Six University of New Mexico students and three faculty across departments are heading to Southern Spain for a month-long learning experience in Cordova. The Abriendo Mundos/Opening Worlds (AMOW) Study Abroad Program is designed to give students a hands-on experience for a chance to practice student-centered strategies for diverse learners.
The donor-supported program prepares New Mexico’s future and practicing educators in an interdisciplinary manner across bilingual education, language arts, social studies, and special education. These education students will be placed in public school classrooms in southern Spain which serves predominantly Roma families.
The student teachers/licensure candidates range from undergraduates who are early in their career to graduate students studying special education. Mia Sosa-Provencio is the director of AMOW and an Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education, Educational Leadership and Policy in the College of Education and Human Sciences at UNM. She said it was important for the program to accept a diverse, committed group of students to participate in this program.
“Part of what we did is not necessarily selecting only bilingual educators because we know that our teachers are going to teach everything and all our teachers need more support in serving the needs of multilingual students across ability,” Sosa-Provencio said. “We want to prepare teachers, no matter what they're going to be teaching, to have some skills, some knowledge, some practice, in thinking about how to serve students across any languages, not even just Spanish and English.”
Sosa-Provencio said the fellows will learn how to use visuals, art, performance, play as well as place-based and historicized curriculum so students can have access to the content no matter their linguistic background and no matter their abilities. She said the University of Cordova, who they are partnering with in this venture, have similar goals.
“The work that they are doing is about global democracy and asks how we increase student agency, how to allow open access for diverse students, and how to create curriculum that's culturally relevant,” Sosa-Provencio said. “What does it look like when you have this heightened level of cultural sharing? What does it look like when you have all these different people from different backgrounds living and working right next to each other?”
Sosa-Provencio said she made it a priority to fund all AMOW fellows to the greatest extent possible because for many participating in this trip, it will be their first opportunity to leave the United States and to have the kind of immersion experience in Europe.
“You sort of find yourself and you figure out your role and what you're capable of. You connect with other young people who are adventurous and want to learn more about the world. We want to give students this opportunity to understand the world differently and understand themselves in it,” Sosa-Provencio said.
Sosa-Provencio said she hopes to add six fellows to the AMOW program every year. There is an application process that begins in October where students submit transcripts, letters of recommendation and letters of intent.
“We really seek to build a cohort of students who are non-traditional students, who might be older, younger, from every background and discipline,” Sosa-Provencio said. “My hope for them is to become citizens of the world.”
The inaugural trip began May 16. For updates on their trip, visit the College of Education & Human Sciences website and Instagram page @unmcoehs.
