Maria Montessori was an Italian physician and educator born in 1870 who developed the Montessori method. She opened her first Montessori school, called the Children's House, in 1907. By 1936, every continent except Antarctica had a Montessori school. Montessori was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times for her work developing an educational method focused on respecting children's natural psychological development. She believed the prepared environment and use of hands-on materials were essential to allowing children to learn through their own self-directed activity and exploration.