Apr 8, 2011 | Education, Escuela Nueva, Vicky Colbert
In our first and second blog posts, we had the pleasure of meeting the Escuela Nueva Foundation’s Vicky Colbert, winner of the 2011 Kravis Prize. In this final interview segment, we will explore the methods used by Vicky and Escuela Nueva to provide high quality education in developing countries around the world. Kravis Prize: We’ve discussed the need for high quality education, but specifically how does Escuela Nueva work to achieve this important goal? Vicky Colbert: In my experience, much attention and emphasis in educational reform is given to administrative, budgetary and spending issues, which do not directly affect student achievement. Unfortunately, very little effort is directed toward making changes within the classroom and improving teaching practices. By analyzing the daily interactions that take place in the classroom between teachers and students, among pupils themselves and in the community with students and their families, we can truly affect change. Kravis Prize: So the Escuela Nueva model is entirely focused on the classroom? Vicky Colbert: We have found that both classrooms and schools are important agents for educational change. Initiatives to improve the quality and relevance of education must be done at this level to be truly successful. Further, a shift in the teaching-learning paradigm must occur. More of the same is not enough to change the lives of students. Improving the quality of education requires more than an emphasis on expanding current systems. It necessitates a cultural shift of emphasis away from transmission of information toward comprehension and collective construction of knowledge. For the last two decades, Ernesto Schiefelbein, the former director of UNESCO for the Latin American and... read more
Mar 31, 2011 | Education, Escuela Nueva, Kravis Prize, Vicky Colbert
Could Los Angeles benefit from an educational model developed in Colombia? In an article published in La Opinión, 2011 Kravis Prize recipient Vicky Colbert contends that Escuela Nueva’s successful model of child-centered, participatory learning could be adapted to fit Hispanic populations in other countries, including the United States. While cities like Los Angeles are beset by gang violence, the article pointed out that children in Latin America are confronted with similar issues, such as the dangerous influence of drug trafficking. Escuela Nueva’s educational model, which has thrived in developing nations, might prove successful in developed nations as well. As Colbert explained, “Plant your goals in a new envirnoment, and perhaps it can grow in the... read more
Mar 29, 2011 | Uncategorized
After visiting New York to receive the 2011 Kravis Prize in Leadership, Vicky Colbert traveled to Claremont McKenna College in California for a special luncheon and the opportunity to meet with students at the Kravis Leadership Institute. During an interview that was published in Saturday’s Claremont Courier, Vicky said that when she returned to Colombia after studying in the United States, she found that the students were not excited about school or learning. To rectify this, Vicky started the Escuela Nueva Foundation and found teachers that were inspiring their students in the classroom. We think it’s interesting that Vicky said that, based on her success in transforming Colombia’s schools, she’s been asked to help turn around low-income schools in the United States and that it’s something she is “definitely thinking... read more
Mar 25, 2011 | CMC, Education, Escuela Nueva, Kravis Prize, Vicky Colbert
Can the educational model espoused by the Escuela Nueva Foundation in Colombia work here in the United States? In his Cutting-Edge Leadership blog on PsychologyToday.com, Dr. Ronald Riggio explains that, not only would this model work here, it was created here and it is still used in the best schools in the country. Riggio, the Henry R. Kravis Professor of Leadership and Organizational Psychology at Claremont McKenna College, explores the limitations of the “top down” approach of the current U.S. educational system and how our children’s education could be drastically improved by adopting methods spearheaded by 2011 Kravis Prize winner Vicky Colbert and the Escuela Nueva Foundation. Read more: Leading From the Ground Up: How To Transform U.S. Education [PsychologyToday.com]... read more
Mar 21, 2011 | Education, Escuela Nueva, Vicky Colbert
Last week, we had the chance to meet Vicky Colbert, the 2011 Henry Kravis Prize winner and learn about her education-focused nonprofit organization, the Escuela Nueva Foundation. Today, we will post more of our interview with her and hear her thoughts on the challenges facing today’s educators. Kravis Prize: What are some of the obstacles facing education today in the developing world? Vicky Colbert: In my view, the main challenges in education, both in developing and developed countries, go far beyond the issues of access and coverage. The biggest obstacle worldwide is the lack of quality in education. A quality education is what really makes a difference in the growth and development of nations. Ernesto Schiefelbein, the former director of UNESCO for the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region, said, “Poor quality has long-range consequences at a time when economic growth and democracy require high quality education.” The data supports our argument. In the last decade in the LAC region, 20 percent of students enroll late, 42 percent repeat first grade and 30 percent repeat second grade. This grade repetition is extremely expensive for schools. An estimated $3.5 billion is spent annually on the 20 million students who are repeating grades. At Escuela Nueva, we think education expenditures should focus on measures that are cost-effective in raising the level of student achievement. While access and coverage are important, investing in educational systems and teaching/learning approaches that guarantee a high quality education for all should be our main focus. After all, high quality education is what yields significant benefits for self-sufficiency, sustainability, democracy and peace. The societal implications are... read more
