Co-operatives of the Americas teamed up with the Confederation of Co-operatives of Paraguay (CONPACOOP) to help Paraguayan co-operatives develop a model of education and training. The two organisations signed an agreement to elaborate a common methodology on co-operative education for the organisations members of CONPACOOP.
The educational programme is particularly aimed raising awareness of co-operative values and principles among co-operative employees, members of the boards and members of the co-operatives.
It includes three seminars and will also run in Peru and Paraguay in May. Thirty-three participants signed up for the programme in Paraguay. They came from CONPACOOP and organisations members of CONPACOOP (CENCOPAN; CREDICOOP; FECOAC; FECOMULP; FECOPAR; FECOPROD; INACOOP; UNICOOP).
The opening ceremony was attended by architect Miriam Báez, President of CONPACOOP; Emilio Lugo, vice president of CONPACOOP, Valentín Galeano, president of INCOOP and Alberto Mora Portuguez, responsible for training and education at Co-operatives of the Americas.
CONPACOOP and Co-operatives of the Americas are also working with the University FUNDEPOS Alma Máter of Costa Rica, which will issue the technical certificates for all those who successfully complete the three modules of the educational programme.
Each seminar focuses on a specific module. The first one took place on 27-28 March and looked at the teaching and learning theories, the importance of setting learning targets and the use of Bloom’s taxonomy of learning domains. Participants also examined the abilities required to teach co-operation.
In a second seminar participants will learn about academic resources available and the various types in which knowledge could be assessed. The third seminar will reveal some effective techniques of addressing the public as well as the use of media and resources to teach.
According to Alberto Mora Portuguez, who developed the educational programme, a co-operative educational model implemented correctly helps ensure that employees act in accordance with the principles of their co-operatives.
“The importance of this Programme of Education is that the cooperatives need a specific Methodology of Education,” he said, adding that many co-operatives around the world are working without any prior planning. Although they participate in activities offered by various entities involved in education and training, they are not assessing the results or whether they meet the objectives, vision and mission of each co-operative.
For more information on the programme, contact educoop@aciamericas.coop or aciproductos@aciamericas.coop.
