Together with colleague Wilbert Lamers, Roelant Wijngaards – co-founder and president of GAMES – attended the Montessori Model United Nations Conference. As delegates from all over the world began to arrive, the focus was clear: creating space for young people to meet, move, and connect.
That same spirit continued each morning, even before breakfast. While everything was still quiet, small groups gathered to start the day with movement. Beyond the activities with students, there was also time to connect with educators. During a workshop, the deeper intention behind GAMES was shared: how sport and play can become powerful tools for peace education, ownership, and real intercultural understanding.
One of the most memorable moments came during Cultural Night. What began as an evening of sharing traditions from around the world ended with something unexpected and powerful. Together with four girls from the Netherlands and two from the USA – who had joined last year’s Sustainable Development Games in Nijmegen – Roelant and Wilbert stepped onto the stage. Their joint dance performance brought an explosion of energy into the room, closing the evening in a powerful way.
In between all of this, there were countless conversations, reconnecting with familiar faces and meeting new ones. Ideas were shared, plans were explored, and the first seeds were planted for new schools to join and even host future GAMES events.
There was also a special visit to the very first Casa dei Bambini, founded by Maria Montessori.
It was a few days that showed, once again, how powerful it is when education goes beyond the classroom, when young people meet, move, and truly connect.
PEACE,
Global Association of Montessori Education and Sport
