Site Navigation (skip navigation)

Education Programs Navigation

» Simmons in Madrid

An Agreement to Fortify Bilingual Education in Madrid

Simmons College of Boston, Massachusetts, signs an agreement of collaboration with UCETAM

by L.B. BORGES

To fortify bilingual education in the Madrilenian schools and to enhance the cultural relationship between Spain and the United States — those are the primary goals that led to Union de Cooperativas de Ensenanza de Trabajo Asociado de Madrid (UCETAM) to sign a collaborative agreement with Simmons College of Boston, Massachusetts. UCETAM also is collaborating with the company Zia Consulting, an expert in the field of bilingual education.

This agreement establishes the main lines to introduce and complete a program of bilingual education, which first will be developed in the 82 arranged centers associated with the UCETAM all over the Madrid community.

"The idea is to establish a bridge between the United States and Madrid," said a Madrid education official. "It is arduous work to add another culture to the maternal culture. In addition, bilingual education is very expensive. For this reason, this agreement ensures that this type of education will be facilitated and harnessed."

The project will take place in three phases. First, it will be centered around infant and primary students to reinforce their learning with the presence of student teachers chosen by Simmons College.

Secondly, part of the secondary school teaching staff of UCETAM will prepare lessons with experts from Simmons to provide classes in English.

The third phase will take place by means of interchanges of students and professors with arranged schools, first from Boston and soon with centers visiting the United States.

Mutual interest
"These are two countries with a mutual demand. In Spain it is known that English is fundamental, and in the United States the interest in learning

Spanish is very great," said Jose Manuel Caballero of ZIA Consulting.

Simmons College is one of the most prestigious universities in the United States. One of its traditions (it was founded on 1899) is serving as a pioneer of women's education at the turn of the 20th century.

UCETAM, on the other hand, was founded on 1985 and collaborates with more than 100 cooperatives with more than 1,500 partners.

The signing took place yesterday evening in an act presided over by the president of Simmons College of Boston, Massachusetts, Susan Scrimshaw, and the president of UCETAM, Fernando White Fernandez. They also will be present in a second act that will be celebrated today in the U.S. Embassy of the United States.

Also, attending this meeting are, the Martí Stell; Lynda Johnson, assistant dean of Simmons College; the advisor of State, Enrique Alonso Garcia; personnel of Zia Consulting; and different members from cooperative UCETAM, among others.


View Photo Slideshow

Simmons & Madrid Schools Partner To Boost Teachers' International Skills

An Agreement to Fortify Bilingual Education in Madrid
This article was featured in El Mundo in Spain, November 20, 2006 and was translated from Spanish.

 

Site Tools

Page Footer

Top | Up to Page Content