ARGENTINA

ORT Argentina has grown into one of the country’s largest providers of education — and World ORT’s third largest operation — since it opened its first school in 1941. Its two junior high schools and two high schools in Buenos Aires grant certificates in a broad range of subjects, including Science, Computing, Electronics, Business Administration, Media Studies and Music Production. The two ORT Institutes of Technology grant official diplomas in subjects ranging from Biotechnology, Food Technology and Film and Television Production to Tourism and Fashion Design.

ORT Argentina, Graduation day, 2005.

ORT Argentina’s schools and colleges are operating at full capacity with more than 7,300 students, and thanks to the Werthein Family, they have benefited from the inauguration of the Noel Werthein Auditorium at Campus No. 1. Equipped with leading audio and digital video technology, the Auditorium provides an ideal venue for concerts, DVD screenings, videoconferences and exhibitions.

Another facility inaugurated in 2005 is the ORT Entrepreneurship Centre at Campus No. 2. The goal is for the Centre — which will host the continent’s first research and development laboratory for software solutions for 64-bit technologies — to become the country’s leading training facility. The Centre’s creation reinforces the excellent pedagogic work of ORT’s schools and colleges by providing an environment in which the academic and entrepreneurial worlds can learn and create together.

ORT Argentina has a tradition of innovation: its schools were the first to offer studies in Mass Media, Biotechnology and ICT, the latter still being the only one of its kind to be taught in an Argentine high school. Following in this tradition is the setting up of CREA, the Resource Centre for Education and Learning. Here, ORT’s experts explore ways of updating and improving teaching resources through the use of the latest virtual multimedia and interactive technologies.

On Stage. ORT Argentina students.

In its capacity as an official advisor to the Ministry of Education, ORT Argentina helps to improve the mainstream educational system for teaching science and technology. In turn, ORT is helped to develop its educational approach by an Academic Advisory Board comprising seven of Argentina’s leading academics and intellectuals.

In 2006, ORT Argentina is due to work with the faculty of Educational Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires to extend training opportunities for our teachers. The University’s participation serves to acknowledge ORT Argentina’s respected place in the country’s educational community.

BRAZIL

ORT Brazil has celebrated the 60th anniversary of the founding of its first school, which was also the first ORT school in Latin America to operate in a building of its own. A book entitled The History of ORT Brazil: Sixty Years of Educating for Life was published to mark the event. When it began in 1945, the ORT school offered practical courses in the field of mechanics. Now, at a different site in Rio de Janeiro, ORT Brazil’s Technical High School offers its 250 students a high quality general and scientific education — including specialisations in biotechnology, computer science, social communication and electronics — as well as vocational training that enables them to pursue a university degree while working in their professional field.

The Instituto de Tecnologia ORT is recognised as one of the best schools in the country and, despite the country’s economic problems, is growing each year. Nearly 70 percent of the students benefit from ORT Brazil’s internationally funded scholarship programme that enables talented students from deprived families to access the technical education that will offer them a path out of poverty.

Biology lesson. ORT Brazil.

The campus for environmental learning in Petropolis, 70 kilometres from Rio de Janeiro, is in its fourth year. CEDEA, the Experimental Centre for Environmental Education, is a unique pioneering field project for teaching natural sciences. Funded jointly by World ORT, ORT Brazil and the Henrique Lemle Summer Camp, the Centre is located within 850,000 square metres of forests, rivers and lakes.

Another innovative project is the development of educational and research work in genetics and stem-cell studies, which is undertaken in partnership with one of the most important Brazilian cardiac institutions, the Pro-Cardiaco Hospital.

The Centre for Jewish Technology and Culture has been created in the ORT building to serve ORT students, students of other schools and the general community, for the dissemination of Jewish culture, tradition and technological understanding. The centre is supported by ORT Brazil, the Community Fund and the Jewish Education Centre of Rio de Janeiro.

BOLIVIA

ORT returned to Bolivia in 2004 at the invitation of the Jewish community, whose institutions have had to cope with an on-going economic crisis. Political and social unrest have made the situation worse this year, making World ORT’s commitment to this small, isolated community even more valuable. ORT’s support has reinvigorated the Colegio Boliviano Israelita, which caters for children aged three to seventeen, with the introduction of a final year thesis and new courses,including the teaching of advanced English. The school’s enrolment enjoyed a 10 percent increase over the past 12 months and further significant increases are expected next year.

Students at Colegio Boliviano Israelita, Bolivia.

ORT has obtained government approval to open a junior college in the CBI premises in 2006, which will offer the country’s first textile and industrial design courses.

One of the world’s leading professional services firms, the $20 billion-ayear PricewaterhouseCoopers, supported ORT’s introduction of a 200- hour training course in the administration and improvement of small business. The course also enjoyed major financial support from the Bolivian government and the Inter-American Development Bank.

CHILE

A highlight of 2005 was the inauguration of a state-of-the-art science and technology laboratory at the 900-student Lorenzo Baeza Grammar school on Easter Island, 2,300 miles off Chile’s coast. Equipped with eight computers and other high-tech equipment, the laboratory is one of 50 programmes that ORT Chile has implemented across the country with the backing of the Coca-Cola Foundation with the aim of improving scientific education in Chile’s state schools.

