MANZ Conference 2025 Speakers

Anaru Kapa

Leena Savolainen

My name is Leena Savolainen. I became an AMI trained 0-3 Montessori guide because I was (and continue to be) passionate about supporting children, their parents, and caregivers in creating safe learning environments in these key foundational years. 

I have a particular interest in social-emotional development and communication. I am keen to support any adult who cares for children as I understand how challenging it can be to navigate relationships with immature humans. In my role as an educator, I have run workshops for parents and educators who wanted developmentally appropriate ways to communicate and connect with children even in the most challenging situations.  

Currently I am a practicing Gestalt Therapist and am supporting individuals and groups of adults in recovery from childhood trauma, addictions, and mental health. My role as a therapist is to support and guide these adults to raise their self-awareness so they can better meet their needs and live fulfilling lives. 

I have an AMI 0-3 Diploma and have completed the AMI Orientation training in 3-6 and 6-12 and a short AMI course on the Introduction to the Adolescent. I am a practicing trauma-informed Gestalt Therapist and am on the faculty of the Relational Institute Australia.  I have a background in counselling, communication, childhood development and public health and have worked in educational and health service settings in a variety of contexts for over 25 years.  In addition to my formal training, I am a mother of four children: two daughters and two sons from 14 to 24 years of age.

Tiffany Liddell

Tiffany Liddell is an AMI 3-6 Trainer with Southwest Institute of Montessori Studies where she has conducted training both in the USA and in other countries.  She has lived in Mesa, Arizona for 20 years, ever since she took her AMI 3-6 training.  Tiffany has been a Montessori guide in a variety of settings including public charter and private schools and continues her work with children in different capacities. With a master’s in education specialized in Early Childhood Education, she also collaborates with the local community college district in their Educator Preparation Programs and develops partnerships with the Early Childhood Community and Montessori education.  Tiffany is a presenter, lecturer, course developer, and instructor and contributes to both the early childhood and Montessori communities locally and abroad.  Tiffany’s practical and technological expertise and work experiences at the college prepared her to be instrumental to AMI’s development and implementation of blended AMI training.  Tiffany was born and raised in Oregon and is married with four children.  As an Oregonian and athlete, Tiffany spent much of her childhood outside and among nature and carries those benefits into her current lifestyle. She also owns a Montessori school in Mesa, Arizona where she prioritizes outdoor spaces dedicated to connecting children with the outdoor environment to offer a variety of activities.  She recognizes the value of nature for children and adults and continues to connect to the outdoors whenever possible.

Prabha Narayanan

Prabha Narayanan is an AMI Elementary Trainer based in Chennai, India. She is currently the Director of Training at Vivek High Montessori Institute, Chandigarh, and is part of the pedagogical team on the blended 6 -12 year course run by Alison Awes in Montessori Institute Bangalore. She completed the AMI 6 – 12 and 3 – 6 courses in Navadisha Montessori Foundation, India. She worked in Navadisha as part of the training team under Ann Dunne, from 2012 to 2021. 

She has been a National Examiner on AMI Elementary courses, and conducted many Orientation courses, both online and in-person, in India and abroad. She was a part of the training team to conduct the first ever Montessori Core Principles course in India. She consults with Montessori schools supporting elementary teachers in their practice. She conducts workshops for parents and teachers, and is especially interested in the area of supporting children’s language and emotional development during the elementary years. 

Anita Croft

Anita Croft is a qualified early childhood teacher with 20 years’ experience in the early childhood and tertiary sectors. In 2018 she founded Growing Kiwi Gardeners with a vision to enrich young children’s lives through gardening. She does this through a hands-on gardening programme in Christchurch, an online course, webinars, and tailored whole-centre professional learning and development for early childhood centres and kaiako across Aotearoa. She has recently launched a set of resources to teach tamariki about vegetables and growing food

Steven Arnold