This program allows public education teachers with scholarships to access content, practices and methodologies from prestigious universities in Massachusetts.
To enhance knowledge transfer, Chile Massachusetts Alliance (ChileMass) will take a group of 14 Chilean teachers to Boston as part of the ChileMass Teachers program. The initiative seeks to impact more than 5,000 students from Chilean schools each year with innovative learning methodologies, growing the program to 25 teachers with scholarships from various institutions.
"In Chile there are more than 7,000 English teachers eager to accompany each other in their daily challenges and strengthen their national network, and ChileMass Teachers is a tremendous opportunity to deepen ties and generate peer mentoring. We have made great progress in expanding the English curriculum to start as soon as possible with this key that opens doors to the world. Today, 86% of schools start with English in first grade," said Raimundo Larraín, Head of the General Education Division of the Ministry of Education, at the launch of the 2022 version of ChileMass Teachers.
The program is aimed at bridging gaps and preparing Chilean teachers with the competencies required in a disruptive world. "Our goal is to bring Chilean teachers closer to one of the international poles of research on educational and child development. Massachusetts is the place that has the best public education in the United States, with the highest performing schools and lowest dropout rates, and has more than one hundred universities, many ranked among the top in the world," explains Fernanda Soza, Executive Director of ChileMass.
The educational experience consists of an intensive English course, a graduate course in educational innovation, classroom experience in public schools and multiple cultural activities. Once back in Chile, the teachers share what they have learned by offering workshops and mentoring to their colleagues in the country, in order to give greater reach to what they received in Boston.
"The world knows Chile for its incredible landscapes and geography. We want them to know us also for our people and what they are capable of creating thanks to their talent and vision to contribute to creating a better world," said the executive director of Imagen de Chile, Constanza Cea. "And what better ambassadors of the Chile brand than these professors, who, with their talent and ability, are going to leave the image of our country on high, and will once again contribute all their knowledge so that we can continue to create the future from Chile," she added.
ChileMass Teachers 2022 will benefit teachers from schools in the districts of Pedro Aguirre Cerda, Puente Alto, Talagante, Rancagua, Cerrillos and Melipilla.
It is worth noting that seven of the teachers selected for 2022 were awarded scholarships by the U.S. Embassy in Chile. "Improving English proficiency helps achieve social and economic inclusion. This program is an example of the dynamic bilateral relationship between the United States and Chile. We are proud to support the third cohort of teachers who will enrich their English language teaching and make connections with the state of Massachusetts, a global leader in education," said Lisa Swenarski, Counselor for Press and Culture at the U.S. Embassy in Chile.
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