Exchange agreement will send education students to Ecuador

Early childhood education students from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will have the chance to student-teach abroad for the first time thanks to an exchange program agreement between UW-Whitewater and Centro de Estudios Interamericanos (CEDEI).

The exchange agreement was signed April 21 between Jeff Barnett, dean of the College of Education, and Ximena Velez-Calvo, founder and director of CEDEI. The agreement allows students from the university to travel to Cuenca, Ecuador, as part of the final fall semester of student teaching for early childhood education majors.

UW-Whitewater students have traveled to CEDEI in previous years thanks to Emeritus Lecturer of Communication Bill Johnson’s “Fall Semester in the Andes” program.   When CEDEI built an elementary school in 2002, "we wanted to be a part of it," Simone DeVore, special education professor and Ecuador program faculty adviser, said.

"A young person today should not graduate without an international experience," DeVore said."This is an overwhelming sense of excitement for us. I am hopeful that in the future we can invite students from Ecuador here to UW-Whitewater."

During the six-week program, to run from October through November 2009, students will teach at the bilingual CEDEI elementary school in the Andes Mountains. They will also complete a workshop, which gives them an overview of the people and culture of Ecuador, and a full schedule of courses.

Seven UW-Whitewater students have already committed to teach in Ecuador next fall.

They are:

• Senior Kelli Slowey, Milton
• Senior Joanna Haas, Racine
• Senior Becky Johnson, Elkhorn
• Senior Michelle Malliet, Middleton
• Senior Mallory Hunsader, Green Bay
• Senior Samantha McDermott, West Allis
• Senior Angie Biermann, Hartford

"I am looking forward to being immersed in the Spanish culture every day while I am there," said Biermann.

CEDEI will arrange for home stays for the students with host families. The students will student-teach in classrooms from ages two through fifth grade. They will be asked to develop unit plans that span across ages and abilities to address the curriculum needs.

Students will have a full emersion experience in Cuenca.

"We will gain insight into the culture and language as well as form relationships with peers," said McDermott.

"This will be the first step in building a long-term opportunity for other UW-Whitewater students," said Hunsader.

For more information, contact Simone DeVore at 262-472-5808 or devores@uww.edu.