Summer Newsletter

Posted by La Catalina Foundation on September 15, 2008, 4:18 pm
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In case you haven’t visited our website lately, here is our summer newsletter summarizing some of La Catalina Foundation’s recent projects in La Manzanilla. To be able to access the links in the newsletter, please enter our website directly at: www.lacatalinafoundation.com/Article.asp?id=888332 First Classroom of Costa Alegre Educational Center – Complete! Topping the summertime news, the first classroom of the Costa Alegre Educational Center was completed in July. The doors and windows were installed in time for the summer camp for the Mexican children in the village. By completing the construction on the first community classroom, LCEF was able to fulfill their promise to the community. We are still looking for funding to continue building the remaining modules of the public facility. For more information on the Costa Alegre Educational Center project, to view the completed architectural plans, or to make a donation to this project, please visit the following link: www.lacatalinafoundation.com/Article.asp?id=767033 Wings High School Scholarship Winner Awarded LCEF is pleased to be offering two Wings High School Scholarships this year. We want to recognize and send big thanks to Carolyn, Roger, Tracy, Jonathan, Jeff and Chris for sponsoring our new Wings Scholar, Lupita Barragan, and to Cheryl and Duane Chaves for extending their support of Gaby Rodriguez to cover her second year of high school studies. This year’s winner, Lupita, is a gifted student who averaged 93 percent in middle school. She loves children and wants to be a business manager or math teacher when she grows up. Lupita and her sponsors are already becoming well acquainted, as seen in the photo above. As part of the scholarship, Lupita will also receive academic tutoring and mentorship from the foundation. She has goals of typing 35 words a minute and improving her English to an intermediate level. The Wings Scholarship is awarded to students with high academic accomplishments who do not have the financial ability to continue onto high school. We are always in search of wonderful people who want to give children the wings to fly and sponsor a high school scholarship. For more information, visit: www.lacatalinafoundation.com/Article.asp?id=115235 University Professors Teach Mute and Deaf Education at the Middle School LCEF organized classes in the middle school that focused on mute and deaf education, taught by volunteer professors from the University of Wisconsin. This topic was well received and intimate to the students, who have had their own experience with La Manzanilla deaf residents. The group from Wisconsin, studying at La Catalina Natural Language School, also taught crafts to the children of La Manzanilla and spent time volunteering in the adult English classes. Thank you to Julie Liotta, Kimberly Smith, and the Wilborn family! Learning to Live Healthier with Mojote Showing his continued passion for the community of La Manzanilla and on behalf of LCEF, board member and founder Victor Amezcua joined forces with Martin's Restaurant to bring the indigenous women’s coffee cooperative from Cuzalapa to La Manzanilla for a full day seminar on Mojote (or Mayan Nut, Brosimum alicastrum) at Martin's. Martin has been supporting this indigenous group dedicated to ecological causes. The workshops filled up to capacity and local residents of La Manzanilla had a chance to learn how to cook more than 8 different dishes with mojote while also learning about its amazing nutritional properties http://www.theequilibriumfund.org. All the profit went directly to the ladies co-op and the price was made affordable for residents at only 50 pesos for a full day! Great job, Victor & Martin! A BIG THANK YOU TO SOME OF OUR SUPPORTERS… This quarter, we want to give thanks to the following part-time residents, visitors and friends of La Manzanilla who donated supplies and program materials or who made a contribution to the foundation and public schools: Jim and Susan Farrell, Tia Richardson, Rhema Cossever, Cindy Benjamin, Gabriela de la Vega, Ann & Tim Edwards, Martin, Julie Liotta, Kimberly Smith, Rusty & Julie, Carolyn & Roger deRoos, Tracy Lovell, Jonathan Hilton, Jeff Dalto, Chris deRoos, Patrick & Amy Wilborn and Duane & Cheryl Chaves. La Catalina Educational Foundation, the schools and the children of La Manzanilla say, “Gracias!” OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS LCEF wins a grant from a U.S. non-profit and received 8 refurbished computers for the lab we will be setting up at the Costa Alegre Educational Center. Many thanks to the WINS Foundation for making this dream come true and also to Max Harper for all his hard work! LCEF honored by invitation from mothers in the community to help organize Father’s Day celebration. LCEF Children’s Art and English Summer Camp fills to capacity within first hour of sign ups. (More to come on this great program in the next newsletter!) LCEF recognized for their contribution to education and support by the State Department of Education of Jalisco and La Manzanilla’s “Jose Ma. Morelos y Pavon” Middle School at the graduation ceremony. LCEF and Costa Alegre Rotary come together in hopes of creating lasting relationship and working together to improve the lives of the children inthe Costa Alegre region. ¡GRACIAS, Y HASTA LA PRÓXIMA!

Be sure to visit www.lamanzanilla.info