Guatemala's Education Ministry and Encyclopaedia Britannica Partner to develop digital learning infrastructure and capabilities

CHICAGO, April 6, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Guatemala's ministry of education is joining hands with Encyclopaedia Britannica to develop digital learning infrastructure and capabilities to ensure that students can learn from home and other remote locations, particularly in the face of the worldwide coronavirus school shutdown. 

The partnership also aims to transform schools and other learning environments over the long term and ensure student success in a disruptive and rapidly evolving world, where the skills and capabilities needed to be fostered through the education requirements of the 21st century. The agreement was finalized in a virtual meeting on Thursday, April 2, attended by Guatemala's Minister of Education Claudia Patricia Ruíz Casasola; Global CEO of the Britannica Group, Karthik Krishnan; and Julián Shocron, group consultant.

"We are bringing together committed organizations such as UNICEF and Britannica to reshape learning opportunities that address effectively the coronavirus-induced situation and 21st-century skills," said Minister Casasola. "We will bring 40 of our talented teachers to localize Britannica's digital-learning solutions and its teacher-development programs to meet our country's unique needs, including supporting ten different dialects."

Krishnan said, "It is energizing to see that Minister Casasola is responding to the coronavirus crisis by rethinking and reshaping education not only in Guatemala but also in surrounding countries. Britannica is excited to collaborate with the Education Ministry, UNICEF and Save The Children on this transformative effort."

The first phase of the initiative will involve localizing Britannica's digital solutions to meet the country's specific needs, including dialects, developing a digital library and training teachers on how best to use digital resources and tools to shape student learning.   

About the Britannica Group
The Britannica Group is a global knowledge leader. A pioneer in digital learning since the 1980s, the company today serves the needs of students, lifelong learners, and professionals by providing curriculum products, language-study courses, digital encyclopedias, and professional readiness training through its extensive products.

The company has continued to pioneer and redefine information discovery within the technology and education fields, serving 83 countries and 150 million students worldwide in 16 languages. The company's mission to inspire curiosity and the joy of learning has earned it the ranking of the #1 company to watch in the EdTech Digest's State of the EdTech report for 2019-2020. It is headquartered in Chicago.