The Latin American Association of Methodist Institutions of Education (ALAIME) concluded its International Congress, which was held in Rosario, Argentina, on September 25-29. ALAIME meets yearly, and its most recent previous congresses and conferences were held in Uruguay (2023) and Mexico (2024). The location of the event was chosen to coincide with the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the Education Center [Centro Educativo Latinoamericano] (CEL) in the city of Rosario, Argentina, a school founded by The Reverend Thomas Wood as the American College on May 28, 1875, and focusing on the education of women. Decades later, the school evolved to provide the seeds to form a university, the Universidad del Centro Educativo Latinoamericano (UCEL).
Nearly 140 persons attended the congress, whose theme was “Methodist Education: Contributions to Life in Democracy.” This theme was discussed in a parallel meeting which started on September 2025 and brought together the members of the Latin American Network of School Chaplains. Prof. Rev. Dr. Paulo Garcia led the theological reflections with this group of nearly 30 participants. Another parallel event was the ALAIME Student Conference, an event that has been occurring for 13 years now.
Around 60 students from 9 different countries discussed the same theme of the ALAIME Congress, but focused on pedagogical activities and reflections related to their daily experience at Methodist schools throughout Latin America. At the end of their event, they wrote a song that reaffirmed the connection between the Wesleyan tradition and democracy. They also wrote a Declaration which stated their key values and the outcomes of their event.
Complementing these activities, ALAIME held its General Assembly, which elected the new leadership for the next years. The new ALAIME leadership includes the following persons for the 2025-2027 period:
Victor Valerio (Mexico), Presidente
Luis Vazquez (Argentina) Vice-President
Adriana Brandon (Uruguay) Treasurer
Tatiana Inistrosa (Chile) Secretary
Gabriela Amaya (Argentina) Executive Secretary
Bety Cruz (Mexico) Member at large
Felipe Rojas (Chile) Member at large
Ninoshka Naraza (Peru) Member at large
Adriana Laisu (Uruguay) Member at large
Yaisilyn Bernal (Panama) Member at large
Edwin Huanca (Bolivia) Member at large
Finally, the congress had three main speakers: Lic. Filipe Esteban Cortéz (Chile) on the theological aspects of the general theme, Mag. Leonardo Félix (Argentina) on the social and political dimensions, and Dr. Isabelino Siede (Argentina), who focused on pedagogical issues. The event also included parallel sessions in which teachers and professors from various institutions presented papers and discussed topics related to Methodist education in different countries. More details on the congress can be found on ALAIME’s website: https://alaime.net