My visit to Proesur, UVG's other campus

La Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), a private university, was founded in 1966 (http://www.uvg.edu.gt). UVG has three external campuses. The older campus, founded in 1995, is in Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa and it is called Proesur. Antiplano, founded in 1999, is located in the Western highlands of Guatemala. I teach at the Antiplano campus which, ironically, was a former Guatemalan military base of sordid repute. For many years, the military personnel terrorized the surrounding civilian population with arrests, torture, rape, and even death. It must be very strange for victims and survivors of those past horrendous acts to have children and grandchildren studying there now in classrooms which were formerly barracks.

After expressing a desire to visit the Proesur campus to have an idea of how their English program was structured and run, María Marta Ramos, the director of the Antiplano campus, arranged for me to accompany Tereso Joj, professor and Director of Development and Programs, who was traveling over there on Monday, January 27^th.

It was a very interesting, informative visit. Tereso Joj was a very gracious host who not only asked the driver to take the most picturesque route so I could gasp at vistas of Lake Atitlan from its western side, but held my notebook, pen, and camera very gentleman-like as I toured the campus with a delightful group of students. Tereso also shared with me some of his own personal history. His father was murdered thirty years ago due to his political activism. For this reason, four of Tereso’s siblings immigrated to the U.S. and now live in California. Tereso visits them whenever he is in the U.S. on business; otherwise, he would never see them since they refuse to ever return to Guatemala. I asked Tereso why he didn’t leave after his father was killed. He replied that he loved his country and he felt committed to stay to improve the lives of his compatriots. Tereso is an educator and social activist who has worked with government, countless social organizations, and educational initiatives. Even though his English is better than my Spanish, he spoke to me exclusively in his mother tongue much to my delight since I am eager to practice as much as possible. He very patiently listened to my flawed Spanish and offered to provide the word I couldn’t find in my very limited mental lexicon.

Spectacular view of Lake Atitlan enroute to Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa

Having breakfast with Tereso Joj

The Proesur campus houses many programs. There is CAS, The American School of the South, which is a bilingual Pre-K to 12 grade school. Proesur‘s first program, CAS enjoys an enrollment of over 300 students. Another major program is its Technological Institute, ITEC, in which high school age students can enroll to obtain an Associate Bachelor degree in Mechatronics, Export Agricultural Products Industry as well as Electronic Industry. A group of ITEC students were assigned as my tour guides. Their English was quite good as they guided me to various buildings and explained the types of classes and facilities that were located there. They also took me out to the fields where agriculture majors can have practical experience growing profit-yielding crops, such as tomatoes, papaya, bananas, and even the flower, bird of paradise.

My student guides during a campus tour arranged by the staff member behind me

Bird of Paradise, grown in the fields on campus

There was a flurry of activity that day due to the visit of George E. Like from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). From what I understood, George Like works with one of USAID’s departments, American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA). ASHA had given both UVG campuses millions of dollars to buy and set up modern virtual laboratories with teaching aids as teleconferencing and smart boards. Mr. Like had come to see how the technology was being utilized. The staff, faculty and students gave their American visitor a grand reception which included tours, presentations, student and faculty testimonials, and a lovely outdoor luncheon. During the luncheon, a group of students sang and played traditional and western music.

George E. Like from American Schools and Hospitals Abroad, USAID

Proesur students playing music at the luncheon

Because of Mr. Like’s visit, it was very little time to speak with Bani Sandoval, the administrative director of the Center of Foreign Languages. But we did get in some “shop talk” during the luncheon and afterward in his office. He asked me if I would give a 1 ½ hour workshop to Guatemalan English teachers at their annual “Congreso” on February 11^th. They were desperate for more presenters since they expected at least the same number attendees they had last year, around 600. Though the time to plan a workshop was short (just two weeks), I was happy to be a part of their program. Bani and I decided that I could focus the workshop on communicative activities for beginners, a topic of great interest and practical use for English teachers from all educational domains.

Ing. Bani Sadoval, Director of the Centro de Idiomas at Proesur

It was a very productive, enlightening, and truly memorable visit. I am looking forward to returning there on February 11^th with my colleagues from the Antiplano campus who will also be attending the Congreso to get ideas for the one the Antiplano English department is expected to launch sometime in March or April.