WHAT IS PROLEER?

The Professional Learning to advance Early Education Reform (ProLEER) Network supports knowledge exchange and builds collaborations to strengthen evidence-based research, practice, and policy in language, literacy, and learning in Latin America. 

We are an international network of educational leaders from academia, civil society, and government, committed to improving practice and policy in children’s language, literacy, and learning in the foundational preschool through elementary years.  Our core members comprise individuals from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, the Netherlands, and the United States. Support for ProLEER is provided  by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the David Rockefeller Center on Latin American Studies and the NGO  Amigos del Aprendizaje [Friends of Learning, in Costa Rica].

WHAT PURPOSE DOES PROLEER SERVE?

We now know a great deal about the factors that drive improvements in educational quality within and across countries, including the impact of high-quality teacher professional development, teacher-child interactions, and content instruction. Unfortunately, little of this learning has been successfully incorporated into teacher education, curriculum design, or school planning efforts. Though access to education has improved considerably in the past two decades, the quality of education remains a serious challenge.

Relatedly, there remains a critical need to translate educational research findings into feasible improvements in policy and practice particularly in the context of Latin America. ProLEER was formed to address this challenge, enhancing policies, programs and practices in early childhood and elementary education, through teacher professional development, and language and literacy instruction. 

We do this through:

Sharing cutting-edge, evidence-based knowledge and experiences in education.

Fostering collaboration and learning among participating individuals, organizations, and countries through exchanges, partnerships, and joint projects.

Applying knowledge to drive changes in policy and practice in early childhood and elementary education throughout Latin America.

Annual Meeting

Once a year, the group convenes for a meeting at the Harvard David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies. This three-day event serves as a platform for participants to share knowledge and experiences in various engaging formats, such as thought-provoking talks, insightful panel discussions, and informal networking opportunities. By encouraging meaningful exchanges, our annual meeting provides a fertile ground for building long term relationships and collaborations.