Photo Features

Amb. Garza meets with teachers from indigenous communities traveling to the U.S.

During a visit to the city of Oaxaca on June 16, 2005, Ambassador Garza met with teachers from indigenous communities who will attend a one-year program at Arizona State University under the auspices of the TIES program.

A teacher from the state of Chiapas, wearing the traditional garb of his home region, reads a few words about his goals in participating in the TIES program. Listening are Ruben Viveros, National Director for Indigenous Education at Mexico's Secretariat of Public Education; Ambassador Garza; and Sandra O'Reilly, of Georgetown University, coordinator of the scholarship program.

Said Ambassador Garza: "Let me invite you to make the best of this opportunity, to improve your technical skills, to learn a new language, to meet a different culture. Your effort will be appreciated, and will improve Mexico's ability to compete globally.

A total of 21 teachers from rural areas in the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Jalisco, Queretaro and Guanajuato are participating in the program this year. They came together in Oaxaca for a week-long orientation session which culminated with this ceremony. While in Arizona they will improve their technical skills to better apply and share their newly-acquired knowledge in their own communities.

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