Regional Director for the Communities praises promotion and dissemination of Portuguese Language in the USA
The Regional Director for the Communities highlighted in Fall River the efforts undertaken by various educational institutions in the “promotion and dissemination” of Portuguese Language in the United States of America.
“There is an increase in exchange programmes and field trips to the Region on the part of educational institutions in countries where there are significant Azorean communities,” said Paulo Teves, who spoke during a visit to the LusoCentro at the Bristol Community College.
Paulo Teves assured that the Regional Government "is committed to cooperating in the promotion of more student and teacher travel, not only in the teaching of Portuguese but also in other areas."
“Academic entities are important spaces for the dissemination of our Region and our country, since, through language teaching, they invite students to learn about our reality and our specificities, which also enables them to explore other areas of research and teaching,” said the government official.
"Moreover, the complementary initiatives organised by these associations, namely the contact with the local community and participation in various events, contribute to a greater curiosity to know the archipelago," added the Regional Director.
At the meeting with the President of the Bristol Community College, Laura Douglas, also attended by other institution's officials, the possible visit to the Azores by a group of students and teachers from this school with the aim of enhancing their knowledge in the areas of genealogy, biology and renewable energy was under analysis.
Paulo Teves added that the Regional Directorate for the Communities supported this year the travel of more than 50 students and teachers from junior high, secondary and higher education establishments in the States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and California to the Azores.
Established in 2002, LusoCentro has been the mentor and creator of numerous occasions to celebrate, study and promote Portuguese heritage through a variety of special events and academic projects, including a certified programme for community interpreters promoting Azorean culture. The celebration of the Azores Day, visits to the Region by groups of students, the launch of books and the holding of various lectures are some examples of the activities developed by this entity, among others.
This institution has a library containing more than 250 books on Azorean themes, which have been offered by the Regional Directorate for the Communities in recent years.
The 50-year-old Bristol Community College is headquartered in the city of Fall River with campuses in Attleboro, New Bedford and Taunton. Its diversified academic offer comprises several areas, namely Entrepreneurship, Education, Health Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, among others.