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Tag: Dean Debbie Mercer

Ecuador turns to K-State to create English Language Center

Dean Debbie Mercer and Héctor Rodríguez Chavez, general manager of YACHAY E.P., sign a Memorandum of Understanding establishing this exciting educational partnership.

An exciting three-year program gets underway this spring when a group of eight College of Education instructors and a director spend a year in Ecuador to establish the English Language Center at a new university.

The Center for Intercultural and Multilingual Advocacy, or CIMA, is spearheading this effort at Yachay University, which means city of knowledge. This partnership is the result of CIMA’s role as the lead institution for the Go Teacher project. When Ecuadorian leaders decided to build a brand new university, they turned to the College of Education at K-State to create the English Language Center.

“The purpose of this program is to develop a research-based and innovative curriculum and program model to teach English to entering, first-year, Yachay University students,” said Socorro Herrera, CIMA director. “The main goal is to prepare these students with the English literacy skills and content language proficiency to take courses in both languages.

Yachay is expected to attract top students and faculty from around the world, and this international visibility and impact will support many of the college’s K-State 2025 goals and objectives.

Join College for 150th kickoff celebration on Thursday

Dean Debbie Mercer invites all alumni and friends of the College of Education to Kansas State University’s 150th anniversary celebration.

The Sesquicentennial Kickoff and Grand Exhibition is Thursday, Feb. 14th from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Ahearn Field House. Spend Valentine’s Day with people who share your love of K-State!

Judy Hughey will host the College of Education display from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., David Griffin from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Dean Mercer from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

As part of the celebration, the College is creating an electronic anthology – a dynamic collaboration using inspiring interviews, interactive activities and historical research – that will contain at least four areas such as the History of the College, Circles of Influence, Slates to iPADS, the History of Technology in Education, and interviews with key figures in education.

In addition, Dean Mercer and literacy researcher Lotta Larson have written a children’s alphabet book tentatively titled “K-State: An Alphabet Journey Across Campus.” There will also be themed brown bag luncheons throughout the anniversary celebration.

Exhibit honors Polish citizens’ heroic deeds during Holocaust

From left: Dean Lori Goetsch, Provost April Mason, Dean Debbie Mercer, Consul General Paulina Kapuscinska, Megan Stewart Felt, Sabrina Coons Murphy and Norman Conard.

An amazing exhibit will be on display in Hale Library throughout February thanks to the efforts of Susan Yelich Biniecki, assistant professor in the department of educational leadership.

There is much to learn from the Righteous Among the Nations exhibit that honors non-Jews who performed heroic deeds that saved the lives of Jews during the Holocaust. This exhibit is dedicated to Polish citizens living in southern Poland who were conferred with the honorary decoration of Righteous Among the Nations.

One hero’s story could have faded with time if not for teacher Norman Conard in Uniontown, Kan. Four of his students chose to learn more about the Holocaust and began researching a woman named Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic woman who smuggled 2,500 Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto. The students – one of whom went on to graduate from K-State’s College of Education – created a play titled “Life in a Jar.” The play inspired a book, which inspired a movie, and Irena was eventually nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

To arrange a tour for a school or community group, contact Melia Fritch at 785.532.7361 or melia@k-state.edu.