Uruguay Geography
Uruguay is a small country in southeastern South America. It borders Brazil to the north and Argentina to the west, with the Atlantic Ocean along its southeastern coast. The country sits between two major rivers, the Uruguay River and the Río de la Plata, which play an important role in its landscape and economy.
About Education in Uruguay:
Uruguay has a strong commitment to public education and equity. As one of South America’s most stable democracies, Uruguay is known for its strong public education system and its commitment to equity. It’s a small country with a big focus on innovation, especially in making technology accessible to students. Beyond education, Uruguay offers a rich cultural experience. Traveling to Uruguay allows teachers to broaden their global perspective while developing strategies to bring international awareness and cultural understanding back to their own classrooms.
Educational Experiences in Uruguay:
Casona de Políticas Lingüísticas de ANEP Visit:
The mission of the National Public Education Administration (ANEP) regarding language policies is to develop multilingual citizens who can interact in social, academic, and/or professional settings through the use of languages. To achieve multilingualism, citizens will learn one foreign language for international communication (English), one language for regional communication (Portuguese), and a third foreign language related to their personal interests (Italian, French, German, or others). The visit completely shifted my perspective, showing me just how powerful language learning is as a tool for weaving global perspectives into the classroom. It really gives students a fresh lens for understanding and connecting with different cultures. My big takeaway is to start integrating short language lessons into my curriculum with an intentional focus on those rich cultural connections. Learn More
Minas Department of Inspection Visit:
During my visit to the Department of Inspection, I met with Departmental Inspectors Cecilia Hernández and Leidys Abreu, as well as Psychologist Gloria Rijo from the Escuelas Disfrutables (Enjoyable Schools) team. Through our discussions, they mapped out Uruguay's multi-tiered special education referral process. When a teacher identifies potential learning or developmental needs, the case moves systematically through the school principal and the departmental inspector before reaching the team psychologist for a formal observation and family consultation. Crucially, the final placement decision rests with the family, who chooses between inclusive regular education or specialized schooling based on the psychologist's evaluation. Looking ahead to long-term outcomes, students graduate from middle school into specialized vocational workshops designed to maximize their independent living skills and practical life practices.
The Enjoyable Schools Project: The Programa Escuelas Disfrutables in Uruguay is a national initiative that embeds interdisciplinary pairs of psychologists and social workers into public schools to improve institutional climate and protect children's rights. The program structures its impact across four core areas: promoting well-being through thematic workshops, aligning families with school goals, triaging emergency behavioral and abuse crisis, and acting as a bridge to external social and healthcare networks. By combining a long-term, preventative presence with systemic community connections, this model effectively shifts the educational focus from reactive crisis management to cultivating a joyful, supportive environment where every student can thrive.
My biggest takeaway from this visit is that, even though Uruguay's special education placement process is completely different from what we do in the U.S., it puts so much power in families' hands to decide what setting is best for their child. Additionally, the Enjoyable Schools Project really inspired me to advocate within my own district about how vital it is to prioritize students' mental health and well-being right alongside their academic growth.
School Visits:
Rural School No.88:
Learning in this school isn’t about sitting quietly at a desk; it’s hands-on, messy, and deeply project-based. Every single grade spends the year tackling a massive, immersive project, and standard progress reports just don't do it justice. Instead, the students and teachers took center stage together to showcase the incredible work, creative problem-solving, and sheer heart they’ve poured into these year-long journeys.
My big takeaway from this visit is just how deeply involved families are in their children's education. When parents and caregivers are truly woven into the school community, learning stops being a chore; it becomes personal, relevant, and so much easier for every single student to thrive. Seeing that strong bridge between home and school really highlighted how powerful a united effort can be for a child's growth.
Special School No. 108 :
Special School No. 108 serves a student population with extensive, complex needs, including children who are blind or visually impaired. Enrollment is entirely parent- driven, with families choosing to place their children here through an intake process that relies on a parent interview and qualitative surveys rather than formal diagnostic assessments. Once enrolled, students either attend the special school full-time or utilize a dual-enrollment model, splitting their time equally between a regular education setting and the specialized school. While the faculty is deeply dedicated, the teachers do not hold formal special education degrees, having only taken a few foundational classes on exceptional learners. The educators explicitly expressed a pressing need for more professional development, targeted training, and evidence-based strategies to effectively meet their students' diverse and complex instructional needs.
