Lecture Series

January 21, 2026 at 6-7:30pm

The brain never stops changing and a lot of that change is caused by the child’s experiences in the world. How can we adults create the best possible environment to support our children’s development, even in the midst of challenging times? This lively and fun workshop will walk us through some core aspects of brain development and provide specific ways that we can support it. We’ll talk about toileting, getting out the door in the morning, mealtimes, bedtime, and how all the little things that happen every day give us an incredible opportunity to optimize our children’s brain development.

Julia Volkman has been teaching children and mentoring teachers in private and public schools since 1997. She is a Faculty Member of the Brain Health Initiative, guest lecturer for Harvard University’s Neuroscience of Learning course, an educational researcher, a teacher mentor, and the founder and president of the educational project Maitri Learning. Her upcoming TEDx talk focuses on the practical application of neuroscience to everyday teaching and learning. Ms. Volkman earned her AMI 3 to 6+ diploma from the Montreal Montessori Training Centre and her master’s degree from Harvard. Julia first studied cognitive neuroscience at Harvard with Dr. Kurt Fisher, the founder of the field of Mind, Brain, and Education. Her graduate research on early literacy (the Montessori movable alphabet) won the Harvard Dean’s prize for outstanding research. Her work focuses on transforming education into a transdisciplinary, scientific pedagogy grounded in mind, brain, and education.