Background
Costa Rica is a country of just over 4 million inhabitants. The median age is 26.3 years and literacy rates are among the highest in Latin America at 96%. With funding from the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF), World Links began working in Costa Rica in the spring of 2001 when the first MOU was signed with the Ministry of Education. This MOU was renewed in November of 2003.
World Links in Costa Rica
Over the past six years, World Links and ICDF worked together globally to provide skills training programs on information communication technology (ICT), which has benefited thousands of youth in programs that include El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, andCosta Rica.
Beginning in 2003, World Links and ICDF have trained 86 teachers and 15 pedagogical advisors. These programs have reached more than 10,000 students in Costa Rica and resulted in a minimum of 34 successful international collaborative projects. To implement the program in Costa Rica, World Links works closely with Omar Dengo Foundation and Costa Rica's Ministry of Public Education. The Ministry of Education has agreed to include World Links modules in the national educational technology program, Programa Nacional de Informatica Educativa (PRONIE). Under the terms of the agreement, the World Links program will be part of the national curriculum for 25 schools per year. Such a step to incorporate WL materials and pedagogical approach into the formal educational curriculum has been a strong validation of the WL programs.
In addition to working with the Ministry of Education, in the fall of 2004 World Links Costa Rican partner, Fundacion Omar Dengo, signed an agreement with the University of Costa Rica, to include the World Links tele-collaborative project modules at the pre-service level. The plan is to reach 125 pre-services teacher a year with this training.
Additional ICDF Funding for January 2006- June 2006, WL will be completing its final activities for the Costa Rica Program. These activities include:
