Many Italians know Maria Montessori as “the lady on the old 1,000 lire note.” But around the world, Maria Montessori is simply known as what she truly was - a revolutionary educator whose name is synonymous with one of the most respected and widely adopted educational philosophies in the world. She championed the independence and creativity of the child and placed great emphasis on supporting the student’s physical, social, and psychological development.
At GAM, we are deeply familiar with her legacy. We bring her teachings to life every day by designing and producing high-quality furnishings and educational materials inspired by the Montessori approach. While this is our work, it is first and foremost our passion - born from her vision, and carried forward by our commitment to education without boundaries.
The Montessori Method Around the World
A recent U.S. university study revealed a fascinating trend: many of Silicon Valley’s most influential tech innovators - those who shape the very rules of the internet - share a common formative experience: they were educated in Montessori schools.
The list of notable Montessori alumni is anything but ordinary. It includes:
- Larry Page and Sergey Brin, founders of Google
- Will Wright, creator of The Sims, who credited the Montessori Method as his main inspiration
- Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia
- Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon
- Katharine Graham, publisher of The Washington Post
- George Clooney, actor and philanthropist
- Eric Allin Cornell, Nobel Prize winner in Physics (2001)
- Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States
And the list keeps growing.
Public and private institutions, educators, parents, and associations are showing renewed and growing interest in Montessori education. The demand for Montessori-inspired furniture and learning tools has skyrocketed in recent years. Backed by modern neuroscience and supported by over a century of results, the Montessori Method is proving itself to be not just relevant, but visionary - a method built for the future.
GAM: Bringing Montessori Beyond Borders
Equipping a school with the scientific materials and furnishings designed by Maria Montessori - tools that allow children to learn through self-correction and discovery - is at the heart of what GAM does. It’s our passport to the world. For us, there are no borders, only opportunities to share and grow through a method that is ever-evolving but always centered around one thing: the child.
We see ourselves as guardians of the legacy of one of the greatest scientists of the 20th century - a woman whose universal vision continues to speak the language of children.
At GAM, we speak that language fluently.
Because children are the heart of what we do. They are the inspiration.
They are the future.
And so, when we cross borders, unfamiliar words become familiar conversations - conversations about education, about community, about innovation and inclusion.
They’re conversations about children.
They’re conversations about the future.
They’re conversations about GAM.