The Need

The need for cultural understanding in the Americas is staggering. In the United States, the fastest growing segment of our society is the U.S. Latino, who are rapidly losing their ability to appreciate their own rich cultural heritage as they become absorbed in current U.S. trends. In the countries of Mexico, Central and South America, the lack of funds in education reduces the ability to access knowledge about each other’s past.






















As the fastest growing demographic in the United States, Latin American students are at greater risk than ever in losing touch with their cultural roots. At the same time, teachers in the United States are faced with growing pressure to better interpret the art, geography, history and anthropology of our Western Hemisphere. State education boards are scrambling to integrate technology into the classroom. Focus groups in urban and rural communities are charged to find solutions to educator preparation and development. This demand for knowledge mapped against the demand for cultural-education content has driven the rapid development of MuseAmericas.org.

The Solution

Teach the Teacher is a program the Museum of the Americas Foundation wishes to develop in order to introduce the MuseAmericas.org site to K-12 classrooms in the United States. Teach the Teacher is a unique opportunity that effectively brings technology and teaching together. This integration is essential to prepare our youth to work in a world where technology allows for cultural considerations that did not exist before. We are seeking your support to enable us to fund this program.

Purpose:

    • To educate area teachers about the learning opportunities and resources of the Western Hemisphere available on www.museamericas.org.
    • To integrate cultural learning into the standard curriculum of our schools in order to prepare our future work force for a multi-cultural environment,
    • To ensure the advantages of the latest communications technology are used to reach as many students as possible,
    • To encourage feedback from students, teachers and learning institutions which can be used to improve the educational experience of our children,
    • To instill community interaction and develop a sense of ownership in our children’s educational opportunities,
    • The MuseAmericas.org site will become a center for interdisciplinary teaching tools, enabling educators within and outside of their own country, to share knowledge particular to their history, geography, anthropology, art, etc.

How To:

  • Teach the Teacher will start in highly targeted pilot programs to be rapidly replicated in communities across the United States.
  • Teachers will be identified with the help of the local school districts. The incentive to the school board and the teachers will be a subsidized sabbatical. The Museum Foundation funds for Teach the Teacher will go to the school board to offset costs for required masters and/or doctorate work of their teaching staff.
  • Teach the Teacher materials will be developed with assistance from teachers in selected markets. Focus groups within selected school systems will work with the Museum of the Americas staff to develop the teaching aids. Teaching materials will include but not be limited to CD’s, printed cards, and posters to be left with students and teachers.
  • Teachers will be asked to recruit volunteer teachers and parents to assist in spreading the MuseAmericas.org resources.
  • MuseAmericas.org will also invite local corporate sponsors to assist in providing volunteers to expand the Teach the Teacher program into each pilot- community school system.
  • Selected local teachers will work with the Museum of the Americas Foundation for the first year of the program’s launch. Criteria for teacher participation will be ranked according to interdisciplinary teaching experience, experience with using the Internet as a teaching tool, knowledge of the Western Hemisphere and communication skills. Teachers will be sought at the K-12 grade levels.
    • Align with existing state and regional technology /education programs such as the California Technology Assistance Project (CTAP) and the Texas Education Agency (TEA). There are many such organizations, which further demonstrate the need and desire for community based assistance.

Benefits:

    • Teachers have a funded sabbatical
    • School board defers the cost of providing the sabbatical
    • Sponsors receive credit for direct commitment to the community
    • Museum resources are introduced to the school system.
    • Teachers find new resources for projects and lessons
    • Students are exposed to interdisciplinary learning: geography, language, archeology, art, and history of different cultures through games, vivid pictures and hands-on learning
    • School name is listed on registration page as part of the permanent site
    • Corporate sponsors are recognized publicly in their community and also listed on the registration page as permanent record of their community support