Winter 2014 - Oaxaca Learning Center

Oaxaca
Learning Center
The
Making a difference, one young person at a time!
Tutoring

Women’s Group  English & Computer Skills
Work/Study Sponsorships
www.tolc.org.mx

Counseling
www.iiacaprendizaje.org
Winter 2014 Newsletter
Coaching The Coaches
! The year 2014 began with the Center´s commitment to take the next step in developing our
capabilities in mentoring students through training of our core staff, coordinators and tutors (a group of
twenty) in coaching skills and techniques. Effective academic tutoring coupled with coaching of students
“will enhance our ability to make a positive difference in the lives of Center participants”, says Jaasiel
Quero, the Center´s co-founder and President.
! The decision to make this investment with FOLC funding was the outcome of an experimental coaching seminar in 2013. At that time senior staff
met with Richard Michaels, a visitor at the Center and director of “Coaching
for Transformation,” of Leadership That Works, Inc., an International Coach
Federation (ICF) accredited program (ACTP). “There were seven in our
group,” Richard recalls, “and I gave a four-hour introduction to coaching, followed by a two-hour review and more coaching practice. What happened
during those hours way exceeded my expectations.” He points to how fast
the group picked up the ideas and really embraced how coaching nurtured
their creativity and their mentoring capabilities with students. Furthermore,
they felt the session brought them closer together as a group, giving them
skills and a vocabulary to have deeper conversations with one another and
add to the toolkit and approaches available in mentoring others.
Richard Michaels
! In January of this year Richard returned to the Center and conducted a
week-long seminar of intensive coaching training. Coaching theory and practice allowed staff participants
to discover valuable interpersonal communication skills: alertness to body language; learning the art of
attentive listening; using language clearly and succinctly; resisting the temptation to give answers in favor
of seeking the right questions; and leading others to come up with answers of their own. Richard found
the twenty staff participants “open and receptive to learning coaching skills. They were eager to share
feelings, in order to understand and get in touch with what motivates them and what they hope to
achieve.” These skills enhanced the strong sense of community that already exists within the Center´s
staff and will serve them in helping students reflect on and express their needs in order to maximize their
potential.
! In late February and March, mentor coaching with U.S. staff via SKYPE will continue. In April Richard
will return for three days of follow-up sessions to consolidate coaching skills.
! The plan Richard developed envisions a second and third year of training. The second year would
allow the Learning Centerʼs coordinators and tutors to deepen their skillfulness as change agents, educators and leaders. In the third year, selected staff members would complete the 140-hour Coaching for
Transformation program and become Certified Professional Coaches. This would assure mentoring and
on-going development for all coaches and new Center staff, and would help grow the Centerʼs social
business.
Tapping The Maple Tree
! Over the years The Oaxaca Learning Center has received generous donations from Canadians, even
though these donors werenʼt able to claim tax deductions for their contributions. It was a problem that
bothered our longtime friend, Lynda Wilde - not just insofar as The Learning Center was concerned, but
because of the many good causes she and fellow Canadians here in Oaxaca choose to support.
! Lynda and a stalwart handful of like-minded compatriots decided to do something about it. They set
about finding their way through the labyrinth of Canadian bureaucracy. It took two years of patience and
stamina, but in 2013 “Canadian Friends of Oaxaca” finally emerged as CANFRO—complete, structured
and legit. On January 1, 2014, it launched its long-term fundraising mission here, offering Canadians a
charitable tax receipt for supporting CANFRO projects that help Oaxacan people in need build better
lives.
! “What we now have under our CANFRO umbrella,” explains Lynda, “are seven project areas
that address issues of poverty, health and education. In each of our project areas we team up with
partner organizations already working effectively
in that field. Two of our projects are the Tutor Project and the Advanced Education Project. For
those, our marvelous partner is The Oaxaca
Learning Center.”
! Just this month The Learning Center was able
to make first use of the donation mechanisms
Lynda and her friends so laboriously put in place.
While visiting TOLC, a Canadian was able to
John Rollins, CANFRO treasurer, Lynda Wilde,
make a donation to CANFRO in support of the Tuproject
manager and Penny Hopkins, president,
tor Project. Tutors working at TOLC became the
beneficiary of a Canadian contribution and the meet at the Learning Center to go over documents
detailing CANFROʼs support of the Centerʼs work.
donor will receive a charitable tax receipt.
! Right now, individual donors are CANFROʼs main target, but the Board of Directors also plan to seek
foundation and government grants. Being a voluntary operation, CANFRO needs people who will volunteer their knowledge and skills to the new organization. “Thereʼs a ton of information on our website,
www.canfro.ca,” says Lynda. “We hope Canadians will go there, take a thoughtful look, and then come
on board and give us a helping hand helping others.”
! We at The Center hope so, too, and thank our new
