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U.S. Ambassador Frank Baxter welcomed 46 Uruguayan public school teachers and members of the Montevideo business community to his residence April 17 to congratulate them for their participation in the 2008 Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program.

The annual program, supported by the U.S.-based Fulbright Foundation and administered by the Fulbright Commission of Uruguay, sends Uruguayan teachers to the United States to spend three weeks teaching in American schools.

Following a three-day orientation with the Fulbright Foundation in Washington D.C. in February 2008, the 46 Uruguayan teachers traveled to various states in the U.S. where they were installed in public and private schools as temporary teachers. In these roles, they learned about the U.S. education system and shared their Uruguayan teaching expertise with their host schools and families. They collaborated on ideas for curriculum development with their American counterparts, focusing on teaching the English language in their classrooms upon return to Uruguay.

>Click to enlarge photo  Ambassador Baxter and Public Affairs officer Robert Zimmerman with Fulbright Commission members. Baxter praised the Fulbright Commission of Uruguay for its coordination of the program.

During the reception, Mr. Baxter praised the Fulbright Commission of Uruguay for its coordination of the program and encouraged the business community to participate in future Teacher Exchange Program activities.

Following an introduction by Primary Education Administration Director General Edith Moraes, three teachers - Andrea Musso, an English teacher from public school Nº 31 in Montevideo; Cristina Álvez, an English teacher from public school Nº 56 in Maldonado and Norma Quijano, teaching assessor from the Primary Education Administration - gave testimonials about their experiences in the U.S.

Each emphasized the value of the relationships they developed with American teachers for enriching the learning experiences of their own students. Each also highlighted the importance of the Fulbright program and the support of the U.S. Embassy for encouraging Uruguayan teachers to learn English and collaborate with U.S. schools through the exchange program.

Ambassador and Mrs. Baxter chatting with some of the Fulbright Exchange teachers.		Ambassador Baxter with Primary Education Administration Director General Edith Moraes.