INAFOCAM and Climate Change Council to Follow Up on Teacher Training Program

INAFOCAM and Climate Change Council to Follow Up on Teacher Training Program
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 9/19/2013

The executive officers of the National Institute of Education and Training of Teachers (INAFOCAM) and the National Council for Climate Change and Means for Clean Development (CNCCMDL) conducted a follow-up to start the second stage of the “Training Program for Strengthening Capacity on Climate Change and for Basic and Mid-level teachers” which both entities are conducting on the national level to benefit 200 educators from different regions of the country.

…began the second stage of the majorwhich seeks to promote higher training for teachers with a greater understanding about the climate change phenomenon.

Denia Ramona Burgos, executive director of INAFOCAM and engineer Omar Ramirez Tejada, Executive Vice-President of CNCCMDL,appeared at the headquarters of the National College of Arts and Crafts where training is underway for 40 educators from regional sectors of Education 15- Santo Domingo and 04– San Cristobal as well as schools in Azua, Santiago, Puerto Plata and Nagua, for teachers in those areas. The course will last for 52 hours, and in the first stage another group of 200 educators will be trained. 

During the visit,Ms. Burgos spoke to educators who are part of the group of teachers who began the second stage of the majorwhich seeks to promote higher training for teachers with a greater understanding about the climate change phenomenon.

She asked that teachers take this opportunity because of the significance it has in the preservation of the planet and of life itself. “For this reason it is important that what you learn will be conveyed into what you teach your students. For this reason I fell in love with this project from the moment I encountered it and managed to get support from INAFOCAM,”Burgos said.

For his part, Ramirez said that to promote knowledge of the phenomenon of climate change ”We have tried to combine the competent authorities in the management and coordination of teacher training programs, such as that of INAFOCAM, with staff who are competent to teach about the causes and consequences of climate change and its effects on our country.”

The executive Vice-President of CNCCMDL said Ms. Burgos will continue to support the project beyond the established framework of the agreement. He said the Dominican Republic has been selected by the United Nations as one of five models in the world to implement education about climate change.  He noted that the country is the onlyone in Latin America toparticipatein the project.

He said educators who present the best resultsfrom teaching about climate changemay accompanythe delegation toattend theInternshipExchange PrograminLatinAmerican countries,designated toshare theirtraining experiences withother nations in the region.

Also speaking at the ceremony for the benefit of those training were specialists in ??Natural Sciences, Yudelka Díaz Sánchez of District 02 Regional Education 15 of Santo of Domingo, and Karina Turbi of District 02 in San Cristobal Regional.

Ms. Diaz said that the knowledge derived from the training initiative helps create a culture that will have an impact on reducing vulnerability to the harmful effects of climate change that the Dominican Republic has for being an insular territory.

In turn, Ms.Turbi said educators are pleased with the training because they can learn the methodologies required topass on the knowledge they have about the climate change phenomenon.

Also taking part in the activity were Maria Roque, director of Continuing Education of INAFOCAM, as well as BildaValentin and Daniel Abreu of CNCCMDL.

TeacherDeniaBurgos, center, and engineerOmarRamirez,along with directors of INAFOCAM, CNCCMDLand teachersparticipating inthe National School ofArts and Craftstraining programsabout the phenomenonof climate change