School leadership, by influencing educator’s motivation, improves the teaching and learning process, the student’s outcomes, and the institutional environment. Our program develops the essential skills school principals need to become masters of real change within their schools, by promoting their staff motivation, commitment, pedagogical practice, and teacher leadership.
As one of the participants says: ‘The PLIE provides us tools that we can easily implement and improve our pedagogical practices. It helped me to get in touch with colleagues, exchange strategies, and improve my performance’. The program is designed to be practical, challenging, and intellectually engaging. It focuses on educational leadership, technology, curriculum, teaching practices, innovation, and relations with the community. Each topic has its own assessment tool, which integrates theory with practice. The methodologies used to promote the exchange between participants are based on a socio-constructivist pedagogical framework. The different strategies (problem-solving, case studies, debates, role play), encourage the construction of knowledge based on participant’s previous experiences. The program promotes rethinking the school in a way that combines the social and organizational realities. In consequence, each school designs an Innovation Project to be implemented right away.
The PLIE continues to grow every year. Since its beginning in 2016, we have trained 7,000 Teachers and School Principals of more than 3,700 institutions, reaching more than 1,000,000 Latin American students.
Harvard Graduate School of Education did a case study of the PLIE. Professor Andrés Alonso from Harvard University portrayed the experience and impact in this case that is now part of the Certificate of Advanced Education Leadership professional program. Also, The World Bank, the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture, Inter-American Dialogue, the Development Bank of Latin America, and the Organization of American States selected PLIE as one of the most innovative educational experiences in teacher education in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Anyone who is interested in our programs can access the Varkey Foundation website: fundacionvarkey.org or our social media channels and contact us directly. We are at full disposal and always available to answer the requests we received.
