Fresno Pacific University faculty Laura Gonzalez, Ed.D., and Tracy Vilanova, M.A., will travel to Córdoba, Argentina, to speak at the Pedagogical Congress hosted by Instituto Superior Moody April 17–18.
They were also invited by Instituto Superior Moody to provide additional training to their faculty.
The opportunity highlights Fresno Pacific’s commitment to preparing educators who serve both locally and in international settings.
The conference is open to Christian and non-Christian K-12 educators and administrators. More than 100 individuals are expected to attend. Speakers are traveling from the United States, the United Kingdom, Uruguay and Argentina. Representatives from the Córdoba Ministry of Education will be in attendance as well.
Gonzalez and Vilanova will present on planning and assessment in education. Gonzalez will focus on the role of emotional intelligence in the age of artificial intelligence. Vilanova will speak on restorative practices in K-12 education, including the difference between punitive and restorative practices in the classroom.
Beyond the conference, Gonzalez and Vilanova will stay an additional week to provide training for professors at Moody. They will lead sessions covering a variety of topics, including issues surrounding women in academia. Vilanova will also conduct research, having been asked by Moody to gather some baseline data on their graduating students.
Gonzalez and Vilanova are both grateful for the opportunity to help other educators. “I’m looking forward to sharing the professional experiences that God has allowed me to have in order to help build up other educators in the global Christian education movement,” Vilanova said. “They are the pioneers and it’s a joy to come alongside them and offer support.”
Gonzalez has a similar motivation. “I am most excited about helping this new teacher college establish a foundation that will help them as they develop new teachers in Argentina,” she said. “I look forward to seeing them grow and continuing to participate in their development in the future.”
Vilanova also hopes their involvement will help raise awareness of the opportunity for international education. “If you have your teaching credential, love to travel and are willing to work for a couple years abroad, teaching overseas is a wonderful opportunity,” she said. “You never know where that overseas teaching experience will take you in the future.”
For additional information about Instituto Superior Moody or to learn about the Pedagogical Congress, visit www.institutosuperiormoody.com/en/.
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