CECAT-UMAR establishes ties with the University of Howard in Washington D.C.

The Universidad Del Mar (UMAR), through the Tourism Training Center (CECAT), in its commitment to its objectives of promoting cultural and educational development has achieved a new milestone with its latest association with a renowned educational institution.  This time, it was achieved at an international level, with Howard University, located in Washington D.C.  For the very first time, the CECAT is offering a unique Spanish language and Tourism program for its foreign students, with the support and approval of Dr. Modesto Seara Vásquez (UMAR) and Dr. James A. Davis (Howard University).

It is noteworthy that Howard University is highly recognized as an important institution in the United States of America, with the majority of its students being members of the African-American population (as well as Caribbean, African, and other countries). The school has sometimes been called the Black Harvard and graduates more African-American Ph.D.´s than any other university in the world.

Each summer, Howard University undergrads have an opportunity to travel to a foreign country and enhance their Spanish language skills.  Students have the option of travelling to Barcelona, Spain or Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  This year, the UMAR is excited and pleased to host in the city of Oaxaca, its first group of Howard University students, who began their program on May 23, 2011. These motivated young students are majoring in areas such as Journalism, Psychology, Political Science, Biology, Human Development, History and Speech Pathology.

Over a period of five weeks, the students from Howard will receive four hours of classes from the teachers of the CECAT, combining intensive grammar lessons with workshops geared toward the learning and practical application of the Spanish language. Furthermore, the objectives of the program include: studying the grammatical rules and phraseology of Spanish, gaining an understanding of the main functions of the CECAT, and participating in workshops that focus on the development and enhancement of tourism services. The students will gain insight into the areas of Oaxacan food and traditional drink preparation, hotel reception and service, and hotel suite design. The program is complemented by video presentations of our Tourism through Images workshops, including the “8 Regions of Oaxaca”, which aim to provide a broad overview of the vast natural and cultural heritage of the state of Oaxaca.

The students stay in the capital began with a welcome by the CECAT and a presentation of the teaching methodology used, followed by a tour of the city’s principal places of interest, in order to orient the students on how to navigate and take advantage of the city´s many attractions.

The Director of the program is Walter Hosey Jr. M.A., a U.S. citizen, who teaches an English for Tourism course at the CECAT.

The Howard University program brings the CECAT another step closer to fulfilling its mission of establishing ties and memorandums of understanding with other foreign universities.  These agreements help strengthen the overall quality of teaching and language acquisition at the  Universidad Del Mar, in addition to enriching the educational experience and training provided to CECAT students, where regular courses are open to the general population of Oaxaca every two months.