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Last fall, Dr. Margarita Bianco, associate professor and founder of Pathways2Teaching, and Joselyne Garcia-Moreno (MA 2022), doctoral student in CU Denver’s Doctor of Education in Leadership for Educational Equity program, and former Pathways2Teaching student, packed their bags and flew to Santiago at the invitation of Dr. María Beatriz Fernández Cofré, associate professor at the Universidad de Chile, to participate in a keynote address for an international seminar. Following their keynote in Santiago, Dr. Bianco and Joselyne traveled to La Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso on the Chilean coast for a series of meetings and presentations to high school students.

The experience illustrates the global impact of School of Education & Human Development dual enrollment partnerships like Pathways2Teaching and an incredible faculty and student bond at the University of Colorado Denver.

Faculty from several Chilean universities and members of their national education system sought the expertise of Bianco after reading and citing journal articles authored by her about Pathways2Teaching and the importance developing Grow Your Own programs with a justice and equity lens. University of Colorado Denver’s nationally recognized Pathway2Teaching program strengthens links between students who want to give back to their communities and school districts wishing to grow their teaching workforce. Pathways2Teaching leverages highly relevant courses and field experiences that awaken diverse students’ desire to teach after the first year in the program. This dual enrollment program allows students to earn up to a year of college credit toward a teaching degree.

The stars aligned nicely for Garcia-Moreno to participate in the week-long research and travel experience.

“Whenever opportunities like this come my way, I like to bring my former students with me,” said Bianco. “Trips like these give university students excellent access to scholars and networking opportunities. Joselyne’s portion of the presentation, given in Spanish, was very powerful because she has been a student in Pathways2Teahing and has trained teachers in the program. Her voice was key in conveying the importance of grow your own teacher education programs and how they can really lead to growth, as we have seen in her.”

Bianco and Garcia-Moreno's keynote, titled “Pathways2Teaching and Context for Global Initiatives to Develop Grow Your Own Teacher Programs” reached approximately 150 people in-person in Chile and more than 1,300 via YouTube.

Reflecting on their trip, Garcia-Moreno noted how much she enjoyed seeing Dr. Bianco in action.

“One of my favorite things ever is learning from her. I watch her navigate the professional world and see the impact that her work has on others, not just in the United States, but internationally. It was interesting to see how Chile has so many similar issues that we have here in the United States, including teacher shortages. The trip was powerful and eye-opening. Experiences like these inspire me to keep pursuing my academic goals.”

Dr. Bianco was quick to note the importance of learning experiences outside the classroom.

“I was immensely proud to watch Joselyne present in front of hundreds of people, including the Minister of Education for Chile and members of his office. She was so confident. In addition, the trip gave me an opportunity to expand my professional and friendship network and to be in community with people in a different part of the world who share similar interests. We toured urban and rural, affluent, and struggling schools, campuses, and communities in Chile. Some had no electricity or running water. It was interesting to hear from the professionals there how individuals overcome extreme poverty, persist, and become successful in life.”

Collaborative relationships built during the trip are starting to take root. The Minister of Education in Chile has met with Bianco and Garcia-Moreno to discuss Pathways2Teaching, and the parts of the program that would be applicable in Chile’s national grow your own teacher education program. In Chile, they do not have programs where high school students can earn college credit. Officials were fascinated by that model and how easily it could be implemented there. They are currently working to replicate our dual enrollment model, so I feel like our visit led to some immediate impact. They are also excited to collaborate with people from Indigenous communities in southern Chile. Curriculum for Pathways2Teaching and research protocols were shared with numerous potential partners to plant seeds for future research collaborations.

“I am incredibly proud of our work to foster diverse teacher pipelines,” said Bianco. “It’s exciting to share it with the rest of the world.”