The Mathematics Education Network of Central America and the Caribbean has been created.

Between 6 and 17 August 2012 in San Jose, Costa Rica, was carried out with great success the Escuela seminario internacional Construcción de Capacidades en Matemáticas y Educación Matemática: CANP Costa Rica 2012.

The International Commission on Mathematical Instruction ICMI organized this event. It is the second experience of the Capacity and Networking Project, whose first edition was in Mail (Africa) in 2011, and the third will be held in Cambodia (Asia) in 2013. It's one of the main projects of ICMI. The event had the sponsorship of the International Mathematical Union IMU, the International Council for Science ICSU, and the Inter-American Committee on Mathematics Education CIAEM, UNESCO, MEXICO’s Mathematics Research Center CIMAT, the Ministry of Public Education of Costa Rica and the University of Costa Rica.

The event brought together 67 researchers and educators of Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Spain, Mexico, Cuba, Costa Rica, who developed 23 different activities (conferences, courses, forums, symposia) on important themes of Mathematics and Mathematics Education: Fundamental Mathematics in Primary and Secondary School, Contemporary Mathematics, Technologies, Competencies, Research, Pre-service and in-service Teacher Preparation, Use of History of Mathematics, Epistemology of Mathematics. Under this international framework a public symposium was held: the Costa Rican 25th Symposium on Math, Science and Society, joined by 200 participants.

The inaugural ceremony included the participation of the Costa Rican Minister of Public Education, Leonardo Garnier. The media coverage was impressive: main TV channels, newspapers and radio stations.

A highlight of CANP 2012 was the presentation and discussion of 5 national reports on the situation on Math Education preparation in this region.

Videos about CANP 2012 can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfMnODbNVpw&feature=youtu.be and here: http://www.youtube.com/user/redumatematicacyc

The most important result of CANP Costa Rica 2012 was the founding of the Mathematics Education Network of Central America and the Caribbean, which seeks to enhance capacities in Mathematics and Mathematics Education in the region. The website is: http://redumatematicacyc.net 

The network began its work with the support of several international organizations: ICMI, IMU, ICSU and the CIAEM, and already has the support of several societies of Mathematics educators in the region. 

Read more here.

For a Spanish report, please go here.

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The Project will have at its centre a two week programme held in Costa Rica from August 06-17, 2012, consisting of a workshop for forty participants from Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic. Satellite activities targeting a wider audience will also be organised. A post-workshop in 2013 will ensure continuity and evaluation.

The Project aims to strengthen mathematical education through fostering regional development and capacity building for teachers and educators, forming self-sustainable networks concerned with mathematics education, assuring better quality education and enhancing the mathematical and pedagogical potential of the region. It is also an opportunity to experience technological resources.

It takes as its premise the importance of educators to identify and understand basic mathematical ideas and the best teaching and learning in contemporary perspectives to impact directly in the classroom.

Collaborations are assumed South-South and North-South but especially in an overarching manner of international efforts vision.

This project is closely linked to the Project Klein ICMI and IMU which aims to communicate the breadth and vitality of mathematics for secondary teachers in the world in a way that connects with the curriculum and the practice of secondary education. See www.mathunion.org/icmi/other-activities/klein-project/introduction

CANP 2012 seeks to rely on existing actions or projects and nurture the local or regional actions already undertaken in the countries where it does.

Participants

The participants are experienced teachers and teacher trainers: professional mathematicians, researchers in mathematics education, primary and secondary teachers, inspectors and advisers and even math consultants coming from:

     Panama
     Dominican Republic
     Colombia
     Costa Rica
     Venezuela.

Eight experts from Central America and the Caribbean and outside the region form the International Scientific Committee.

You can find a short TV report here and here.

The (Spanish) website can be found here.