Mexico Fellowship to Enhance Global Understanding
May 15-June 2, 2014
Led by Dr. Maria Teresa Tatto and Dr. Patricia Edwards with graduate coordinator: Abraham Ceballos mttatto@msu.edu & edwards6@msu.edu
The Mexico Fellowship for Enhancing Global Understanding is an initiative of the Michigan State University’s College of Education designed to provide a two week-intensive program of immersion into Mexico’s political, cultural and economic life. While Mexico borders the United States, understanding of this beautiful and complex country and culture is often overshadowed by superficial and prejudicial discussion around immigration and violence issues. This trip will endeavor to challenge superficial views by acquainting participants with important policy and program initiatives in the field of education in the 2nd year of President Enrique Peña Nieto’s administration. The academic and cultural program begins in Mexico City and ends in the Yucatan Peninsula. Our partners are the UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico, Facultad de Psicologia) and the UADY (Autonomous University of Yucatan) and the National Institute of Educational Evaluation (INEE). The academic program includes two full weeks of visits with policy makers and policy analysis experts in education, curriculum developers, school administrators, teachers and pupils, and professors in institutions of higher education including UNAM, and UADY and the National Pedagogical Universities (UPN). In these two weeks we will explore current national education policy aims and mechanisms for policy implementation and evaluation; key initiatives in basic education (K-12) and links with other areas such as equity, health, civic values, administration and governance; teaching and learning in basic education (e.g., literacy and mathematics curriculum); teacher education characteristics and curriculum (e.g., literacy and mathematics); and higher education structure and challenges. The cultural program includes visits to important sites in Mexico City where participants will be able to appreciate the mixture of indigenous, colonial and modern traditions that have contributed to Mexico’s current culture. In Yucatan participants will be able to attend indigenous and bilingual schools attending the Mayan population and to visit important cultural-archeological sites. Participants will receive instruction and support to develop a mini-inquiry project to help them adopt a researcher as participant stance throughout this study tour.”