Cultural Vistas Welcomes Irish Education & Technology Leaders for U.S. Exchange Program
Washington (PRWEB) January 13, 2014 -- Cultural Vistas is pleased to welcome 10 Irish professionals to the United States for EdTech Ireland, a two-week exchange program exploring emerging trends and best practices at the intersection of technology, STEM education, and entrepreneurship.
EdTech Ireland is a collaborative effort initiated by the U.S. Embassy in Dublin and U.S. Consulate in Belfast, and funded by the U.S. State Department's Innovation Fund.
This short-term exchange will be administered by Cultural Vistas in four U.S. cities over the course of 14 days. The two weeks of programming begins Sunday, January 12 in the nation's capital, and includes visits to Seattle and Boston before concluding in New York City on Saturday, January 25.
"Technology’s role in education continues to expand exponentially, but in many cases the technology has outpaced educators’ ability to apply it in a manner that most effectively helps the most number of children to learn," said Dan Ewert, Cultural Vistas' Vice President for Program Research, Partnerships and Innovation. "We see this visit to the United States as another investment in a long relationship Cultural Vistas has had with using technology and technical exchanges to enhance education of young people in Ireland."
With this in mind, Cultural Vistas has organized a national program itinerary designed to expose the 10-member delegation to the ever-changing field of education technology within the United States.
While stateside the group will visit government and educational institutions, game and app developers, tech startups, and NGOs, where they will have opportunities to network with their American counterparts and hear different perspectives on the importance of creating a skilled workforce – for the economy, and for society in general.
The tour includes trips to STEM-focused high schools as well as several U.S. universities that research ways technology can be more effectively used in classrooms and prepare teachers to understand ways to use it, including the University of Washington, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Columbia University's Teachers College.
Tours and meetings with representatives from the U.S. Department of State, Betamore, Bungie, Change the Equation, Enterprise Ireland, Microsoft Studios, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Center for Technological Literacy, NBC Learn, and Valve Software; as well as various cultural and networking activities are among the planned activities.
Follow updates from their visit in real time at #EdTechIE.
As an organization, Cultural Vistas maintains a rich history of programs connecting Irish and American young professionals with opportunities to enhance their careers and promote a global perspective.
In 1964, Irish university students Brendan Dohorty, John Holland and David Peelo were invited to the United States to receive training at General Electric and the Long Island Lighting Company through the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE).
Fifty years later, Cultural Vistas, now the parent company of the United States affiliate of IAESTE, is pleased to be working with the U.S. Embassy in Dublin to continue a long tradition of promoting the sharing of international culture through the exchange of knowledge to help educate future generations.
"Not only do we hope these ten professionals have a great cultural learning experience, we hope it helps IAESTE United States to grow exchanges through its partner, IAESTE Ireland," added Ewert.
Cultural Vistas staff will travel with the group for the duration of the two-week program.
About Cultural Vistas
A nonprofit organization, Cultural Vistas annually serves more than 5,000 students, professionals, and emerging leaders through career-focused international internships, educational study tours, language immersion and cultural exchange programs in the United States and around the world. – Learn more at culturalvistas.org.
Follow @CulturalVistas on Twitter.
Anthony Naglieri, Cultural Vistas, http://culturalvistas.org/, 212-497-3500, [email protected]
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