The International Montessori Accreditation Council (MAC) is a private agency for the voluntary, non-governmental accreditation of educational programs for the preparation of Montessori teachers. Such accreditation is provided within an umbrella structure that includes all brands and philosophies of Montessori teaching, personality, culture, and true natural. IMS serves as a collaborating organization.
IMAC was organized in 1994 to serve as an inclusive “umbrella” accrediting agency for the entire Montessori community. Montessori teacher training programs that ascribe to the specific standards of one of its collaborating organizations, has access to that organization’s specific review committee. Montessori training institutions that don’t fall under one of the collaborating organizations has access to a “generic” review committee that IMAC maintains with broad general essentials and standards for program review and accreditation. All review committees must comply with these basic ‘essentials and standards’ which are based on the observations and discoveries of Dr. Maria Montessori as reported in her various pertinent writings and publications since 1907. In this way, many different organizations and independent programs can become accredited within this one “umbrella” agency, without having to abandon their own distinctive style and emphasis of philosophy and format.