Promoting exchanges with Public School Teachers in Porto Alegre

Porto Alegre | August 20, 2011

APP Katie Caro (in red) poses with organizers of the event

Education which includes a worldview is the cornerstone of a people’s and nation’s sense of self. 

That was the conclusion of a group of alumni of United States Government exchange programs who initiated a program with a US Mission grant that gives public school teachers new perspectives to apply in the classroom.  On Saturday, August 20th, APP Katie Caro joined more than 150 local teachers at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre to discuss Brazil’s emergence on the world stage in the daylong seminar: “International Relations for Educators.”

Professor Paul Vizentini keynoted the program by observing that that teachers need to be fully cognizant of and be able to relate world events in the classroom because “Brazil is not only developing its economy but also its self-esteem, which will help it relate appropriately on the international stage.”

Ms. Caro emphasized the opportunities of the many programs the US Embassy offers for public schools.  She specifically noted that one of the program organizers, Airton Martins, is an alumnus of the highly successful Youth Ambassadors Program, which selects secondary school students with fluent English skills and a passion to work in social projects to travel to the US each year.  ”I am sure that he, as well as other participants, returned with a different perspective because of that experience.”

The cultural specialist from the US Embassy, Vera Galante, cited an interest in education as the common denominator of all the youth who take part in exchange programs.  “It doesn’t matter if they study engineering, medicine, or international relations, they all come back with a desire to share their newfound knowledge and with a will to work on projects linked to education..

According to Sílvia Sebben, the coordinator for the course, graduate students inspired the project in 2009 with the aim of creating “links between the university and the public schools so that what was studied here had influence in middle school.”  The 2010 program, which had 80 participants, has already had a major impact, she said, principally in the development of support materials for associated courses.

Participating for the second time in the seminar, history teacher Denise Bevith, discussed how she would be “developing a new approach to the issues with the students and expanding the vision of the content for the discipline.” She elaborated, “Coming back to the University to discuss these topics brings another vision about what is happening today.” 

More information on the RIPE program is found at http://2011.cursoripe.com/