Dr. Carlos Paldao (second from left) delivering his speech. By his side Leonel Fernández, President of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development;  Natasha Despotovich, FUNGLODE’s International Relations Director, and  Eddy Martínez, Science and Technology Director.

Educational Portal of the Americas  Web page: http://www.educoas.org/

The Portal of the Americas, an initiative by the Organization of American States (OAS) is determinately contributing to the education of tens of thousands of Latin Americans, from the elementary level to college level.

A project that not only benefits Latin Americans in their respective countries, but also Spanish speakers worldwide.

This statement was made at the conference addressed by Dr. Carlos Paldao, Director of the Department of Information Technology for Human Development, who manages the Fellowships Program and this Portal.

During the conference, held at the Jaragua Hotel this past January 27, under the auspices of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (FUNGLODE), Dr. Paldao assured that this is not about an idea coming of an individual or organization such as the OAS, but rather it is about the Education Portal of the Americas, of all member states, in short of all nations of the Americas.

He added that “we are offering our services to those organizations of excellence that so wish, and are making available sites, so that offers being made by certain universities in their own country may be universally spread.

Paldao added that in this way organizations will have at their disposal a free tool that will ease their work, and at the same time translates into a saving in technological investments.

The universities housed in the Portal of the Americas include, without limitation, Fundación Omar Dengo, Costa Rica, which utilizes new technologies in the classroom; teaching children at the elementary level how to operate a computer, design a web page, and robotics programs.

This is a project, according to expressed by Paldao “to which a Mirror Site has been assigned, so that its sign may be projected, and spread throughout the region” and extend beyond its frontiers.

26 Million Visits

The Educational Portal of the Americas has been so successful that for the past two years, it has been visited by 26 million students, professors, researchers, and professionals from 124 nations.

Further, it has provided training to over 6,000 individuals through academic and actualization studies developed in the portal.  Cooperation and exchange agreements  have been established with more that 900 organizations in the region, in addition to providing training to over 350 individuals as multiplying agents at the Miami-based IACD academic center.

Dr. Paldao indicated that major users of the Educational Portal include Argentina, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico, a fact closely linked to the technological potential of such nations and the growing relevance given to this developmental field.

However, he pointed out there are cases outside the American continent, worth mentioning such as the European Union, and certain Asian countries.  “This draws our attention due to the number of visits at the portal and the people interested in becoming acquainted with our education, our culture, and any and all that relates to the 23 sectors with which the OAS works, including housing, health, nutrition, hygiene, science, and technology.

Paldao underlined that there is a series of projects that will be starting soon.  “We are working on the launching of a course on the Enhancement of the Quality of Basic Education in April.  The idea is to have this first experience with a small group of 3,000 participants in the Spanish-speaking sector.

Furthermore, try-outs are being carried out with another small group of 2,000 students in Brazil, where intense effort is being put towards the training of coaches for the launching of the version of such course in English, with the goal in mind to have at this stage 1,000 teachers trained.

The Educational Portal of the Americas is also working on extension and professional actualization activities on the subjects of democracy, work, social, scientific and technological development.

On the other hand, the Director of the Department of Information Technology and the Fellowships Program of the Inter-American Agency for the Cooperation and Development said that an event of vital importance for the sector is the International Conference of Virtual Educa, which shall work with the greatest players in the government sector, the University, private sector, civil society, and non-government organizations with regard to a problematic on the use of new technologies to enhance, strengthen, expand, and consolidate the conformance or development of the human potential.

Other participants at such event by the Global Foundation include:  Dr. José María Antón, Executive Director of Virtual Educate, who referred to the IV International Conference on Education, Training, and New Technologies, to be hosted in Miami, June 18-20, 2003, and Dr. María Ruiz, Institutional Coordinator for Virtual Educa, both experts in Education.

SANTO DOMINGO, FEBRUARY 3, 2003

Envíelo