Rural School No.6:
Visited the town of José Pedro Varela to visit the Amelia Maeso de Pereira School, and it was truly such an honor to experience the presentations the teachers and students had prepared for us.
You can instantly feel the immense pride everyone has for their school and their town. They beautifully showcased their culture, history, traditions, and daily life, making us feel incredibly welcomed and appreciated every step of the way. I was so impressed by the sheer confidence and enthusiasm of the students!
For lunch, the school prepared a delicious meal for us, and we also had the wonderful opportunity to share a bit about ourselves and our own schools. We wrapped up the visit with a traditional dance performance by the students, and they even sent us off with a goodie bag filled with products made from locally grown rice.
What stood out most to me was the impressive leadership the students demonstrated when presenting about their school and local community. They took complete ownership, sharing details about their town with an unmistakable sense of pride. Seeing them step up inspired me to give my own students more leadership in our lessons, allowing them to take the lead and present content directly to their peers.
School No. 67:
Rural School No. 67, a multi-grade school with just 12 students, was an absolute joy. The day kicked off with high energy during physical education, where I didn't just observe; I actually jumped in and played a traditional game that the students had created themselves! Afterward, we headed into the classroom for an English lesson. I was then honored to lead the students through a segment of the morning meeting routine that I share with my own students back in the U.S. It was a beautiful moment of connection. We then took learning outdoors for a science lesson right in the school garden, which the students had completely grown themselves, and wrapped up the school day with a social studies lesson on Uruguay’s national symbols.
What stood out most to me was the teacher's brilliant use of local resources. Turning their immediate environment into a hands-on learning lab was incredible to watch, especially seeing science, math, social studies, and reading integrated into a single, immersive lesson. It really sparked ideas for how I can do the same with my own students.
Rural School No.19:
The day began with a visit to Rural School No. 19, where four other rural schools joined us for a collaborative learning day. Together, all five schools have been working on a brilliant project to discover and embrace the geological structures of their local area. The session began with the students sharing their drawings of the Cerro Arequita rock formations. To deepen their understanding, the teacher invited a local geologist to explain exactly how these massive structures were formed millions of years ago.
I then had the opportunity to share a lesson about the geological structure of my own town, Rolesville, North Carolina, and our famous Batholith! The geologist was kind enough to co-teach with me, translating the concepts into Spanish for the students. It was absolutely magical to see how engaged and interactive the kids were throughout the lesson.
The absolute highlight of the day was witnessing how these rural school teachers come together, leaning on one another and utilizing their natural, local resources to create meaningful lessons. The passion, dedication, and love these teachers pour into their students is truly unmatched. That inspired me to try to build more opportunities for collaboration between my school and neighboring schools, where we could share lesson plans and work on joint projects.
Technology Use in Schools (Ceibal Headquarters Visit):
Ceibal is Uruguay’s leading center for educational innovation and technology. They promote the use of technology to improve learning, focusing on ensuring equity and inclusion and strengthening the educational community. They provide every Uruguayan student with a device for K-12. They also test, maintain, and fix the devices for all Uruguayan schools. Ceibal also provides two major educational programs, Ceibal in English and Computational Thinking. Learn More
Cultural Experiences:
My Travels in Uruguay:
During my field experience, I visited several cities in Uruguay. My first stop was Montevideo, the capital city. It is modern and full of life, but it also feels very calm. People often call it one of the most relaxed and progressive capitals in South America. Next, I went to Minas, the capital of the Lavalleja area. Instead of the beaches that Uruguay is famous for, Minas has a different kind of beauty with rocky hills and natural mineral springs. I ended my trip in Colonia, which is one of the oldest cities in the country. It sits right across the water from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and is a very pretty, romantic coastal town.
The People and Culture:
What stood out to me the most was how kind and welcoming the people are. They are truly some of the nicest people I have ever met. They are very proud of their country, and teachers share that pride with their students every day. Uruguayans are very polite and accept people from all walks of life. I also loved seeing how much food, culture, and art are a big part of their daily lives.