Alhamdulillah (thank God). Months in the making, the website for the American Islamic Montessori Association (AIMA) is now live. A talented team of project professionals generously invested a focused and dedicated effort to make the AIMA website as polished as it is compelling. The website debuted with a soft launch on May 6, 2019, corresponding with the first day of Ramadan – an auspicious commencement for this nascent organization, followed by release to the public domain on May 10.
This organization, the AIMA, was established in response to the imperative need for quality Islamic Education in the United States. Our mission is to engage the Montessori approach, a powerful, intelligent and globally-embraced philosophy of education, as a secular infrastructure through which to nurture Islamic values and beliefs within our children. The intention is to help preserve our Deen (religion) within Western society, to impede the proliferation of misinformation about Islam, and to create opportunities for cultivation of understanding and peace – across the United States and around the world.
May this investment in our children aid in revealing the true nature of Islam, by presenting our Deen (religion) in the peaceful light it deserves. May our striving to instill Islamic values and sensibilities during the earliest and most impressionable years of life, enable our youth to thrive peacefully and productively within the pluralism and liberties of American society, Insha’Allah (God willing). May the merit of this sacred work find favour in the eyes of our Creator and may the benefits thereof become manifest on Earth, in perpetuity. Ameen.
Dr. Jaime Dodd specializes in the research and application of Montessori theory and practice in early childhood educational settings. She is a member of the executive leadership team for a nonprofit, educational and research institution in St. Louis, Missouri where she has invested the greater part of her professional career. Dr. Dodd serves on the board of various St. Louis area non-profit entities, focused primarily on educational, humanitarian and/or healthcare concerns. Dr. Dodd’s passion is manifest in her work with the American Islamic Montessori Association (AIMA), a professional membership organization to advance Islamic Montessori Education (IME) as a bridge to foster understanding, promote education and expand peace across the U.S. and around the globe.