When most students return to campus for classes next January, two St. Edward's University students will instead spend their Spring Semester as student teachers in Mexico. Amy McCown, '02, and Arica Prado, '03, both seniors majoring in English and pursuing teaching certificates, will be the first to take advantage of a new joint international student-teacher exchange program between St. Edward's University and the State of Nuevo León, Mexico.

Under the new partnership, select students from St. Edward's University will spend their required student-teaching semester in Monterrey, trading places with their Mexican counterparts who will gain experience in Austin schools. The program immerses student-teachers in the culture and language of a different country so they can bring cultural and linguistic skills back to their classrooms. The American student-teachers will spend time not only in Mexican secondary schools, but also in teacher training schools. The Mexican exchange students will benefit from learning a more authentic form of English, which they can pass on to future students. Since many families migrate to Texas from Mexico and the border state of Nuevo León, their children can benefit from teachers who have a better understanding of their native language and educational system.

St. Edward's University and the Ministry of Education of the State of Nuevo León, Mexico, invite you to attend a formal ceremony for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding.

Founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross, St. Edward's University is an independent, Catholic liberal arts university of 4,100 students in Austin.

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