K-12 Teacher Institute in Panama

Central America: People & Environment
Panama

JUNE 18 – JUNE 28, 2022 | 11 days / 10 nights
We are no longer accepting applications. View curricula created by participants from this institute.
This is a competitive application process, space is limited. All applicants will be notified of their application status via email by April 6.

A NOTE ON COVID-19: The Stone Center for Latin American Studies is closely monitoring the global health situation. While our preference is to conduct the program in-person as described below during Summer 2022, we are exploring alternative options (including online options) in case travel remains risky. Our first priority is our travelers’ safety, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please note that on our group programs such as this one, we require all participants to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Please click here for more details regarding our health and safety policies.

The 2022 K-12 Summer Teacher Institute, Central America: People and the Environment is a professional development institute for K-12 educators located in Panama. The goal is to inform K-12 educators about the diversity of Central America and to work with educators to incorporate this content into their classroom. The institute deepens educator’s understanding of the different issues and challenges within the region with a particular emphasis on people and the environment. The institute will provide pedagogical training to help educators incorporate new content into their curricula. 

The institute explores the historic connections between the U.S. and Central America through the Panama Canal, as well as local histories, culture, and the ecological systems on which diverse Panamanian communities depend. Faculty and local scholars and activists will provide the resources, content and will lead discussions to allow participants to deepen their knowledge on the region. Our goal is to enable educators to bring more comparative perspectives into their curricula to support the global learning of K-12 students. To this end, the institute will include sessions focused on pedagogy led by a pedagogical expert that will include brainstorming activities, discussions on how to lead conversations around place-based and experiential learning, and how to inspire students’ civic engagement. 

The institute includes an online pre-trip workshop designed to prepare the group for the trip abroad. The group then meets in Panama for the ten-day program in country followed by a post-trip workshop to share resources, curricula and explore next steps.  

Participants stay in Ciudad del Saber, a research park occupying a former U.S. military base in the Canal Zone just outside of Panama City. The group participates in regular cultural activities and workshops led by the nation's foremost scholars, creators, and leaders. We explore even more of the country through excursions to points of historical, cultural, or economic significance, such as:

 

Learning Objectives

Summer institute participants will explore the diversity of the Panama ecosystem and people, discover new perspectives to the development of the Panama Canal and the impact of the Canal Zone on the country.  

Participants will: 

  • develop strategies to tap into the insights and knowledge of educators in Panama 
  • learn to build community and engage colleagues in collaborative teaching design 
  • experience the power of place-based, experiential learning as they explore, inquire, and create new educational tools for their own classrooms 
  • improve regional expertise  
  • create a curricular resource to bring this knowledge back to their own schools and communities 

Program Accommodations

All program activities (except excursions) take place in Ciudad del Saber located approximately 10 km outside of Panama City’s Casco Antiguo. It has regular bus service to Albrook Terminal, Panama City’s main transportation hub. Participants can also easily hire an Uber to take them to and from the city.

Participants stay in their own room in the Ciudad del Saber lodging complex, which feature a private balcony and access to a shared kitchenette on each floor. Breakfast (included in the program price) is available daily in the nearby dining hall.
 
While enrolled in the program, participants will enjoy the full range of amenities available at the Ciudad del Saber complex. The compound features a food court with a variety of food options, as well as on-site bars, restaurants, a grocery store and other various stores. Additionally, participants will have access to recreational facilities including a park, gym, pool, and sports fields (equipment rental not included in program price).

Cost 

$1500

Fees include housing (single room), 1 meal/day, transportation to/from airport, all costs associated with group excursions. Fees do NOT include airfare to/from Panama, passport/visa expenses, vaccinations, laundry, and other incidentals. 

Refund and Cancellation Policy

  • All cancellations must be submitted to the Stone Center for Latin American Studies in written form by emailing your request for cancellation to crcrts@tulane.edu. If you do not receive a confirmation that we have received your written cancellation request, please call us at 1.504.865.5164. Verbal cancellation requests will not be honored.
  • If you cancel 60 days or more prior to departure, all your program fee payments will be refunded besides your $500 deposit which is kept on file for future use
  • If you cancel between 30 and 59 days prior to departure, you will receive a 50% refund and your deposit is kept on file for future use
  • If you cancel within 30 days of departure, you will receive no refund, but your deposit is kept on file for future use

 

This program is organized by the Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University, the Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx Studies at Vanderbilt University,  and the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Institute at the University of Georgia.  

Please email crcrts@tulane.edu or call 504.865.5164 for additional details.

 

Faculty

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