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Washington, DC – Rep. Mike Honda (CA-15) unveiled this week a program that will train English teachers in Nicaragua through a joint initiative between San Jose State University’s Writing Center and the Fabretto Children’s Foundation.
The announcement comes at a critical moment when growth in Nicaragua’s trade and tourism sectors is driving stronger demands for a bilingual workforce. For example, also this week, a $100-million denim plant opened in Nicaragua, which will generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs, including many that require English skills. However, schools often teach half days and English language instruction cannot be implemented because of a lack in resources.
“We hope this initiative will help Nicaragua become more competitive as it continues to develop and that it will help it fully reap the benefits of trade and tourism” said Honda, an educator of 30 years. “Fabretto’s programs, which I had the opportunity to observe, are exceptional. I am confident this new partnership with San Jose State, my alma mater, will further enhance their great work and help Nicaragua take advantage of the new opportunities that are knocking on its doors.”
Honda toured on Monday Fabretto’s campus in San Isidro de Bolas, near Managua, before making the announcement with U.S. Ambassador to Nicaragua Paul Trivelli and Kevin C. Marinacci, Fabretto’s vice-president for programs. Later in the day Honda visited the foundation’s facilities in Managua.
The Fabretto Foundation, a U.S.-based non-profit that operates educational centers in disadvantaged Nicaraguan communities, helps bridge the educational gap through an after-school curriculum and nutritious meals. The initiative with San Jose State University (SJSU) will help Nicaraguan teachers design an effective English curriculum for the Fabretto program. SJSU professors and students, in coordination with a select group of Peace Corps volunteers, will help in the curriculum development, a phase that will last between four and six months.
SJSU -- Silicon Valley's largest institution of higher learning with 32,000 students and 5,700 employees -- is part of the California State University system. SJSU's 154-acre downtown campus anchors the nation's 10th largest city.
“Being able to contribute to the development of a country with such potential as Nicaragua is a great opportunity for San Jose State,” Karl Toepfer, dean of SJSU’s College of Humanities and the Arts said. “For the faculty and students of the SJSU Writing Center this is a great opportunity to internationalize our curriculum while doing meaningful field work and to reaffirm SJSU's commitment to service learning. For the Nicaraguan people it means acquiring language skills which we hope will help improve their country’s competitiveness. This is positive diplomacy at its best.”
Once the curriculum design phase is concluded, SJSU faculty and students will start helping in its implementation.
“The partnership with SJSU will help strengthen our English as a second language program, giving thousands of Nicaraguan kids the access to quality English training, a critical tool in today’s world,” Said Kevin C. Marinacci, vice-president for programs at Fabretto.
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