The Organization of American States (OAS) announced recently that it is donating 1,500 scholarships to the University of New Mexico to train teachers in the State of New Mexico. The scholarships will be used for online courses offered through the Educational Portal of the Americas (www.educoas.org) of the Institute of Advanced Studies of the Americas.
The value of the scholarships is approximately $300,000, according to Carlos Paldao, chief, Division of Information Technology for Human Development, OAS. Those receiving the scholarships would be teachers pursuing professional development.
OAS and UNM signed an agreement in 1994 to strengthen education and training in the Americas through applied information and communication technology. The scholarships are the next step toward meeting those goals.
The announcement was made during a working meeting at UNM with Dr. Cynthia Radding, director, UNM Latin American and Iberian Institute; Dr. Eliseo Torres, UNM vice president of Student Affairs; Dr. Viola Florez, dean, UNM College of Education and other UNM education and technology professionals.
Dr. Verónica García, New Mexico Secretary of Education, was unable to attend, but noted, “This is a wonderful opportunity for educators of the State of New Mexico to explore new methods of professional training. We are very interested in expanding distance learning opportunities for teachers at all levels and are enthused to be collaborating with the OAS in this important endeavor.”
OAS, the Ibero-American Science and Technology Education Consortium (ISTEC) and the Center for Latin American Resources and Outreach (CLARO) at UNM’s Latin American and Iberian Institute will coordinate training activities planned for 2005-06. Teachers will be able to participate in such online courses as “Quality in Basic Education” and “Education in Nutrition.” Onsite workshops are also planned.
“This is a pioneering effort for the State of New Mexico and UNM with regards to the professional training of their teachers,” Paldao said.
New Mexico is not unique with regard to teachers having limited access to higher education options and a need for professional development. Paldao said that in Brazil the portal was going to be made available for 500 teachers.
“They came back and told us they had a need for 9,000 slots, representing just ten percent of Brazil’s teachers,” he said.
“We have always had a very positive working relationship with UNM and we are glad to be able to support the efforts of the state of New Mexico to strengthen teacher training through the infrastructure of the Educational Portal of the Americas,” Paldao said.
LAII Coordinator Ana Nolla said the portal is a good product. She added, “We need to provide licensure and professional development opportunities to New Mexico teachers and the state will need to recognize this program.”
Dean Florez said that coursework would need additional input and local monitoring. She also said that the College of Education needs additional resources in order to dedicate faculty time to develop and teach Web-based courses. “We also need to assess its impact on our programs,” she said.
The Educational Portal of the Americas was launched in September 2001 to provide the region with greater access to educational and training opportunities and to promote equity in education so all citizens of the hemisphere can reach full academic, professional and personal potential. Available in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese, the portal has attracted tens of thousands of users from 200 countries and territories of the world and has trained more than 10,000 professionals in the region.
Ramiro Jordán, ISTEC executive director, said, “This program helps to make the state of New Mexico the gateway for science and technology in Latin America.” He added that Gov. Bill Richardson helped fund and establish ISTEC when he was in Washington. In addition to offering coursework, the portal will also provide access to digital libraries.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920