-
In 1953, Rambusch’s quest for a better approach to educating American children took her to Paris for the Tenth International Montessori Congress, where she met Mario Montessori, Maria’s son and her successor as head of the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), an organization she had founded to support the Montessori Movement. Rambusch within a few years was conducting Montessori classes for her own children, and others, in her New York City apartment.
-
In 1956, the Rambusch family moved to Greenwich, CT. There, Nancy became involved with a group of prominent parents who wanted to be deeply involved with their children’s education.
-
In 1958, they founded Whitby School—the first Montessori school to open in the U.S. since the initial flurry of interest in Montessori in the early 20th century. The board selected her as head of school. The following year, Mario Montessori appointed Nancy Rambusch to serve as the U.S. representative of the AMI.
-
in 1960, and with the vigorous support of parent-advocates, Nancy Rambusch founded the American Montessori Society. The goals of AMS mirrored those of AMI: to support efforts to create schools, develop teacher education programs, and publicize the value of Montessori education.
-
In 1961, TIME magazine featured Rambusch, Whitby School, and the American Montessori revival in its May 12 issue. The article galvanized the American public, and parents turned to AMS in large numbers for advice on starting schools and study groups. Additional publicity in the popular media, including Newsweek, the New York Times, and the Saturday Evening Post,
-
in 1962 of Rambusch’s book, Learning How to Learn, led to dramatic growth in the number of American Montessori schools and students.
