May 5th, 2023

Mag. Carlos Varela Colombo, Principal of Instituto Crandon, attended Transforming Lives, a Methodist Education International Conference that was held in the United Kingdom from April 25th to May 1st. 

International Association of Methodist Schools and Colleges (IAMSCU), Methodist Schools, Southlands College, Wesley House Cambridge, and Methodist-related Theological Schools in Europe (MTSE) joined forces in the organization of an international meeting for Methodist educators. The activity was held in London, Bristol/Bath and Cambridge.

Transforming Lives Methodist Education International Conference, with three main events, focused on a different stage of Methodist education. It coincided with the 275th anniversary of Kingswood School, the Methodist school established by John Wesley in 1748.

The organizations in charge of the conference prepared a platform to «share, network, celebrate and enhance the educational opportunities for children and professionals in Methodist Education». Through masterclasses, seminars and workshops, the participants from all around the world discussed different topics: environmental sustainability, child mental health, new resources and ideas to support teaching the history of Methodism, the role of values based education in shaping a just society, among others. 

At the end of the conference, on April 30th, Mag. Varela, in the role of President of Asociación Latinoamericana de Instituciones Educativas Metodistas (ALAIME), gave a speech. He started with the reading of Jeremiah 18:1-6, and he continued saying that people who work in Methodist schools «must do as the potter» in order to do their «best effort to transform the lives of [their] students». 

He added: «It is important that they become charitable, that they would be able to think not only of themselves, but look after others. As Paulo Freire says: education does not change the world, it changes the people that change the world. We must prepare our students not to be the best in the world. They must be the best for the world».

Source: IAMSCU website