International education collaborations through the outreach program

Collaboration with UF education students showcases Traveling Suitcase program

Interns in the Early Childhood Education program develop lesson plans for Traveling Suitcases and conduct them in Alachua County classroom

BY KATY CHAPMAN AND TARA MATHIEN University of Florida College of Education

During the Spring 2023 academic semester, 11 students in the Bachelor of Arts in Education Early Childhood Education program participated in a project where they collaborated with the Center for Latin American Studies. The students are all interns in Kindergarten through Third Grade classrooms in the Alachua County area. Each student chose a traveling suitcase to take home, reviewed the contents, and created a lesson plan that they then conducted in their internship classrooms. This project lasted for a total of one month. At the culmination of the project, students presented their lesson plans at the Center for LAS for their peers and faculty. In addition to lesson plans, students also provided recommendations for using the materials in the suitcases for grade levels following developmentally appropriate practice. ◆

International educator collaborations bring Ecuadorean professor to UF

Dr. Renata Castillo from Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador visited the University of Florida this semester, sponsored by Center for Latin American Studies, the UFIC Office of Global Learning, UF International Center, the Center for Teaching Excellence, and the UF College of Education. Together with her UF collaborator, Dr. Tara Mathien, Dr. Castillo presented to UF faculty the various joint projects they have developed, including study abroad, research and presentations, and virtual exchange. Dr. Castillo also attended the Center for Latin American Studies’s 71st annual conference keynote speech, and visited P.K. Yonge Learning Community. ◆