About us

History

Our institute was founded in 1970 by Order No. 602 of the Province Private Education Service to incorporate as of 16 March 1970 the advanced education courses of English and French, then offered by the Technical School no. 8 “Academia de Lenguas Vivas”, into the Higher Education Institute of Teacher Training in English and French, registered under number #1.

In 1973 through Order No. 330, the Ministry of Education and Culture of Santa Fe grants official recognition to the Institute’s courses of study.

In 1975, a group mostly made up of women creates the Civil Association “Higher Education Institute of Teacher Training in English and French No. 1”, with the main objective of providing higher or tertiary-level language education, promoting professional development, and fostering cultural enrichment to the benefit of students and the society.

In 1982, the Head of the Province Private Education Service signs Ordinance no. 1224 to name the institute “Estela Guinle de Cervera”, in recognition of the tireless service and profound teaching vocation of its founder and first director, who dedicated her life to education and culture.

The institute today

Nowadays, our institution is the renowned alma mater of English teachers (at early childhood, elementary, and secondary education levels) and translators. The faculty is integrated by professionals with outstanding academic and human qualities, who have obtained undergraduate and postgraduate degrees locally and internationally. Much of the faculty is devoted to training future teachers, as well as offering seminars, conferences, workshops, and lectures for advanced students and teachers.

Since its creation to the date, the institute has trained teachers whose outstanding academic and professional expertise sets them apart. Our graduates have worked in various educational institutions in the city, the country, and abroad. Some have even dedicated to researching. 

The institute is characterised by personalised instruction and a special focus on guidance for each student, paying special attention to their specific contexts and interests. Our counsellors interview first-year students to mentor and offer them educational support throughout their academic paths. We also offer “Peer-to-peer Mentoring”, in which senior students help and guide juniors.

An important benefit to highlight are the scholarships our institute provide to help students facing difficulties to pay the fee. Our aim is to promote high-quality teaching and translation programmes; hence, we want to facilitate access to those who show the vocation and motivation to pursue our degrees.

Another salient characteristic of our institute is the continuous development of our graduates. All English teachers that are interested in higher education institutions are given the opportunity to work as assistants in the subjects offered by the institute. This allows them to complete their training and specialise in a particular disciplinary field.

Additionally, every semester the institute organises seminars and workshops on various topics related to the teaching and learning of the foreign language, as well as holistic cultural courses designed for advanced students of the teaching and translation programmes.

Our institute also works in cooperation with the Santa Fe English Teachers’ Association (ASPI), organising the agenda of specialisation courses for teachers and advanced students of English. The institute functions as ASPI’s headquarters.

The teaching training programme is deeply involved with the community: we have collaborated with different local educational and cultural institutions, such as the Historical Archive of the Province. We also have agreements with schools to guarantee reciprocity in terms of teaching and knowledge exchanges, such as the Dante Alighieri School, and other schools where our students can complete their teaching practices: San José Arquidiocesano, and Nuestra Señora del Calvario (primary and secondary level); and La Salle Jobson, Sagrado Corazón, and IPEI (secondary level).

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