Palau, an island of dreams

Palau is an island paradise right out of “South Pacific” that is so beautiful and so tranquil that it seems no one would ever want to leave.

But Palauans were leaving, particularly the young ones with good educations and bright futures. Most of the very best students would transfer to universities in other countries to earn degrees and never return home. Palau was exporting talent and getting nothing in return.

A visionary Palauan homeboy and a feisty Southwestern College Latina are working to stop the brain drain.

Assistant Professor of Reading Dr. Sylvia Garcia-Navarrete went to Palau in 2011 to teach the island nation’s teachers about the innovative thinking curriculum she helped to develop. Even after she left Palau, a piece of the island stayed in her heart.

“My initial impression of Palau, just hearing the word, was magical,” she said. “But my concern was for their educational problems, which are similar to our own problems. Students were coming out of high school underprepared with a lot of second language learner issues.”

Dr. Patrick Tellei, the president of Palau Community College, agreed. He was so impressed by Garcia-Navarrete’s teaching techniques that he came to SWC to meet with her last year with the interest of bringing greater access of modern western education to his native Palau.

“Though the Interwork Institute we were able to host Garcia-Navarrete, who did some extremely important work on reading,” said Tellei. “I am hoping that your college can send a student or two to spend a semester at our institution.”

Palau been in “free association” since 1994 when it gained its independence from administration by the United States dating back to World War II. With about 20,000 citizens, it is only slightly more populous than SWC.

Palau Community College confers associates degrees in 26 disciplines, but until recently no baccalaureate or graduate degrees. This fueled the brain drain Tellei and Garcia-Navarrete want to help stop.

PCC has a partnership with San Diego State University’s Interwork Institute, whereby Palauan students are able to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees without leaving Palau.

“Dialogue is important,” said Tellei. “I hope that this meeting today will lead to future relations with other colleges.”

Garcia-Navarrete said her main focus is to help raise the quality of education in Palau’s K-12 schools and community college.

“I hope we can start something with PCC within the next year,” she said.

SDSU’s Interwork Institute put Palauan students into cohorts, or small groups of students that would graduate with one another. These cohorts would go through two years of courses together in hybrid classes that included online and face-to-face coursework. Garcia-Navarrete said the program allows students to stay in their communities and contribute to their country.

Garcia-Navarrete helped to develop Our Reading Toolbox, a critical thinking intervention that has been very effective with American Latino students who are second language learners. Garcia-Navarrete helped instructors at PCC create their own courses that actively engaged students.

Tellei said that ESL is a big need in Palau as students are required to learn Palauan until grade four and then transition to English. Our Reading Toolbox also attracted the attention of teachers from the nearby island of Chuuk. Several traveled to Palau to attend Garcia-Navarette’s classes. Garcia-Navarrete said she hopes to travel there someday.

“The teachers from Chuuk were great,” she said. “They were all really interested in learning any strategy that would help their students.”

SWC President Dr. Melinda Nish said she was optimistic about the potential partnership between Palau and SWC.