This page last updated
February 25, 2008
The Education Office of the Embassy of Spain has been working
to promote collaboration with State Education Agencies and
local school districts throughout the United States for decades.
The results of these efforts include the creation of Spanish
Resource Centers in partnership with American universities,
the implementation of visiting teacher programs (in 20 states),
and development of other education programs that involve American
students and teachers and that promote the teaching of Spanish
as a second language including a better understanding of the
Spanish language and culture.
The partnership between the Texas Education Agency and the
Ministry of Education of Spain began in 1987 with the implementation
of the Summer Institutes program, and was further validated
with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in
1997.
Products of this cooperation include a Resource Center for
teachers at the University of Houston, summer institutes for
Texas teachers held at universities in Spain, a teacher exchange
program, a visiting Spanish consultant at the Agency, and
a number of other educational programs designed to improve
and expand the teaching of the Spanish language and culture
in Texas, as well as the teaching of the English language
and culture in Spain. Hundreds of Spanish and Texas teachers
have benefited every year from the richness and quality of
these exchange programs. The Texas/Spain Visiting Teacher
Program has brought hundreds of teachers to Texas school districts
since 1998.
The award of partial scholarships and full scholarships has
been facilitated by the Embassy of Spain on an annual basis
for both teachers and students. This includes the prestigious
$14,000 Quetzal Route Scholarship that is awarded to several
Texas high school students. Each year two teachers are also
recognized by the Texas Foreign Language Association and the
Texas Association of Bilingual Educators and awarded full
scholarships to travel and study in Spain. This year, a high
school student was awarded a full scholarship for travel and
study in Spain as well.
The AP Spanish Language Courses, The Teacher Assistant Program,
The Spanish Academies Program (or the Language Training Programs
for teachers of Spanish as a Foreign Language or Spanish speakers)
are examples of new programs that are being introduced as
a result of this collaboration and that will be added to the
programs now recognized as part of the Texas-Spain Initiatives.
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