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Wingard observes Cuban education

By January 30, 2015Academics, Faculty/Staff
Dr. Clifton Wingard, chair of the Department of Mathematics, recently spent a week in Cuba through the People to People Citizen Ambassador program.

Delta State University’s chair of the Department of Mathematics, Dr. Clifton Wingard, recently took part in a unique international professional development opportunity.

Wingard, now in his 19th year at Delta State, and about two-dozen American educators visited Cuba in November through the People to People Citizen Ambassador program.

Thanks to a special license issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the program offers exclusive trips to Cuba. The program features a mix of professional development, cultural exchanges and hands-on international experiences.

“The main goal of the trip was to find out about education in a foreign country — to learn about the educational structure at elementary, high school and postsecondary levels,” said Wingard. “The trip had a focus on the math and sciences.”

The group of former and current teachers, school district employees and curriculum coordinators were provided first-hand access to Cubans involved in education.

Meetings and interactions took place with representatives from the Ministry of Education, the director of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, an agricultural high school, and with faculty and students at a postsecondary institution focused on sciences.

Wingard, who previously took part in People to People with trips to China and India, kept an extensive journal and took photos in Cuba. Along with the professional educational exchanges, participants had opportunities to learn about culture and tourism — mostly in the Havana area.

“This was another opportunity to find out about education in a foreign country,” he said. “We didn’t find out as much as we wanted to. They’re a little bit protective of their institutions. They sometimes see us a little critical of them, so they’re very careful about information.”

However, Wingard agreed the Citizen Ambassador program sparked a unique professional and cultural understanding in a country whose borders are typically closed to American travelers.

The timing of his trip is particularly relevant, as President Obama and his administration have shown interest in healing the strained political relations with Cuba, something Wingard is hopeful for.

“I think we got from our tour guide what the government wanted us to hear,” said Wingard. “We didn’t have much access to the local people, to find out what life is really like. I’m still trying to process all of it.

“It seems that Cubans are very proud people. They are proud of the advances they’ve made. They do have a big impact globally in some areas. They’re not a big exporter of anything, but they do a lot of training of physicians for South American and African countries.”

And learning about the advances of other countries is something Wingard believes is extremely important for growth in America.

“We’re in competition globally for jobs and technology,” he said. “We work with industries around the world, and we compete with many other countries in terms of our education system. I think any time we have an opportunity to learn how other countries are educating their students, it helps us in the global market. We can take away from them good things, and then implement those things here.”

The weeklong trip certainly made an impact on Wingard’s global knowledge, and he strongly recommends the People to People program to those working in education.

“If someone can get on one of the trips and go to another country to learn about what’s going on, I highly recommend it. I encourage other people to travel abroad to experience different cultures.”

Wingard continues to organize his notes from the journey and hopes to arrange a public luncheon in the near future to share his findings.

Learn more about the People to People Citizen Ambassador program at https://citizens.peopletopeople.com.