In Brasilia, on October 14, 1997, the United States and Brazil launched an education partnership that reflects a top domestic priority of the federal governments of both countries. In his 1997 State of the Union address, President Clinton announced that his number one priority for the next four years was a bold call to action to improve American education. In Brazil, President Cardoso had embarked on a far-reaching education reform program. While the initiatives reflect the unique needs of both nations, both share the understanding that education is an indispensable ingredient of stable democracy as well as the key to both individuals' and nations' success in the global economy. This partnership recognizes that increasing the educational level of our citizenry boosts individual earnings and buying power, benefiting the people of both countries. More than 300 US and Brazil citizens have participated in Partnership activities since 1997, and educational ties between the two countries have been strengthened significantly.

The U.S.-Brazil Partnership for Education includes several government agencies: the U.S. Departments of Education and State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the National Science Foundation, and National Endowment for the Humanities, the National and Endowment for the Arts. On the Brazilian side, it involves the Ministries of Education, External Relations, Science and Technology, Communications, and others. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that formalized the partnership, renewed in 1999, lays out a broad agenda of specific actions to be undertaken over the next two years in five priority areas:

  Technology in Education.  The two countries have launched a bilingual website, the Learning Technologies Network -LTNet, to disseminate information on educational technology programs and practices; exchanged findings on the impact and effectiveness of technology on student learning; and are exploring ways to link up classrooms, teachers, and students in the U.S. and Brazil

  Educational Standards, Assessments, and Indicators.  The countries have consulted extensively on how to build world-class systems of education statistics and indicators, and held a policy dialogue on how to set standards in a decentralized education system.

  Strengthening Professional Development of Teachers and School Managers.  The two countries have shared information on the best ways to prepare teachers and school administrators to face the challenges of today's classrooms, and initiated a new teacher exchange program US and Brazilian teachers.

  Diversifying Educational Exchanges.  The two countries are launching a joint grant program to support consortia of US and Brazilian colleges and universities in developing joint curricula and exchanging students in specific academic or professional areas.

  Enhancing Business, Community, and Family Involvement in Education.  Businesses in the U.S. and Brazil are working hard to pioneer efforts to improve education in their local communities. The Partnership supported study visits focused on this theme and published a guidebook in Portuguese, based on a U.S. Department of Education publication on how families and communities ready skills in young children.