ORT Chile has also started to work for the Ministry of the Interior on a social development project helping young people at risk of violence and drug abuse.

ORT Chile has made a major contribution to raising the educational standards of schools in impoverished neighbourhoods through a threeyear project, which concluded in 2005. Funded by the Ministry of Education and the United Nations Development Programme, ORT Chile provided management workshops for teachers and training for the teaching of Spanish and mathematics at 11 schools serving some 10,000 students.

ORT Chile continues to work with the country’s largest telecommunications company, Telefonica Corporation, training disabled people with appropriate technology. The latest project explored the use of iconographic software to allow speechless people to use the telephone.

CUBA

This year marked the fifth anniversary of ORT’s resumption of operations in Cuba. During the 2004—2005 academic year, ORT Cuba increased its activities for the local Jewish community and new projects have been planed to strengthen ORT’s operations in the country. Additional courses were added to the academic programme developed at the Ana and Ben Dizik ORT Technology Centre at the Jewish Community Centre in Havana, including leadership skills. The 2004—2005 academic year saw a year-on-year an 82 percent increase in enrolment, with 557 part-time students signed on to 59 courses, ranging from Hebrew and psychology, to ICT, computer programming and web design.

In November 2004, ORT Cuba was represented for the first time at the World ORT Hatter Technology Seminar in London. In May 2005, nine ORT Cuba students were among the Cuban group to visit Israel as part of the Taglit- Birthright Israel programme — the third time ORT students have participated. The ORT Cuba summer course for children was one of the highlights of the academic year. For two months, nearly 90 children aged four to 18 enjoyed a comprehensive educational programme including English and computing and a variety of workshops including music, singing, Israeli folk dance and drama.

ORT Cuba Summer School. A practical class in computers..

MEXICO

ORT Mexico is consulting with experts from ORT Argentina on the choice of equipment to install at the new ORT Technological Media Centre that is due to open in the first half of 2006. Using state-of-the-art technology not available elsewhere in Latin America, the new ORT centre will provide training and other services to universities and corporations.

The Technological Week, during which several groups of junior high school students are exposed to different technologies, will in future be held at this Centre. It will focus on media technologies including television, radio, graphic design, and digital audio and video production and editing.

Meanwhile, ORT Mexico continues to provide IT courses and workshops for Jewish and non-Jewish institutions in Mexico City. ORT Mexico has continued its collaboration with the Magen David–ORT Training School for Adults, where members of the Jewish community receive training in IT and it has opened a new IT Training Centre in an unprecedented alliance with WIZO Mexico. ORT Cuba Summer School.

Adult Education, ORT Mexico.

In addition, ORT Mexico continues to introduce IT to teachers at Jewish and other schools and to teach them how to use computers as educational tools in the classroom.

URUGUAY

Since its establishment in 1942, ORT Uruguay has grown to become the largest private university in the country. More than 5,000 students undertake post-graduate, graduate and technical level courses, among them 80 percent of the graduates from Jewish high schools. As a result of the economic collapse four years ago, more than 1,000 scholarships are provided each year to students in financial need. ORT Uruguay has more than 500 academic staff in five officially recognised faculties; it awards degrees in architecture, engineering, management, economics, international relations, media studies, advertising, journalism, design, and education. An adult Jewish education programme for Jewish teachers, communal leaders and executives of Jewish institutions is carried out annually. ORT Uruguay also provides technical and pedagogical support to all Uruguayan Jewish schools, including teacher training, IT programme development and certification.

In 2005, ORT Uruguay signed agreements with prestigious institutions such as Lincoln University in New Zealand and the Illinois Institute of Technology. These provide ORT students the opportunity not only to study overseas but also to obtain dual degrees endorsed by the host country as well as by the Uruguayan authorities. An agreement was also signed with Germany’s Anhalt University of Applied Science to facilitate student exchanges between the Dessau Institute of Architecture and ORT Uruguay’s School of Architecture.

The INTEGRA project, funded by the European Union to implement information technology innovations in schools, has been entrusted to ORT Uruguay’s School of Education. Seven schools from across the country were selected to participate in the project, including the two main Jewish day schools and the British School. This project will allow these schools to keep pace with the latest developments in educational technology.

A lesson in design, ORT Uruguay.

Latin America’s leading business publication, America Economia, has again ranked ORT Uruguay’s MBA programme among the top 25 in the continent. The World Bank awarded ORT Uruguay a grant to train young IT entrepreneurs in business skills.

VENEZUELA

ORT Venezuela operates three technical training schools; one in the north western town of Cabimas and two in the industrial town of Moron and in Paraguaná. The schools in Moron and Paraguanás specialise in short courses including informatics, mechanics, metallurgy, administration and industrial maintenance.

During 2005 ORT Venezuela trained a total of 1,455 students in four centres: 270 in Cabimas, 315 in Catia, 457 in Moron, and 413 in Paraguaná.

The number of students enrolled by ORT Venezuela in 2005 was 29 percent up on the previous year. This increase was despite difficult operating conditions as the country continues to face a widening political and economic crisis.

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