Our Founder
Leading NAMC with experience, knowledge, and grace and courtesy.
NAMC Founder and Program Director Dale Gausman has a career in education that spans over 40 years. He has taught preschool to grade 12 in Canada and the USA. Since 1985, Dale has established several successful schools in the Greater Vancouver area of British Columbia. Dale holds a degree in education, and is a graduate of both the University of British Columbia and Portland State University. He has also earned his AMI Montessori teaching diploma, along with his Early Childhood Education diploma. Dale founded Cornerstone Montessori School (Preschool to Grade 7), which operates under Class 1 designation — the highest rating awarded by the provincial Ministry of Education.
Recognizing the need for quality, affordable, and flexible Montessori teacher training, Dale founded North American Montessori Center (NAMC) in 1996. He realized that Montessori educators need training that fits their schedule and their location, no matter where they are in the world, and he filled that niche with an accessible, superior Montessori distance program. Dale also recognized that the success of NAMC students would depend greatly on having quality instruction and guidance provided by knowledgeable, experienced Montessori teachers. To that end, Dale worked directly with our tutors, mentoring and guiding them to help develop them into the strong resources they are today. As Program Director, Dale has been instrumental in every aspect of NAMC’s growth for more than 25 years now. In that time, he has developed and provided Montessori teacher education that is recognized in schools throughout North America and around the world, published almost 50 curriculum manuals and an extensive range of curriculum support material, and has led NAMC to become the world leader in Montessori curriculum resources.