Progress 08/25/03 to 08/24/08
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) The objective of this cooperative project is to establish an Exchange Program and provide technical assistance for Environmental Education Programs in the Azores, as part of the Azores Cooperative Initiatives Program (ACIP), as jointly decided in May 2003 by the ACIP Technical Working Group held by the United States Government and the Regional Government of the Azores. ACIP, or rather the requirement to engage in cooperative initiatives with the Azores, Portugal, is mandated in the 1995 US-Portugal Agreement on Cooperation and Defense and further defined in the Final Minute to that agreement. ACIP was created and has been implemented through Department of Defense (DOD) financial resources and relationships with civilian federal agencies and other non-governmental institutions as part of the U.S Government's commitment to the agreement. DOD has requested and funded the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS) to serve as the lead civilian agency and facilitator for ACIP.The agreement calls for the strengthening of the economic and social development of the Azores; the identification of areas within which cooperative activities and programs can promote this development; and this cooperation shall be in various areas outlined in the Final Minute, such as agriculture, education, environment, tourism and cultural exchange, civil protection, and social security and health. This cooperative project directly meets these objectives. Approach (from AD-416) The program will include the exchange of staff and information technology. Environmental strategies and methodologies will be shared. The program will provide better-trained environmental facilitators, knowledgable in scientific concepts as well as in current environmental techniques and methodologies. This will result in better environmental programming, that will provide the Azores with a higher level of environmental literacy among students and citizens, which, in turn, will lead to a cleaner, healthier environment. Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations This report serves to document activities conducted under a specific cooperative agreement between ARS and the Azorean Regional Direction of Education under the Azores Cooperative Initiatives Program (ACIP), as mandated in the 1995 U.S.-Portugal Agreement on Cooperation and Defense and further defined in the Final Minute (95 ACD-FM) to that agreement and funded by Department of Defense. This agreement was terminated in FY-2006; the project, including the most current report, was continued in project no. 0210-22310-002-93S, �Education Exchange with the Azores�.
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Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/06
Outputs
Progress Report 4d Progress report. Project Title: TRAINING EXCHANGES WITH THE AZORES Project No: 0210-22310-002-56S SY(s): HERRERA, EILEEN Location: OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS What were the most significant accomplishments this past year? This report serves to document activities conducted under a specific cooperative agreement between ARS and the Azorean Regional Direction of Education under the Azores Cooperative Initiatives Program (ACIP), as mandated in the 1995 U.S.-Portugal Agreement on Cooperation and Defense and further defined in the Final Minute (95 ACD-FM) to that agreement and funded by Department of Defense. The RGA requested that the environmental education be cancelled and all resources applied to English-language training. During a management mission, ARS and DOD representatives met with RGA Department of Education Director, Dr. Luis Silva and his colleague, Dra. Susana Siqueiros. During a previous meeting, the RGA
had indicated that they wanted to establish a teacher exchange program for English language training, preferably in areas with Portuguese and Azorean concentrations in the USA, specifically New England and California. Initially the U.S. team had been in contact with a school district in New Bedford, MA to see if such an exchange program could be set up. Although there was some initial interest shown, a series of problems at the school district currently makes this unfeasible. The U.S. and RGA group agreed to pursue at least one more course of action to hire a teacher. Should that fail, the RGA will reconsider some university proposals sent by the U.S. POC.
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Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
4d Progress report. This report serves to document activities conducted under a specific cooperative agreement between ARS and the Azorean Regional Direction of Education under the Azores Cooperative Initiatives Program (ACIP), as mandated in the 1995 U.S.-Portugal Agreement on Cooperation and Defense and further defined in the Final Minute (95 ACD-FM) to that agreement and funded by Department of Defense. English as a Second Language (ESL) is one focus of this project. The visit of Azorean teachers to observe two levels of ESL instruction was postponed at the request of the host school. Subsequently, the main contact retired and the school district had substantial cuts in their language program. A new project plan for this focus will be developed once a new school district can be identified. No impacts to report.
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Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04
Outputs
4. What were the most significant accomplishments this past year? This report serves to document activities conducted under a specific cooperative agreement between ARS and the Azorean Regional Direction of Education under the Azores Cooperative Initiatives Program (ACIP), as mandated in the 1995 U.S.-Portugal Agreement on Cooperation and Defense and further defined in the Final Minute (95 ACD-FM) to that agreement and funded by Department of Defense. English as a Second Language (ESL) is one focus of this project. A school district in the United States has been identified (awaiting confirmation by the Office of the Superintendent) as a location for five Azorean teachers to observe two levels of ESL instruction. This is tentatively scheduled for late October. Environmental education is another focus. This area was further defined during the ACIP Management Mission in August 2004 because the Azorean representatives had changed. A new project plan for this focus
area will be submitted.
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