KEYNOTE
Louka Parry
CEO + Founder of The Learning Future
Louka works globally as a speaker, learning strategist and education futurist. He speaks on innovation, leadership and change having worked with thousands of leaders and educators from diverse contexts all across the world, including in high-level policy fora such as the OECD, UNESCO, and the European Commission, and with all Australian States and Territories.
A rapid learner, he speaks five languages, has visited over 80 countries, and holds two Masters degrees, one in Instructional Leadership from the University of Melbourne and another in Applied Linguistics, and has also completed executive studies at Harvard and a residency at the d.school at Stanford University. Through his work, he has acquired expert knowledge in leadership, strategy, communication, wellbeing and organisational change and culture. As an education leader, he was promoted to Principal at only 27 years old and in 2012 he was named South Australian Inspirational Public Secondary Teacher of the Year.
As CEO of The Learning Future, he is committed to transform learning structures, systems and societies that better empower individuals to develop the key human capabilities that matter most now and into the future. He sits on the Steering Committee for Learning Creates Australia, and also co-leads Karanga: The Global Alliance for Social Emotional Learning and Life Skills, which connects the global education community at the forefront of the future of education and social emotional learning to empower children, educators and communities all across the globe.
2026 Theme
The 2026 Grassroots Conference invites educators, leaders, and communities to explore learning through a dual lens: the nature children experience around them, and the nature of how they learn, grow, and develop from birth through adolescence.
Tread Lightly calls us to approach both the natural world and the developing mind with reverence and respect. It reminds us to observe carefully, to follow the child, and to trust in developmental rhythms rather than rushing or forcing learning. Teach Boldly challenges us to break free from artificial constraints, whether the confines of purely indoor education or outdated assumptions about how learning occurs.
From understanding how the infant’s absorbent mind processes sensory experience to supporting adolescents grappling with identity and purpose, from recognising the healing power of outdoor play to applying insights from neuroscience, this conference honours the complexity of education across all developmental stages.
As we face unprecedented challenges, including environmental crisis, mental health concerns, and technological disruption, Montessori’s call to follow the child’s nature while connecting them to the natural world becomes both pedagogically sound and urgently necessary.
Join us in Adelaide as we explore how understanding the nature of learning, in all its dimensions, empowers us to educate more wisely, more compassionately, and more courageously.
Because when we align education with both the nature of the world and the nature of the child, transformation becomes possible.
Join us in:
Location
The 2026 Grassroots Conference will be held at the Adelaide Hills Convention Centre in
Hahndorf, South Australia.
Deluxe 2 Bedroom – $294 per night
Superior 1 bedroom – $209 per night
Standard Studio Cottage – $195 per night
Superior Studio Cabins – $224 per night
Contact:
hahndorf.conferencestays@discoveryparks.com.au
Other Accommodation Options
Additional accommodation providers located nearby on the main street:
Annual Grassroots Conference
Fast becoming an event not to be missed, MSCA’s Annual Grassroots Conference is a ‘home-grown’ initiative bringing the Montessori community together. It provides connection and professional development for Montessori educators and leaders with ‘on-the-ground’ presenters sharing their practice and insights.
Starting in Adelaide in 2022 and continuing through Melbourne in 2023, Sydney in 2024, and Brisbane in 2025, Grassroots is back in Adelaide for 2026.
Previous Themes:
2025 – ‘A Story to Tell’
2024 – ‘A Hope and a Promise: An Education for Peace’
2023 – ‘From Little Things, Big Things Grow’
2022 – ‘Montessori Education: A Changing World, Evolving Culture’
Registration Fees
Add Ons
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Conference Dinner $90.00 (incl. GST)Join us for a three-course banquet dinner held on-site at the Adelaide Hills Convention Centre on Saturday, 12 September 2026.
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Pre-Conference Workshop $325.00 (incl. GST)Join Lucy Reynolds for a practical workshop looking at Music in the Montessori Classroom. Running from 10am to 3:30pm on Friday 11 September 2026, includes lunch. $380.00 without Conference attendance.
Registration opens Monday, 15 June 2026. Early bird prices available until 31 July 2026.
MSCA Members
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Two Days of Professional Development
Non-Members
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Two Days of Professional Development
Groups of 7+
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Contact us to get the discount code.
