Blended: In-Person and Online • Enrolling Now

August 4, 2025 - September 15, 2025

0-3 Orientation Course 

Blended Course (In-person and Online)
August 4, 2025 - September 15, 2025

Enrolling Now

An introduction to Dr. Montessori's educational theory and practice with children under the age of three, this course is the ideal foundation for current and future parents and caregivers of all kinds. Anyone interested in human development in the critical first years of life will find this course to be eye-opening and useful.

Through lectures, discussion, observation, and targeted assignments, participants will understand the essence of the Montessori philosophy, as well as the basics of its practical application in both home and school settings. Participants who meet course requirements will receive the AMI 0-3 Orientation Course Certificate.

The Orientation Course is also an ideal primer for those who may be interested in taking the full AMI 0–3 Diploma Course (for birth to age 3). Students who successfully complete the 0-3 Orientation Course will be eligible for the Continued Training Discount and will receive prorated tuition for the 0-3 Diploma Course.

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  • August 4, 2025 - September 15, 2025

    Onsite at MINT: 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday, August 4 - 8, 2025

    Monday Webinars: 6:30pm - 8:30pm, August 11th - September 15th

    (No Class on September 1st - MINT Closed for Labor Day)

    All times are displayed in Central Time

  • Application Fee: $20 (non-refundable)

    Tuition: $900

    Application fee is waived for public school applicants. Email admissions@montessori-mint.org before applying.

    • 45 hours of synchronous class time

    • 15 hours of asynchronous work

    • 9 hours of observation

    • 90% class attendance

    Required Material Making:

    • Child-Sized Placemat

    • Language Object Set

    • Language Card Set

    All required readings will be provided by the trainer.

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Meet the Trainer:

Cristel Ruiz, M.Ed., AMI 0-3 Trainer

Cristel Ruiz is an AMI 0-3 Trainer and an AMI-USA 0-3 Consultant. Cristel has studied and followed Montessori philosophy for over twenty years in many capacities, most importantly as the Montessori parent to three amazing humans. Cristel has worked as an Assistants to Infancy (0-3) Classroom Guide; the creator of the Parent-Infant Program at Waypoint Montessori (formerly the Barbara Gordon Montessori School); the Chief Education Officer at a Montessori toy company; an AMI 0-3 Trainer-in-Training with The Montessori Institute in Denver, Colorado; the Head of School at Waypoint Montessori; and the Special Projects Coordinator and Operations Manager at the Montessori Institute of North Texas (MINT). Cristel holds a Master of Education in Montessori Integrative Learning from Endicott College, the AMI Assistants to Infancy (0-3) Diploma from the Montessori Institute of North Texas, a Bachelor’s Degree in Literature, with a focus in Education, from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, and the AMI Montessori Core Principles Certificate from MINT, as well as Musikgarten Training for ages birth to five. 

Your Montessori Path Starts Here.

We’re here to answer your questions, offer guidance, and help you explore your next step. Admissions would be glad to tell you more about the course and working with AMI 0-3 Trainer Cristel Ruiz. We’d love to hear from you.

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