Wellt

West Long Life Training is the international training unit in Centro de Formação de Associação de Escolas Centro-Oeste (Teachers Training Centre of partner schools - Western-Centre). This centre is located in the Portuguese western region and it has as main goal to provide professional development to teachers and staff from schools within its area.

With a long tradition regarding the organization and participation in international training projects, Welt plays an important role concerning programs which intend to improve European teachers' training level in different fields, such as Culture, Cultural Heritage, Citizenship, intercultural training, school sport and the quality improvement of the way teaching is practised in the common European zone.

As to the training offer provided, we emphasize the organization of courses strongly related to topics within the scope of teachers interculturalism, experienced from the direct contact with History, Cultural Heritage, Arts, Literature, Human and Natural landscapes, Environment, etc, in order to further European teachers' personal and professional enrichment.

Our training centre is a public entity for professionals from the educatiaonal field, composed by several schools or school groups within the municipalities of Bombarral, Cadaval, Caldas da Rainha, Óbidos and Peniche.

Its creation is the result of the Training Centres' reorganization included in a specific legal framework (Order nr 18038/2008 e 18039/2008), which took place in the second half-year of 2008.

Its most important purposes are to support its member schools, to look at its needs regarding training, to support its training plans' preparation and the implementation and organization of Education professionals' continuous training.

Considering and recognizing that Education professionals' continuous training is a factor of potential improvement in regard to teachers and staff performance, CFAE's Centro-Oeste purpose is to give a contribution concerning better and updated professional skills. It is also its desire to refine and develop education professionals' knowledge, skills and abilities. It stresses the public service qualification offered by schools, mainly in what concerns its operation and the expected results.

The training centre activity must be seen as an added-value to school members and to its professionals, once it has a dynamic that benefits the professional upgrade and the cultural enrichment of all its members.

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