About us
We united into a powerful team of like-minded people in the spring of 2022, in response to the full-scale war in Ukraine, to ensure the support and development of the Ukrainian Montessori Community. Our team consists of Montessori educators, therapists, psychologists, school owners, and local manufacturers.
We are open to cooperation and already established relationships with national and international organizations and government agencies, publishers, and patrons in order to fulfill our mission – spreading the Montessori method throughout Ukraine.
We work harmoniously, providing support and development within the Montessori community.
The war will end, and the community will remain.
Our mission
Our mission is to spread the Montessori method throughout Ukraine by making it recognized by society and the government for the benefit of children, adults, and educators by creating quality educational opportunities, courses, and meetings for both parents and educators by developing environments and educational materials, and by building a culture of conscious parenting, respect for oneself, for each other, and the world.
Our Vision
Montessori UA – harmonious education for all generations.
Our values
Development and Education
Providing the opportunity to receive quality education for children, parents and teachers, sustainable development of public and private education in Ukraine.
Family and cultural heritage
Spreading the ideas of conscious parenthood, family relationships built on the foundations of mutual respect, trust, honesty and reliability, nurturing cultural heritage and exploring national identity.
Ecological Communication
Openness and transparency of communication, cooperation with mutual respect, appreciation of diversity of people and views, joining efforts for a common goal, flexibility.
System thinking
Collecting information, active specialists, experts and organizations of different levels, forming the structure of education reform, in accordance with the requests of the population, collecting and analyzing data from different target groups.
Purposefulness and fulfillment
Expanding the scope of work to every region of Ukraine, we set ambitious goals for cooperation with international colleagues, realizing the value of each working day, its impact on the development of society, and at the same time we enjoy the process.
Wholeness and balance
Balance of freedom and discipline. Freedom to make decisions based on our values, responsibility for decisions made, respect for children and adults.
Our team
Anna Volokhova
Co-founder, CEO
Medical doctor, Montessori educator for ages 0-3 and 3-6 years with 4 years of experience in Europe and Asia. Activist, volunteer at the Red Cross during the Revolution of Dignity, and manager of medical support at NGO Zgraya. Parenthood and school management consultant and passionate lifelong learner.
Eugenia Panchuk
Co-founder
An educator with 8 years of experience. Master of Management of Quality Systems in Preschool Education. UMC Montessori educator for ages 0-3 with 3 years of experience. Montessori therapist. Founder and director of the “Zernyatko” preschool in Brovary. Mother of 2 sons.
Maryna Losytska
Co-founder, coordinator of education for parents
Graduated from AMI educator with more than 10 years of work experience. Orf teacher, a professional violinist. The founder of the chain of Montessori spaces “The World in a Pocket” in Kyiv and Bucha, a developer of Montessori materials and furniture. Mother of 3 children.
Olesia Vasylenko
Coordinator of the state direction
Economist, master’s degree in educational institution management, founder of the licensed Montessori space in Kyiv “Children’s House” since 2013. Graduated Montessori teacher for ages 3-6 years from UMC with over 10 years of work experience in Ukraine and the USA, certified specialist for ages 0-6 from the Dutch Montessori Association. Consultant on issues of education, organization of Montessori space at home, and opening of educational space in Ukraine. Montessori mother of 2 children.
Lidia Tarovyta
SMM coordinator, visual content developer
Speech therapist and specialist in psychology. Graduated from UMC Montessori educator with more than 3 years of work experience. The author of educational videos and printed educational materials for children 3-6 years old. An active participant in educational and social projects. Consultant for parents and teachers.
Iryna Kurilyak
SMM coordinator, visual content developer
Member of the Business Association of Educational Institutions of Ukraine, UMC Montessori educator for ages 0-3 with 6 years of experience, co-owner of the Montessori institution “MonteDino” in Kyiv region, “Chayki” housing complex.Specialist in accounting and auditing, automation of technological processes, and teacher of Ukrainian language and literature at the Embassy of Ukraine in Kuwait.
Violetta Kaleda
Coordinator of the direction of development of the eastern regions
Certified Montessori educator of the UMC for ages 3-6 and Montessori-Akademie Wien for ages 6-12 with over 10 years of experience. The founder of the first Ukrainian-language space “The World of the Montessori Child” for ages 3-12 in Kharkiv. Combines the knowledge of neuropsychology, sensory integration, and speech therapy. Mother of two daughters.
Natalia Moshnyaga
Coordinator of the direction of educational programs
Certified AMI educator for ages 3-6 and 6-12 with over 12 years of work experience. Co-owner and director of the Montessori space “UMI”, specialist in “Sensory integration in dialogue” according to Ula Kislin. Trainer of the Austrian Montessori Academy for ages 6-12.
Lyudmyla Shpakovych
Coordinator of the direction of educational programs
Children’s ophthalmologist with 7 years of experience, certified AMI educator with more than 10 years of work experience, AMI trainer assistant, founder of the “Montessori Together” children’s center, co-founder of the “Mother’s Club” project. Activist, ambassador of Montessori pedagogy for public educational institutions, and student of the AMI course for trainers for ages 0-3.
Tetiana Kukla
Coordinator of the direction of educational programs
Graduated AMI educator for ages 3-6 with 13 years of experience, consultant in the method of transactional analysis, founder and director of the Montessori school “Montessori Family” in Cherkasy, student of the AMI course for ages 6-12. Mother of 3 children.
Yulia Yefimenko
COORDINATOR OF the psychological support
Master of psychology, therapist in the direction of Positive psychotherapy. A Montessori educator with 8 years of experience. Co-founder of the “Mother’s Club” project, which is aimed at psychological and educational support for families, a Montessori child.
Alina Khoma
Coordinator of the direction of educational materials
Bilingual teacher with 4 years of experience. Founder of the brand of the Montessori material “bavka” since 2020. On the basis of the store, he creates thematic educational sets, the proceeds from the sale of which are sent to the charitable organization “City of Good”. Montessori mom.
Yulia Vintoniak
Coordinator of the direction of educational programs
Graduated practicing psychologist with 6 years of work experience in educational institutions. Graduated from UMC as a Montessori educator for ages 0-3, AMI certified assistant in Montessori class for ages 0-3 years. Consultant on creating a home Montessori environment for children; consultant for teachers on classroom work. YouTube and Instagram blogger. A new Montessori mother.
