About a half an hour from our home is a town called Olds Alberta.
On the Calgary news tonight was a story how over 100 Mexican English Teachers are in Olds learning English .
I wanted to know more about the story and our adopted Province so I searched on line and found these interesting articles.
http://www.oldscollege.ab.ca/news/releases/2006-06-20-UofC-OC-Mexico-agreement.htm
Countless students from Mexico will have access to intensive English language training programs through a new agreement between Olds College, the University of Calgary and the government of Mexico.
Olds College has a well-established history of providing language training services for teachers in Mexico’s vast Agricultural Technology high school system. The country’s Marine Industry Technology high school system and the Science & Technology College system will now have similar access.
“The government of Mexico has thousands more teachers they want us to train and certify,” said Richmond Godfrey, International Projects Coordinator at Olds College. “We are fortunate that the University of Calgary will be partnering with us to deliver this program, because their scope and experience will increase the amount of certification we can provide for the system in Mexico.
“We have signed a joint agreement with the U of C to facilitate the delivery of this expanded program, and we are extremely pleased to be able to get down to work. Teachers in the high school system are waiting to develop their English language skills and become certified. They return to share their skills with education teams and students in their schools, creating many more opportunities for students throughout the country.”
Mexico is slowly moving toward a de-centralized education system that is a joint partnership between the provincial and federal government, said Robert Wilson, Vice-President of Academic Services at Olds College. The government is looking for support in establishing the new system, and they are working to expand the competency-based approach to educational delivery throughout the entire system. Olds College has been working with the system since 1993.
“Olds College is known for its hands-on approach to learning and workplace skill development - we focus on the immediate needs and then proceed with the intention of getting immediate results. We have been able to assist 210 people from the Mexico system to become certified so far, so it has been a great success. However, we simply don’t have the capacity to deliver the amount of training they are requesting. This new agreement with the University of Calgary will be a great benefit to the program,” said Wilson.
The government in Mexico has mandated all students to learn English in high school. Olds College will assist in delivering on that mandate through programming which takes place both on campus and in Mexico
and...
taken from Feature Report
since 1999, Alberta has had a sister relationship with the Mexican state of Jalisco—home to Puerta Vallarta and considered the birthplace of Tequila—and agreed to cooperate in agriculture, economic development, tourism, and education. Culture, health, environment and technology are identified as areas for further cooperation. Further agreements have also been signed between government departments in education and training, cancer and substance abuse treatment, and livestock production.
Edmonton and Calgary jointly entered a municipal economic cooperation agreement with the state capital of Guadalajara—Mexico’s second largest city—and Zapopan. The cities have agreed to work to increase economic development, trade and investment. The University of Alberta has cooperation agreements with major institutions in Jalisco and is active in forums and exchanges with Mexican institutions including the University of Guadalajara. Meanwhile, the University of Calgary has the only Latin American Studies program in Canada. NAIT, Grant MacEwan College, Mount Royal College and Olds College are building partnerships in Jalisco and participating in exchanges. Alberta Learning has signed an agreement for a two-way exchange of students. The Edmonton and Alberta Chambers of Commerce have partnerships with counterparts in Mexico.
How good a sister is she for Alberta? Jalisco is a booming, outward-looking state and a strategic ally in Alberta’s efforts to strengthen relations and trade with Mexico. Apparently, she is also an attractive sister: There is a large Canadian retirement community of several thousand at Lake Chapala.
On the Calgary news tonight was a story how over 100 Mexican English Teachers are in Olds learning English .
I wanted to know more about the story and our adopted Province so I searched on line and found these interesting articles.
Countless students from Mexico will have access to intensive English language training programs through a new agreement between Olds College, the University of Calgary and the government of Mexico.
Olds College has a well-established history of providing language training services for teachers in Mexico’s vast Agricultural Technology high school system. The country’s Marine Industry Technology high school system and the Science & Technology College system will now have similar access.
“The government of Mexico has thousands more teachers they want us to train and certify,” said Richmond Godfrey, International Projects Coordinator at Olds College. “We are fortunate that the University of Calgary will be partnering with us to deliver this program, because their scope and experience will increase the amount of certification we can provide for the system in Mexico.
“We have signed a joint agreement with the U of C to facilitate the delivery of this expanded program, and we are extremely pleased to be able to get down to work. Teachers in the high school system are waiting to develop their English language skills and become certified. They return to share their skills with education teams and students in their schools, creating many more opportunities for students throughout the country.”
Mexico is slowly moving toward a de-centralized education system that is a joint partnership between the provincial and federal government, said Robert Wilson, Vice-President of Academic Services at Olds College. The government is looking for support in establishing the new system, and they are working to expand the competency-based approach to educational delivery throughout the entire system. Olds College has been working with the system since 1993.
“Olds College is known for its hands-on approach to learning and workplace skill development - we focus on the immediate needs and then proceed with the intention of getting immediate results. We have been able to assist 210 people from the Mexico system to become certified so far, so it has been a great success. However, we simply don’t have the capacity to deliver the amount of training they are requesting. This new agreement with the University of Calgary will be a great benefit to the program,” said Wilson.
The government in Mexico has mandated all students to learn English in high school. Olds College will assist in delivering on that mandate through programming which takes place both on campus and in Mexico
and...
taken from Feature Report
since 1999, Alberta has had a sister relationship with the Mexican state of Jalisco—home to Puerta Vallarta and considered the birthplace of Tequila—and agreed to cooperate in agriculture, economic development, tourism, and education. Culture, health, environment and technology are identified as areas for further cooperation. Further agreements have also been signed between government departments in education and training, cancer and substance abuse treatment, and livestock production.
Edmonton and Calgary jointly entered a municipal economic cooperation agreement with the state capital of Guadalajara—Mexico’s second largest city—and Zapopan. The cities have agreed to work to increase economic development, trade and investment. The University of Alberta has cooperation agreements with major institutions in Jalisco and is active in forums and exchanges with Mexican institutions including the University of Guadalajara. Meanwhile, the University of Calgary has the only Latin American Studies program in Canada. NAIT, Grant MacEwan College, Mount Royal College and Olds College are building partnerships in Jalisco and participating in exchanges. Alberta Learning has signed an agreement for a two-way exchange of students. The Edmonton and Alberta Chambers of Commerce have partnerships with counterparts in Mexico.
How good a sister is she for Alberta? Jalisco is a booming, outward-looking state and a strategic ally in Alberta’s efforts to strengthen relations and trade with Mexico. Apparently, she is also an attractive sister: There is a large Canadian retirement community of several thousand at Lake Chapala.