São Paulo closes a partnership with the Spanish government
Exchange Program will take 139 students from the State's Centers for Language Studies to the European country; selection process is scheduled for April
Investe São Paulo
Four months after the memorandum of understanding was signed between Investe São Paulo and Icex, the exports and investment promotion agency of Spain, Governor Geraldo Alckmin received, on Wednesday, 12, at Palácio dos Bandeirantes, Felipe, Prince of Asturias, heir to the Spanish crown. During the hearing, Alckmin announced a program that will offer 139 students of public schools a 20-day exchange experience in Spain.
Candidates are students of Spanish courses held in the Centers of Language Studies (CELs). Targeted to students from the state system, these centers give young people the opportunity to learn a new language for free, increasing the chances of entering the labor market.
"In our Study Centers, Spanish has the greatest demand along with English. Now in June, 139 students of these centers will spend a month in Spain. They are students of the state system, our system, who will participate in an intensive study and will also be in contact with the culture of the country. It is a very important exchange", said Alckmin.
"The Spanish community is extremely expressive in São Paulo. We have large companies in the areas of telecommunications, transportation, railway, highway, construction, projects, banks and services. It is a very important partnership. Spain is the second largest worldwide investor in Brazil, only behind the United States", he said.
The partnership between Icex and Investe São Paulo was made official after the Brazil-Spain Forum, held in December 2013. (http://www.investe.sp.gov.br/noticia/forum-espanha-brasil-conta-com-presenca-de-diretor-da-investe-sp/)
Selection process
The selection for the exchange program is scheduled for April and the trip will be in June. Before being chosen, the student will undergo a test of knowledge acquired in language classes at the CELs. The requirements are a minimum attendance of 75% to classes and average grade of 7.0 (seven) or higher in English Language, in the four quarters of the high school year before the test.
As in the first edition, the State Department of Education will provide all necessary support to students, from the procedure to issue the documentation, to transportation, food and accommodation. In countries that serve as targets for the exchange, in addition to the classes taken in the learning centers, students will also take part in monitored cultural tours, all free of charge. Last year, the first time this initiative was implemented, 356 students from the state system went to Argentina, France and England.
Currently, the Government of São Paulo relies on 229 Centers of Language Studies, offering classes in seven different languages, including Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Japanese and Mandarin. This semester, Spanish is being taught to 46,000 students in CELs.