U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today delivered remarks at the Espacio USA: Vanguardia Latina 2008 Conference on "The Americas: A Hemisphere in Motion" at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, D.C. Secretary Spellings highlighted the importance of education, international studies and student exchange opportunities as a means of furthering competitiveness and fostering peace and prosperity in the Western Hemisphere.

"The Western Hemisphere has always been a region of great promise, and our common history and values have made our nations natural partners," said Secretary Spellings. "All of us know that knowledge is the single most valuable currency in this changing world, and education continues to be the surest path to opportunity and prosperity."

During the conference, students presented Secretary Spellings with the 2008 Vanguardia Latina Charter, a document created by students at the conference to express their main concerns and ideas related to competitiveness and development.

The Western Hemisphere has shown strong economic growth and hopeful signs in education, with policy makers in the region increasingly making educational quality a priority. College enrollment rates in the hemisphere have increased, as well as years of schooling. In South America, Central America and the Caribbean, literacy rates among 15 -24 year olds are at 96 percent. In addition, there have been gains in establishing standards and assessments systems and, in some countries, a trend toward greater accountability.

"Preparing more students to succeed in our global knowledge economy will yield cascading benefits for communities, nations and our entire hemisphere," said Secretary Spellings. "Government can, and will continue to, play a vital role in expanding opportunity. At the same time, we also rely on businesses, communities and individuals like you to do your part."

The U.S. is supporting a number of efforts to help more people access a quality education throughout the Western Hemisphere, including through Centers for Excellence for teaching training, which have trained nearly 15,000 educators serving half a million disadvantaged students across Latin America and the Caribbean. Last year, President Bush announced a new partnership that provides $75 million over the next three years to help Latin American youth learn English and have the opportunity to study in the U.S. Part of that funding has gone towards a Community College Initiative to bring students to study at U.S. community colleges in fields critical to economic development.

Secretary Spellings has continuously emphasized the importance of international education and increasing the number of student exchanges with the U.S. Together with the U.S. Department of State, Secretary Spellings had led historic, first-ever delegations of U.S. university presidents to Asia, India and Latin America to encourage international exchange and education.

Sponsored by Espacio de Vinculación, A.C. and Grupo Televisa, the Espacio USA: Vanguardia Latina 2008 Conference on "The Americas: A Hemisphere in Motion" is an annual forum for over 150 U.S. Latino and Latin American students to participate in intense dialogue with government officials, diplomats, scholars and experts from the U.S. and Latin America on the most pressing issues facing the countries of the western hemisphere.

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