Sonya Castellanos

Sonya Lanzen-Castellanos, Executive Director of the Montessori World Educational Institute since 2002, launched her path in Child Development in the early 70’s. At California State University Los Angeles, she was first inspired by Buckminster Fuller to research the vast untapped potential of childhood and began studying child development and the neurosciences. A guest instructor from Italy introduced her to the work and discoveries of Dr. Maria Montessori which led her to Italy for her first Montessori teacher training and sparked a life-long passion. Later moving to California’s central coast, she was thrilled to discover the Montessori World Educational Institute for teacher training founded by Dr. Maria Montessori’s long-time collaborator and her designated Head of Montessori teacher training in London, Margaret Homfray, along with Cal Poly Professor, Dr. Robert Blodget. She began her full Montessori teacher training for ages 3-6 and 6-12 with MWEI while raising her family with four children on the central coast.

Sonya’s teaching career of over 40 years spans infancy, early childhood, elementary through adult learners. She received infancy training with Magda Gerber and WestEd. With her preschool experience including roles as parent educator, Head Start Education Coordinator and Montessori teacher, and with her own children ready for an enriched program, she founded the New Dawn Montessori school in 1986 in her home town of Cambria. As parents began asking for elementary Montessori education, New Dawn grew to provide an elementary classroom. In 2007 she supported the Family Partnership K/12 Public Charter School to open a tuition-free K/6 Montessori public elementary learning center in Cambria, and later Morro Bay in 2010 where she served as educational advisor, classroom teacher, and center coordinator until she retired in 2018. She holds California Teaching Credentials, and a Master’s Degree in Human Development with an emphasis in Educational Leadership and Anti-bias Awareness from Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena. She also served as a part-time Cuesta College ECE instructor and was honored with the Cuesta Women of Distinction Award in 2007 in Administrative Leadership. She enjoys playing music as violinist in the San Luis Obispo Symphony and Orchestra NOVO, dancing, training teachers, traveling, art, and family time with grandchildren.