I'm raising money for my English Program in the local public school and afterschool program in El Cuyo, Yucatan Mexico. US residents, I can provide a non-profit tax ID exempt from federal income tax under 501(c)(3).
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In 2020, I started an afterschool program called El Cuyo Clubs y Talleres with El Lugarcito community center. I saw the need to help create a passion for learning, building confidence, and a sense of belonging. This program has been created to help develop the youth in El Cuyo, Yucatan, Mexico and stay out of trouble children and young people in an after-school program. I am proud to say we have accomplished many things including:
As I review what is important for the community, my goal is to build an ongoing English Program in the primary (and someday the secondary) school with additional afterschool activities focused on play using English. El Cuyo is a small town changing rapidly through tourism. Parents continue to ask for English to help their children grow with the town changes. I have partnered with the Directory of Primary school we have now completed 6 months of the English program!! We need additional support to help us to paid teachers instead of volunteer teachers and build a tiny classroom that will be used for English classes.
Here are some stories of youth that have impacted me and keep moving forward with this program.
Samuel, 9 year old boy who attends English Lego Club. After a tragic family death, Samuel had become very attached to his mother. Sam's mother would try to bring him to class and he would cry and say he didn't want to go. Finally, she brought him to Lego club. He played with the LEGOs with his mother was by his side. Only after two classes of LEGO club with his mother, he started to attend by himself. He would give his mother a kiss goodbye and run to help dump the pile of LEGOs onto the floor to begin to building! I believe creating a safe play for children to learn and grow is important.
Bridgette, 12 year old girl who want to learn English. Bridgette attends every English Class we offer for kids. We also have a language exchange day which she attends as well. One day, it was very windy. We thought no one would attend the language exchange due to the weather. But sure enough...Bridgette arrived with her notebook and ready to learn! Giving a person a chance to learn and see them show up through rain or shine is a beautiful gift!
Luis, 7 year old non-verbal boy from Germany. Luis and his parent moved to El Cuyo during the pandemic because he was quiet and non-verbal, and needed space to run and play. After 6 months in our free afterschool programs, he is talking, asking questions and playing with the other kids...all while speaking three languages! German, Spanish and English! Our afterschool club programs a place for everyone - born and raised in El Cuyo, permanent or short-term residents and visitors. Our goal is to make everyone feel welcome by creating a safe, friendly environment for people to learn and grow.
Mateo, 13 year old boy who loves clay. During the pandemic, Mateo was stuck in his house. Schoolwork was only a few hours a day and the rest of the time he was just sitting around house. His mother suggested he learn a new skill, so he began to watch youtube videos about how to make clay animals. His aunt told me about him, I contacted his mom and asked if he would be interested in doing a workshop on clay modeling. He was a very shy and nervous to teach, but his mother said he was also excited. The kids enjoy his workshop so much! It was beautiful! But what was more beautiful was seeing him shine and share his talents with his peers.
To see other events and photos about my afterschool program please follow the program on Instagram @elcuyoclubsytalleres.
Thanks so much!
Karla Koop
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