Director of Education

Ms. Lauren is originally from Alberta, Canada but affectionately calls our beautiful Sonoran Desert her home. Lauren has been involved in the Montessori community for over 16 years. She started her Montessori journey in a local AMS school but Lauren feels lucky to have found AMI Montessori right here, at Tempe Montessori, having assisted our Toddler and Primary classrooms from 2009-2012. Lauren rejoins our Tempe Montessori family with experience as an Assistant Teacher, Lead Primary Guide, Primary Level Coordinator, Early Childhood Program Director, Marketing Director, and Assistant Head of School for communities serving students ages six weeks through Middle School. As an undergraduate, Lauren studied Psychology at Arizona State University. Lauren holds postgraduate AMI diplomas from the Southwest Institute of Montessori Studies at the Primary Level as well as Orientation to Assistants to Infancy (ages birth to three) and Elementary (first through sixth grade). Lauren studied Inclusive Education at the Montessori Institute of San Diego, University of San Diego. Additionally, Lauren holds an AMI Administrative Diploma and is currently enrolled in Master Educational Leadership courses at the Whole School Leadership Institute, Loyola University of Maryland. Lauren strongly believes in providing an authentic whole-child approach to Montessori education and is dedicated to supporting teacher development. Lauren founded and is the chairperson of Arizona’s AMI Alumni Association, a nonprofit organization. 

In her free time, Lauren can be found spending time outdoors, hiking, riding dirt bikes, photography, and exploring all around Arizona with her two Golden Retrievers: Finley and Niko. She is an avid bookworm and especially enjoys reading about organizational psychology, neuroscience, and child development. Lauren’s greatest passion is traveling around the world. She loves to experience different cultures, art, cuisine, and dramatic landscapes. 

Ms. Lauren has been serving our community since 2022.