Global Center Santiago, Chile Collaboration

The Columbia University Global Center Santiago, established in 2012, engenders and supports the work of faculty and students partnering with academic institutions, governmental organizations, NGOs, and community-based initiatives. The Global Center joins with Chilean scholars and scientists to carry out collaborative research projects and programs with the goal of sharing knowledge and deepening cross cultural understanding.

The Hollingworth Center Chilean partnership presented its work at the Santiago Global Center in January 2015 with the talk: Teachers College’s Chilean Project: The Hollingworth Education Experience in Science. The event was attended by administrators, educators, and other professionals all committed to the development of the potential of young children. Jacquelyn Duran, Director of Enrichment Services, and Chilean Hollingworth Fellows, Maria Eugenia Rivera and Anamaria Rivera, shared the Hollingworth inquiry-based science approach and a case study of this approach situated in a rural southern Chile elementary school. Highlighting active hands-on exploration to immerse the attendees in the approach, an investigation of sand from varied locations around the world was carried out with easily sourced and inexpensive hand-held microscopes. The participants in this workshop left with a wider vision of what is possible in science education and a desire to continue learning more about the approach. The partnership team continues to work with the Global Center to develop new offerings.