THE HISTORY OF "MICHAEL OLAF"
In 1983 two teenage girls, with a level of confidence and initiative that surprised even their parents, started a tiny shop to provide high-quality toys and books for children. They named it after the inspiration for the project, their new baby brother Michael Olaf. Montessori teachers visiting the San Francisco area, and Michael Olaf, asked that they be sent a list of products so they could order from home. Then they wanted illustrations. The first Michael Olaf catalog's confined hand-drawn illustrations, pages produced on a copy machine, and collated on top of the family grand piano.

Gradually the small company has grown to be a full time business with 6 employs on the Northcoast of California, serving discriminating homes and school in over twenty-six countries.

Today Ursula is a Montessori Assistant to Infancy and naturalist, Michael has a degree in ethnomusicology and is in his last year of law school, and Narda is Montessori trained for 0-3, 3-6, and 6-12, a Physician Assistant, and the mother of two young Montessori students.

THE GOAL OF "MICHAEL OLAF"
Jim and Susan Stephenson are, above all, advocates for Universal Peace on Earth. The first and most important goal of their work is to aid others in this direction by means of peaceful parenting, and using Montessori philosophy in as many situations as possible.

Michael Olaf supports Tibetan refugee children in India, and has help to set up sister-school arrangements and pen-pals between countries. They have helped to arrange scholarships for teachers to get Montessori training in the USA; Susan has traveled to places as diverse as Nepal, Bhutan, Holland, and New Zealand, to give workshops, consult with schools, and speak to teachers, administrators, government officials, about the needs and education of children.

The Stephensons are not doing this alone. They have been constantly encouraged and supported over the years by teachers, administrators, parents, and by the letters of thanks from many customers who have seen joy and a love of learning brought into the lives of children through this work.

Susan working in the office of a Paro, Bhutan school, and below, with Sencho and Dendy the directors of the school who are learning about Montessori philosophy and practice.
Susan's bio: BIO

THE MICHAEL OLAF PUBLICATIONS ONLINE

Michael Olaf is a small family business run by a special group of people. Everyone you may communicate with at Michael Olaf is dedicated to making a personal contribution to helping others, to "making a difference."

The Michael Olaf publications are available to be read online as well as ordered. Click on the PDF links below. You will then see a table of contents with each chapter listed. Each chapter is a separate document to be viewed or printed. Click the chapter you wish to view.

PDF FILE PAGES:
Click here for Birth to Three: THE JOYFUL CHILD
Click here for Three to Twelve Years: CHILD OF THE WORLD

MICHAEL OLAF MONTESSORI COMPANY
65 Ericson Court, #1, Arcata, California 95521

USA Toll Free ORDER Phone: (888) 880-9235, 9-5 Pacific Time, M-F
Toll Free USA Fax, 24 hours: (800) 429-8877

Regular and International Phone
9-5 Pacific Time, M-F: (707) 826-1557

International Fax, 24 hours: (707) 826-2243

E-mail: Michaelola@aol.com

OPEN WAREHOUSE - ADULTS ONLY
2nd Friday of each month from 1:00 - 5:30 PM

They have been informed, and inspired by personal contact with, and lectures by such great educators as Ashley Montagu, Benjamin Spock, Lee Salk, Fred Rogers, Shinnichi Suzuki, Howard Gardner, and Jonathan Kozol. And they are very grateful to be in a position to share what they learn with others.

THE TEACHING TEXT of the two Michael Olaf publications, THE JOYFUL CHILD (Essential Montessori from Birth to Three) and CHILD OF THE WORLD (Essential Montessori from Three to Twelve Years), print copies and the text placed free on the internet, is used around the world to help parents and teachers. 90% of these publications are used as books, but enough are used as catalogues, customers ordering materials, to continue to support this great work.

Print copies are also available from www.amazon.com, and several other Montessori book suppliers around the world.

THE MATERIALS offered in these publications are unique. Plastic toys and kits, even though profit-making, are forgone in favor of the highest quality and most appropriate books and materials for children. Instead of trying to find more each year, they constantly review and improve what they carry, diminishing the total number of items, believing that Less is Better.

Clear illustrations and dimensions are given as often as possible so that, in places where it is not possible to order the materials, parents and teachers can make their own. Susan was pleased when visiting a poor school in Nepal to find that the tables and chairs had been made according to the specific dimensions from the Michael Olaf catalogue.

For 25 years now, many of our customers who believe in what we do, have been our loyal supporters. We are Michael Olaf grandparents, children who have been raised by the Michael Olaf text now using this information to raise their own children.

These are our goals. We thank you for your wonderful support over the years, and welcome new parents, grandparents, teachers, to this work. Jim and Susan

Here is a picture of Tenzin, a refugee child in the Tibetan Children's Village in Dharamsala, supported by Michael Olaf. To see more of the Michael Olaf children's projects, go to: children's projects