Enlace Quiche : using ICT tools to support intercultural bilingual education -- Dot-EDU/Guatemala : leader award no. GDG-A-00-01-00011-00, associate cooperative agreement no. 520-A-00-02-00109-00 -- final report

Enlace Quiche has established 20 bilingual intercultural educational technology centers (CETEBIs) in and around the Quiche region of Guatemala. Of these, 12 are installed in or targeted to bilingual teacher-training schools, and 8 are in rural Mayan primary schools. The centers are being used by Mayan students and teachers to create and share didactic resources in Spanish and Mayan languages. A total of 45 school projects were carried out in 2003 and published in a 2-CD set and on a bilingual education web portal. Children as young as of kindergarten age are having their first experiences with computers using software in their native Mayan language. Complementing its work with schools, Enlace has worked with government and non-government organizations. Enlace built capacity in three partner organizations to create interactive digital multimedia CDs. With support from Enlace, these institutions developed six CDs to help children and adults learn more about Mayan languages. Enlace also led the development of the ebiguatemala virtual community and web portal, forming an inter- institutional council to sustain it. By the end of the project, Enlace had trained 1,954 students, teachers, parents, and partners in complementary aspects of its vision of using ICTs as an integral part of the culturally and linguistically relevant education mandated in Guatemala"s peace agreements. Enlace is showing more and more people that ICTs can also be a key tool for revitalizing any indigenous group in any country. The Enlace model proves that indigenous peoples can bring their culture and language into the global world. The Enlace Quiche NGO now faces the challenge of building on the momentum while gaining experience in fundraising and managing simultaneous projects from a variety of donors. However, Enlace is also encouraged by its prospects. A new government will give Enlace a fresh opportunity to obtain national buy-in. Lowered connectivity costs, donation of a TV channel to the Mayan Languages Academy, and installation of telecenters by other organizations will offer infrastructure for Enlace"s materials. The Mayan University will help form more indigenous professionals who can build on the Enlace experience. Regional projects will help Enlace share its models while bringing in new ideas, resources, and partnerships. Achieving Enlace"s mission will only be possible to the extent of local indigenous ownership of these technologies. Experience to date indicates that this ownership will soon become the norm rather than the exception.