Global Foundation for Democracy and Development participates in the launching of Microsoft's Partners in Learning Program

The Global Foundation for Democracy and Development, represented by its Executive Director, Natasha Despotovich, participated August 26, 2004 in the First Regional Network Meeting of Partners in Learning (PIL), a Microsoft program, that took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Partners in Learning is a long-term commitment from Microsoft to work with governments, local NGOs, schools, teachers and partners to establish a sustainable foundation for continued advances in education and learning with the use of technology as a tool in the classroom.

In the course of this first regional meeting, the Microsoft Innovative Teacher Network (ITN) was presented. ITN is a worldwide portal that encompasses both virtual and real time support to help teachers reach their classroom and professional goals.

The PIL members that were present at this first Central America and Caribbean meeting were government representatives, as well as NGOs associated with the program. Apart from the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development, there were representatives of Omar Dengo Foundation, of Costa Rica, Gabriel Lewis Foundation, of Panama, and Ricardo Ernesto Maduro Andreu Foundation, of Honduras.

The incorporation of the GFDD in Microsoft's Partners in Learning (PIL) is part of the program that will be developed by the Global Foundation's Working Group for the Application of Information and Communications Technology in Education. Mr. Paul Goris will lead the new Working Group that will create and implement professional development programs for educators in the Dominican Republic. In that sense, the Foundation will receive support from Microsoft while it will be collaborating, exchanging experiences and transferring expertise with other NGOs, members of the initiative.

www.microsoft.com/Education/PartnersinLearning.aspx