, you can sign up today – it’s quick, simple, and free.

The 2024 Bright Start conference united 564 early educators and researchers and policymakers from 43 countries in their passion for the transformative power of early learning. Our interactive series of Montessori’s Vision in Action sessions showcased a diverse set of learning innovations, shared crucial insights to help educators unlock their own potential and the potential of their learners, dispelled Montessori misperceptions, and conveyed many real-world Montessori Moments. This annual hybrid event will continue to respond to the urgent call to action for practitioners and researchers to work collaboratively, and the critical need for ongoing knowledge exchange.

The Voices of Children Pedagogy global action research project, running through 2029, is led by the Bright Start Foundation in collaboration with University College London (UCL) and University of the Arts London (UAL). It is a pioneering initiative aimed at transforming early childhood education, with children leading the way. It brings together educators, artists, researchers, children, and their families to co-create a new, child-led pedagogical approach that empowers young learners and celebrates their unique creative contributions on a global stage. The project aims to ignite a global movement for transformative and sustainable change, where children and educators alike are empowered to see their voices as catalysts for meaningful action and to embrace the profound impact they can make in shaping a better future. In 2025, our work with a group of international early years settings will:

  • Ensure the benefits of the Montessori approach are realised within this vital project.

  • Enable ongoing creative, reflective mentoring of educators working directly with children and families.

  • Support an insightful, holistic approach to observation and evaluation.

  • Pave the way for children’s work to be showcased in museum galleries and school exhibitions, while supporting the creation of Voices of Children Labs within schools—where children take the lead in establishing the rules.

  • Facilitate the development of Voices of Children Blueprints and the hosting of Voices of Children Conferences in classrooms, complemented by cross-border virtual meetings to foster global collaboration and exchange.

  • Facilitate the distribution of the Voices of Children Manifesto for Change, signed by the children and highlighting their messages, to the country’s leaders, requesting a formal response to their call for action.

  • Spread learning and case studies with our audience and networks.

For more information, email connect@montessori.org.uk

Karen Chetwynd, CEO – Montessori Global Education

“We are delighted to be in strategic partnership with the Bright Start Foundation, as their expert partner on the application of Montessori in practice. Montessori Global Education works internationally, with the mission to make the power of a child-led education accessible to all. Through our joint action research and conferencing activities, we can ensure even more educators feel confident to develop the empowered, creative early learners we need to secure a sustainable future for all.”

The Bright Start Foundation Board states: “Our partnership with Montessori Global Education reflects a shared commitment to empowering children as creators, critical thinkers, changemakers, and global citizens. By building on Maria Montessori’s timeless principles and adapting them to today’s rapidly evolving world, the Voices of Children Pedagogy places children’s voices at the heart of learning and societal transformation. Co-created with educators, researchers, artists, and children, this visionary framework fosters inclusivity, creativity, and innovation, equipping young minds to navigate an unpredictable future with confidence and purpose.”