Dear Tania,

I recently had your e-mail forwarded to me from a manager of another
department in our museum.  My name is Doretta Winkelman and I am Director
of Binational Education here at the San Diego Natural History Museum.

I initiated (out of a demand and requests) and organized for our museum,
Spanish classes for our staff and volunteers.  We have been offering
classes to our staff since June of 1999.  We are currently in our fifth
round of 10 week classes.

I organize and produce environmental eduation teacher trainings in northern
and southern Baja California and have several Mexican partners.  One of
them is our academic coordinator of all our courses and she has been
teaching for more than 20 years in Mexico.  She has been teaching English
and Spanish for many of those years and is the best instructor around.  She
comes over from Tijuana twice a week and teaches Spanish to our staff and
volunteers.  In our fourth session, staff from the San Diego Zoo (they are
our next door neighbors) heard about the class and we have several
employees that have joined our course.

Last month, we had a request from our canyoneers (volunteers who lead hikes
all around San Diego county) to teach them common Spanish phrases or
expressions and Spanish names of plants, animals and birds.  So we are in
the process of designing a two day course for them.

The administrative department of our museum, offered to any full time
employee, a reimbursement of 50% of their course fees upon 100%
participation and completion of the 10 week course.  It keeps them coming
back.

If you would like to further discuss anything else about our Spanish
courses, I'd be happy to talk with you.  We have a mission in this San
Diego/Tijuana area to be known as a regional museum and consider our region
to be from Santa Barbara to the tip of Baja California Sur, from the Sea of
Cortez out to the deep ocean.  We deliver education, exhibits and research
for that region.

Look forward to hearing from you.  Thank you for your inquiry.

Sincerely,  Doretta Winkelman
(619) 232-3821 ext. 184

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