COEHS Alumni-Turned-Faculty Launch Abriendo Mundos: Opening Worlds in Córdoba, Spain

All three leaders of Abriendo Mundos: Opening Worlds (AMOW), Drs. Mia Sosa Provencio, Veronica Moore, and Mónica Asencio Pimentel are alumni of the University of New Mexico’s College of Education and Human Sciences (COEHS). Dr. Sosa Provencio earned her M.A. in Secondary Education, and Drs. Moore and Asencio Pimentel earned their Ph.D.s in Special Education. Today, Drs. Sosa Provencio and Moore serve as COEHS faculty, while Dr. Asencio Pimentel is a Research Scientist with the UNM Cradle to Career Policy Institute. Together, they co-direct AMOW, a month-long immersive teaching program in Córdoba, Spain.

AMOW was developed in response to the Yazzie/Martinez (2018) ruling, which found that New Mexico students who are Indigenous, from low-income backgrounds, English learners, and/or students with disabilities do not receive equitable educational opportunities. These same populations are also underrepresented in teacher preparation programs. The AMOW program funds preservice teachers from these backgrounds to participate in a transformative international experience focused on equity, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and inclusive teaching practices.

Now entering its second year, this cross-curricular summer program provides bilingual, secondary education, and special education students with the opportunity to collaborate with students at the Universidad de Córdoba and co-teach with educators at La Escuela Pública de Albolafia. During the four-week experience, participants engage in immersive teaching, academic study, and cultural learning while applying strategies that address language, culture, and ability in diverse classroom settings.