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Perkins International Academy: shaping the future of inclusive education in Latin America

Discover PIA’s journey and how it has evolved into the essential program it is today, beginning with its impactful work in Latin America.

A young boy in a wheelchair, wearing a school uniform, points at a book on a table. A woman sits nearby, watching him. Colorful bags and materials hang on the wall in the background.

Perkins International Academy (PIA) is a series of certified courses that define an international competency standard for teachers and service providers of children with multiple disabilities and sensory loss.  Since its inception, Perkins International Academy has been pivotal in uplifting the quality of education across schools and programs

PIA impact numbers in Latin America since 2016

14 countries impacted by our hybrid learning model.

888 certifications completed.

49 cohorts of teachers, parents, caregivers, and other professionals.

+ 100,000children impacted.

Perkins programs in Latin America and the Caribbean began delivering online courses in the region in 2009, understanding that the region could reach those people who lived in places outside the main cities and who have difficulty in accessing the training institutes or universities.

This includes educators who work 8-hour days — or more — and are not able to make the required in person classes that most universities require. Perkins in Latin America’s team also knew from experience the benefit of reaching people beyond the national borders who could enrich the learning experience of all by bringing the different realities from the field of education. An additional advantage was that in the region the two main languages are Spanish and Portuguese, which made efforts for localization easier.

In 2016, Perkins launched Perkins International Academy, drawing on nearly 200 years of experience in the field. It launched online in Argentina (based on our 7 years of experience training online) and in India in person. It offers three levels of courses: Foundations, Advanced, and Program Development.

These courses cover a wide range of topics related to learning for individuals with multiple disabilities, visual impairments, and deafblindness, including early detection, communication, motor skills and movement, family engagement, and much more —all grounded in a perspective of inclusion and human rights.

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Expansion into Latin America and the Caribbean

PIA is often delivered in partnership with local universities and mostly online, like Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in México and Universidad Católica de Córdoba (UCC) in Argentina. Once a course is completed, participants receive a certification.

Beyond this, another pillar of Perkins’ work across the globe consists of collaboration with local governments. PIA graduates and Perkins staff go beyond the walls of the classroom, hand in hand with these local governments, working alongside Perkins staff to expand their impact beyond the classroom and helping to establish a foundation for sustainable change in the education of students with disabilities.

I fell in love with its philosophy, that all children can learn and communicate. When a child with multiple disabilities arrives that’s when I say I have to learn. Because I have to communicate, otherwise, where is the respect for the child?”

Sandra, Physical Therapist, from CAM 10, Aguascalientes, Mexico

As Perkins’ work continued to evolve and expand internationally, a high demand for more resources and materials in Spanish from our programs in Latin America and the Caribbean became evident. Our timeline lays out how Perkins’ team in the region has worked to bridge this gap.

Timeline of PIA’s movement throughout the region

  • 2010: Perkins launches Latin America programs website
    • The website provides a space to share and exchange resources and materials in Spanish and Portuguese about the education of children with multiple disabilities and deafblindness for families and professionals alike.
  • 2014: Virtual courses come to life in Latin America
    • Perkins expanded its curriculum reach by launching its first virtual classroom with specialized courses.
  • 2016: Virtual courses formalized into Perkins International Academy
    • Perkins pilots PIA online in Argentina and in-person in India.
    • It was in 2016 that all participants in PIA courses began to have their achievements honored by official certifications, as is characteristic of PIA as we know it today.
  • 2019: Perkins launches its Model Program Approach in Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina
    • 3 schools in each of the countries in South America as well as in Mexico went through a rigorous selection process to be chosen to participate in the Model Programs Approach to holistically improve classroom outcomes.
  • 2024: PIA curriculum is taught on-site in Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil
    • PIA is taught in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico in partnership with local governments and prestigious universities such as the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico, and the Catholic University of Cordoba in Argentina.
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PIA today, around the world

With the emergence and success of PIA in Latin America, Perkins began offering the courses to the other countries we work with, having delivered the course in 12 different languages. Perkins International Programs is motivated to continue expanding PIA to provide professionals with the tools they need to deliver a quality education for children with disabilities. 

Quantity does not supersede quality, which is why we continuously review and adapt our best practices. We adjust the course content based on the demands, needs, and cultural contexts of the region in which it is taught. For example, in the Spring of 2024, Perkins International Academy in Latin America revised coursework to focus on inclusion and the social model. 

When educators have the tools they need to provide a great quality and inclusive education there is a ripple effect on children with disabilities all over the world. Not only are teachers implementing adequate strategies in their classrooms, but entire schools and school systems are adopting practices that will transform the work they do for many generations to come. To this day we have impacted more than 140,000 children through our PIA courses in the world. This number will continue to grow as we expand our programs.

What began as a resource hub to fulfill the needs of families and professionals across Latin America has transformed into a uniquely impactful international program that will continue to improve.

Regardless of how the tides change, the PIA will continue to send educators and professionals into the world with invaluable knowledge, and an absolute intolerance for exclusion and discrimination, allowing children with disabilities to find their place in the world.

Help children with disabilities find their place in the world

With your support, we train teachers and work with local partners so that children with disabilities in rural areas have access to an accessible and inclusive education.

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