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OAS Signs Cooperation Agreement with the Association of Science and Technology Centers

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States, José Miguel Insulza, today signed a cooperation agreement with the CEO of the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), Anthony “Bud” Rock, to strengthen the efforts of the Organization to improve science education in the region.

Upon signing the document, Secretary General Insulza said “the development of this kind of education – science, engineering, technology and math – is crucial for the Americas today.” He added that “this initiative is essential to promote creative thinking in our region, which is what we need, not only extended education, but quality education that gives students the basic tools to carry out studies in the field of science, technology and engineering.”

“What we are signing here is basically an agreement to work together in networking all the centers of science and technology that exist in the region centered on matters of early childhood to secondary education,” explained the OAS leader. “This is a high priority throughout the Americas and we want to make a contribution,” he concluded.

For his part, Anthony Rock characterized the agreement as “a major step forward” in the goals of his institution to improve relationships with the educational centers of the region. The CEO of ASTC said “through this agreement we will be able to give special attention to the highest standards of science education but also to cultural identity as it relates to the countries of the Organization of American States.” Although there are certain universal goals in education, he added, “at the same time we believe that it is important to retain cultural identity in science learning, the cultural aspects of how science meets the lives of individuals anywhere in the world.”

The agreement signed establishes a framework for cooperation mechanisms between the two organizations in order to strengthen education and human development in the Americas highlighting partnership, inclusion, and sustainability. Both organizations committed themselves to join efforts to contribute to the advancement of the region through capacity-strengthening activities in the areas of human development and education for individuals and institutions.

Present at the signing ceremony were the Executive Secretary for Integral Development of the OAS, Sherry Tross; the Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the OAS, Neil Parsan; the Alternate Representative of the United States to the OAS, Robert E. Copley; and the Director of International Relations of ASTC, Walter Staveloz.

The Association of Science-Technology Centers is a nonprofit organization of science centers and museums dedicated to furthering public engagement with science among increasingly diverse audiences. With nearly 600 members in more than 40 countries, ASTC encourages excellence and innovation in informal science learning by serving and linking its members worldwide and advancing their common goals.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-491/13