Education will define the quality of the leaders of tomorrow. Affordable, easily available educational opportunities are a universal priority. Toward that goal, CREAD is committed to creating strong partnerships that use local potential for the development of each country, improving the standard of living and quality of life through educational opportunities, fostering a better understanding of different cultures and identities, and enhancing cooperation between countries through shared action. CREAD was founded in 1990 at the International Council for Distance Education World Conference in Caracas, Venezuela. The seminal idea for a consortium of this type came from the Télé-Université in Canada and the Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata in Argentina. It operated with the financial and logistical support of three agencies: the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Organization of American States (OAS), and the InterAmerican Organization for Higher Education (IOHE). From 1990 to 1993, IOHE acted as the administrator and prime mover of the consortium, and CREAD prepared to become a self-supporting, independent organization. In 1994, CREAD became an independent consortium with executive offices at Penn State and in 2003-2011 our executive offices were moved to Nova Southeastern University. Join us to make a difference. CREAD is currently offering membership subscriptions to all institutions and individuals interested in increasing educational opportunities in the Americas through distance education.
