Proyecto Inglés en Caldas
Merrily Beyreuther
Following preliminary discussions in the spring and summer of 2007, a team of 12 men and women headed to Manizales in September 2008. Team members were RPCVs from Colombia and experienced ESL teachers. Our mission was to help teachers strengthen their English proficiency so they could better prepare their students in rural Caldas schools.
We worked with multiplicadores (trainers) for a short time and then provided training to 100 teachers (docentes). With our Colombian partners from the Comité de Cafeteros de Caldas and from the Fundación Manuel Mejía, we visited schools for two days, then began training. The 20 multiplicadores and docentes were very enthusiastic about the project and after a short while were laying out strategies to continue supporting each other. The multiplicadores loved that the training was all in English. The docentes were eager to learn and to practice their English.We showed them teaching approaches, played games, sang Beatles songs, distributed lots of teaching materials, and provided extensive internet resources. By the end of the two weeks, 120 Colombian teachers were eager to get back to their schools and try out their new skills.
We are working with our Colombian partners to see how we can build on this promising beginning. Stay tuned!
The instructors were Mary Ray, Coordinator, Merrily Copeland Beyreuther, Anne Kenison, Patrick King, Nancy McLaughlin, Beverly Moskowski, Barbara Muchisky, Robin Schrage, Gale Gibson, Eloina Gibson and Arleen Cheston.