Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility

Highlights of ASPIRA’S Technology Tools Conference
Corporate Observer
Letter from the CEO
Hispanic Trends
New Appointments
Corporate Member News
Coalition News
Published on June 5, 2006

The 5th edition of the Technology Tools conference organized by ASPIRA Association and the Council on Opportunity in Education (COE) provided some great activities and highlights, among them:

  • Pre-conference activities included:
    • The 4th Annual ASPIRA Instructional Technology Applications contest.
    • A program management training for over 60 TRIO program staff members from the Caribbean region.
    • Round table discussions between ASPIRA’s information technology national staff and the Puerto Rico Department of Education information technology staff.
  • Conference activities include:
§Over 1,500 educators from California to Puerto Rico participated, including 1,200 educators from the Puerto Rico Department of Education.

§Over 50 universities from Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland were represented at the conference.

§A total of 48 concurrent sessions were presented.

 

ASPIRA and COE attracted a host of special guests and speakers, including the Minister of Education of Spain, María Jesus San Segundo, the Treasurer of the United States, Hon Anna Escobedo Cabral, Congressman Donald Payne, the chairman of the Commission of Higher Education of Texas, Dr. Raymond Paredes, Secretary of Education of Puerto Rico, Dr. Rafael Aragunde, key executives in Fortune 500 companies -including Verizon, Microsoft, Oracle- representatives of the Puerto Rican legislature and the Office of the Governor, state legislators, and a broad range of nationally recognized experts in technology and education.

This success was possible thanks to ASPIRA’s meetings and workshop facilitators and the financial support from the conference sponsors: the Puerto Rico Department of Education, Oracle Corporation, Microsoft; Coors Brewing Co.; El Nuevo Dia, Puerto Rico Telephone Co., the College Board, Puerto Rico Convention Bureau, Universia, and Banco Santander.

ASPIRA’s online educational resources have a long tradition in helping other U.S. based nonprofits to support their own technological needs.This year, ASPIRA learned that their online educational tools have also been used by oversees non-governmental organizations in support of the rural, indigenous, and low income communities in such places as Colombia, Dominican Republic and in Irma, India.Organizations in those countries are using ASPIRA’s resources in support of the development of community technology centers and their efforts to develop the local population information and communication technology literacy, youth development, financial education, and communication skills.These types of efforts are mostly being lead by young systems engineers who volunteer their time and effort to help the underserved population.

The 6th edition of the Technology Tools conference is scheduled for December 3-6, 2006 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.