About Us
An international, multicultural,
multilingual group of Montessorians
dedicated to the development and
education of children
GMN provides access to a variety of resources (e.g., videos and documents, a curated collection of online resources, and a bibliography of Montessori related content) for administrators, guides, parents, and others.
Through an active Facebook Group, GMN has fostered a safe space for Montessorians to collaborate, network, and communicate in order to improve and strengthen the Montessori community. Periodic webinars organized by GMN provide opportunities for professional development and networking.
Timeline
The GMN journey starts here…

GMN was established in March, 2020 in the midst of the looming COVID-19 global pandemic. Co-founded by Joanne Shango and Magdalena Ponurska, they recognized the need for Montessorians to adapt in these challenging and changing times in order to continue to provide quality Montessori education to children. The first step in bringing this vision to fruition was the creation of a Facebook Group. This was shortly followed by the launch of a website.
The need for quality childhood education is a constant. Now more than ever Montessori education is necessary in order to unite the global community. GMN strives to promote Montessori methods and provide resources to further the acceptance and implementation of Montessori education throughout the world.
People
Leadership Team

Joanne graduated from Mercy High School in Farmington Hills, and studied at the University of Michigan with a concentration in Painting and Drawing ...Read More

Magdalena graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Psychology. She is trained in Team Management and Leadership through Landmark Worldwide; Executive ...Read More

Mike is a lover of wisdom and learning. He learned about Montessori from his philosophical mentor who provided him a copy of the incredible book Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work by E.M. ...Read More
Communications and Marketing

William Haworth is one of the nation’s most widely recognized senior public relations strategists and counselors whose professional representation for a wide array of clients worldwide spans more than three decades.A former award-winning reporter and editor for major-market radio and television stations and the ABC Radio Network, Haworth is presently a principal partner of Integrated Strategies, a firm he founded in 1997.
Haworth has provided strategic consultation and senior public relations counsel to many of the nation’s top Fortune 100 companies’ communications and marketing issues including: Allied Signal, National Milk Producers Association, Denny’s Restaurants, NIKE, Sega, Bank of America, Aetna, Astra-Zeneca, Metromedia and Hoffman-LaRoche.
ISPR/Integrated Strategies
Public Relations
(323) 425-4003 office
Joanne graduated from Mercy High School in Farmington Hills, and studied at the University of Michigan with a concentration in Painting and Drawing in the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program. She is Montessori certified in Primary and Adolescence through 12th grade and holds certifications from both the American Montessori Society (AMS) and the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI). Collaborating with the best minds in Montessori education is of the highest importance to Joanne. She works with mentoring groups amongst Montessori leaders through the Montessori Leadership Collaborative (MLC) and with teaching professionals, internationally.
Magdalena graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Psychology. She is trained in Team Management and Leadership through Landmark Worldwide; Executive and Leadership Coaching through MentorCoach; and plays an integral role in the different practice communities of the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Magdalena decided to join the Montessori community, where she could make an impact on independent schools and leaders, with purpose and passion. As a Montessori mom, she is passionate about Montessori education and is empowered and driven to guide Montessori schools into the future.
Mike is a lover of wisdom and learning. He learned about Montessori from his philosophical mentor who provided him a copy of the incredible book Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work by E.M. Standing. Such a detailed and eye-opening book took about a year to work through. Completely inspired he then spent six months seeking to meet with Montessori schools to learn more about what he believed to be a solution to so many societal issues.He traveled to Paris and met with Montessori school directress who recommended that he join a Montessori organization as a way to meet with educators. He has attended events and been learning more about what challenges are faced by Montessorians.