As many of you might know, our Sea Turtle Protection & Conservation Center (STPCC) has been around since 1983! The workers patrol 3.7 miles of coastline every day, carefully transporting sea turtle eggs to our protected hatching facility where they remain until the time they hatch, and are then immediately released into the ocean.
This workshop offers children and young people a space to develop technological and computer skills through the construction and programming of fun Lego robots. It offers them a space to develop analytical, technological, and professional development skills to create a broader knowledge that will benefit their quality of life and long-term educational opportunities.
Dear Community, say hello to Mar, Tere & Cati! We have a lot of new and exciting projects in the works and our programs keep expanding day by day so, for the last couple of months, we've been searching for new members to join the team. We finally found them, and we're very excited to introduce you to these three amazing women!
We’re pleased to announce our new art residency with sound artist Alonso Hernández, who will be teaching kids about sound and its interpretation. Through drawing and audio recordings, the children will build a soundscape of their towns, giving us another opportunity of getting to know their communities through their creations!
Throughout four months in our coastal region, Beatriz Sokol collaborated with girls and boys between 4 and 13 years old, presenting a workshop that examined the image as a narrative tool: capable of expressing, reimagining, and addressing the setting and individuality of the person behind the camera.
We are pleased to announce that a new series of art workshops has begun!
For this cycle we're collaborating with Beatriz Sokol, a Mexico City-based photographer whose previous work with children and photography, particularly in Chiapas, makes her a fantastic fit to work alongside the kids of Costa Alegre.
English classes are back in session! Our new outdoor English program is an initiative that arises in response to the closure of schools due to the current pandemic.
In the last couple of months, we've gradually but steadily, started to reactivate our different programs. We believe that we must resume activities by taking every possible action to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and resume our commitment to work with the kids and support them in their English education, as well as lifting their spirits and expression whether it's through art or music!
We’ve got some fresh faces around the Careyes Foundation office! Director Sarah Lerman will be going on maternity leave for the duration of the current school year. She’ll be staying involved—as she plans to return to her position in 2021—but our interim director, Elijah Monroe, will be taking over the day-to-day leadership of the foundation. You may also have noticed a recent pulse in our social media accounts thanks to the newly hired Nicolás García Barraza, who will be teaching English and managing social media. We're excited to have them both on board.
Over the past several months, we have been working closely with the municipal government of La Huerta to restore the Casa de la Cultura (cultural center) in our neighboring community of Emiliano Zapata. This space will be home to one of our most exciting new initiatives, the Vocational Training Center!
When the COVID-19 Hunger Relief Drive was launched, the Careyes Foundation's goal was to make donations last for two rounds of grocery deliveries. Thanks to the overwhelming response from the Careyes community, we have now made four deliveries of essential food and supplies. That aid has sustained local families over the past four months.
The economic impact of COVID-19 has severely affected the rural communities surrounding Careyes, with many residents losing essential earnings. In April, after consulting with the municipal government, our team determined that there were approximately 1,000 families in our area going hungry. The Careyes community stepped up to meet this urgent need, and we quickly met our original goal of raising 30,000 USD, funding two rounds of grocery deliveries by the end of May.
Restoration of the staff shelter at the Sea Turtle Protection & Conservation Center on Playa Teopa is now complete! With funding from Brent Martini and the Brignone family, we built a new shelter using quality, durable materials designed to withstand the elements.
Our Music School has gone virtual as we stay home to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Video rehearsals will help our choirs maintain the progress that they have made over the past two years until they are able to meet in-person again.
Our regular programs are on hold as we practice social distancing to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus in our region. We have been working with the Careyes Clinic to combat misinformation and address common questions by producing a series of informational graphics that outline the essentials of COVID-19 and prevention methods. A dedicated page on our website also offers a variety of educational resources for families looking to stay productive and learn new things while staying safe and staying home.
This past Saturday, 30 kids, parents, and community members joined us on a beautiful bike ride in the village of Agua Caliente. All told, our group (which included 9-year-olds on single speed bikes) pedaled 16 kilometers!
How time flies! On Friday, our children’s and adult choirs performed for friends and family to celebrate the Careyes Foundation Music School’s second anniversary. The concert featured a selection of favorites from the past two years, including songs in Spanish, English, Italian, and Kibula. We’re so proud of this bunch and the amazing progress they’ve made!
As English classes and other activities prepare to take a pause for winter vacation, our Music School kicked off the holidays with not one but two Christmas concerts. Our children’s and adult choirs performed a selection of timeless classics, including “Adeste Fidelis” (“O Come All Ye Faithful,” in Latin), “Angeles cantando están” (“Angels We Have Heard On High,” in Spanish), and “Santa la noche” (“Oh Holy Night,” also in Spanish).
Sea turtle hatching season is in full swing, and our fall Ecology Education field trips are well underway! Students, parents, and teachers from each of our local elementary schools are making the trek to the Sea Turtle Protection & Conservation Center on Playa Teopa to get a hands-on look at the work of species conservation. Already, over 200 community members have participated this season, and we ‘re only halfway done!
We had a full house yesterday for the first of this fall’s cinema field trips! Our current series focuses on turning your passion into a career.
This year’s Discovery Bike Rides got off to a great start this weekend in the community of Juan Gil. Over the coming months we’ll be leading weekend rides in each of our local communities. If you’ll be in Careyes and want to explore more of the area’s incredible natural surroundings, come out and join us!
In keeping with Ondalinda’s multiverse theme, our choirs performed “Across the Universe” and “Hijo de la Luna” (“Son of the Moon”). The singers were accompanied by a few of our guitar students making their first public performance.
English classes are back in session! After weeks of training and practice, our teachers are ready to share their language skills with over 800 children in twelve local elementary schools.
Our children’s and adult choirs brushed up on their repertoire of hymns after being asked to perform at a confirmation mass in the village of Francisco Villa and a quinceañera mass in Emiliano Zapata. Earlier last month, our Music School also hosted a concert in Villa’s town square as part of the Independence Day festivities.
Over the past week, Careyes residents and homeowners have rallied to provide emergency relief to the community of Chamela, which found itself underwater as a result of Hurricane Lorena.
We are excited to welcome three new volunteers! Emily, Annie, and Christa join us from Alabama, Oregon, and New Mexico to deliver English classes in local elementary schools and get involved with all of our dynamic educational programs.
A huge thank you goes out to everyone who joined us at Casa Infinito for what was truly a magical evening and a major moment for Careyes! More than 150 people turned out to celebrate our accomplishments and be part of our future. It’s amazing what we can achieve when we come together.
In 2023, we have planned an entire month dedicated to sexual education in the 12 rural villages that we serve. During this period, we will work with specialists to deliver workshops in elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as open talks for adults and parents in each community. We aim to increase possibilities for local teenagers to expand, pursue, and accomplish their life goals.