partners from up north for their hard work and generosity.
You Can Help!
The Oaxaca Learning Center
gets most of its revenue from donations.
Americans can send tax-deductible gifts to:
FOLC
P. O. Box 926
Blue Hill, ME 04614
Canadians can send tax-deductible gifts to:
CANFRO
73 Pine Street
Belleville, ON K8N 2M7
Please be sure to include
your e-mail address on your check!
You may also use PayPal by
clicking on this button:
Tutoring is what the Learning Center is all about.
Donate Now!
Changing Of The Guard
! The Learning Centerʼs flourishing tutoring program has a new coordinator this year. Luz Maria Cuevas Castro recently took up the reins from Armando Carmona, who has guided the Centerʼs core program so outstandingly for the past six years.
! Born here in Oaxaca city in 1985, Luz is one of four children in her
family and lives at home with her mother, one of her sisters and a
niece. Her father is deceased. She is busy pursuing a Bachelorʼs degree in Mathematics. She heard about the work of the Learning Center
and stopped by in February 2012 to get information. After interviews
with Armando, she decided to become a part of the Centerʼs tutor
team, and began with a group of six junior high students whom she
taught on weekday mornings. She quickly got caught up in the enthusiastic spirit of the place. “The Learning Center is an enchanted space,”
she says. “It is a pleasure to work with the students and other staff.
This is not like other jobs. If you make mistakes, people donʼt criticize
you but try to help you, instead. Here you learn with and for the students. Relationships here are more humanistic and not mechanical.”
! As the new coordinator of the tutoring program, Luz has a lot of responsibility. She must interview student applicants and their parents.
She must also recruit and train new tutors, and then supervise their
work. Luz meets with the whole tutoring team for three hours each Saturday in a workshop where the group evaluates the program and moniLuz Maria Cuevas Castro
tors their studentsʼ progress.
! Luz understands that being the coordinator of the tutoring program is a huge responsibility and admits
to being nervous about undertaking the challenge, but she welcomes the opportunity for personal and
professional growth. And while she misses tutoring individual students, she can still share in their successes. “One of the most rewarding things is to see their happy smiles when they have done well on their
math tests!”
And Armando? He is still very much a part of the Learning Center family. He is presently enrolled in a
program at Universidad Anáhuac (Oaxaca) where he will earn a Masterʼs degree in marketing, and has
been named director of marketing for the Learning Center and its new for-profit tutoring center, which
opened last summer.
A Note Of Appreciation
Hola Gary,
Have had thoughts to write about our
experience with your fabulous place.
When I arrived with Maria Clarisa
and her parents we really didn't know
what to expect. Her parents were apprehensive about leaving her in the big city
and she was nervous. Our first encounter
was with a young woman named Edith.
She directed us to the wonderful young
man, Jauri, who 'helps plan the futures'
of the students. He was able to assure us
he could check all best possibilities for a
prepa en el centro. He was willing to meet
us the next morning to go with us to see
the prepa. He ended up helping us with
every detail and in one 24 hours all
Maria Clarisa's dreams came true. She
was more than delighted with all her
opportunities.
Some days later we sent another student from here on the coast and his experience was just as wonderful. Someone
showed him around the city and went
out of their way to help him find a place
to live. They were “demasiado amable”. So just to thank you for all of this and
what a great service you have helped
create! Your kids are fantastic!
Sending saludos -- Susana
Two Lives Intertwined
This is a continuation in a series of occasional pieces showing how different individuals have found ways
to help The Oaxaca Learning Center achieve its goals by getting personally involved in its work.
Leslie Bedford:
Hugo Vicente:
! “In February I will be heading
“I would not be able to go to university if not for the Center.” So,
back to Oaxaca. It must be my tenth simply and plainly, says Hugo Vicente Yescas, a gracious and enor eleventh trip; it certainly won’t be gaging young man of 22. Hugo’s story is not unlike those of many
the last. When I retired from running other students who have been fortunate enough to fall under the
a master’s program for museum aegis of The Oaxaca Learning Center.
educators I vowed to make Oaxaca
Hugo managed to graduate from high school in 2010, a feat not
an annual event. My
equaled by most Mexican
husband, Frank, comes
teenagers. But that apwith me as often as he
peared to be the end of the
can. ! During one of our
line, educationally, for him.
stays - a three-month
No one in his family (he has
sabbatical from teaching
three older sisters and a
- we met Gary Titus, who
younger brother) had ever
soon after founded the
gone to college and he had
Learning Center. So
no such aspirations for himwhen we managed to
self. But at that point fate
escape the New York
intervened. Looking for
winters we often stayed
work, he was recommended
with him and marveled
to Gary at the Learning
at how unchanged this
Center by a resident ex-pat
magical city seemed to
who happened to be both a
be.
supporter of the Center and
! In 2011, on my own
a friend of Hugo’s family. It
at t!he Center’s B&B for
turned out that Gary was
a week, I offered to tutor
looking for someone to help
Hugo Vicente and Leslie Bedford share
English and was aswith the maintenance of the
some
time
together
during
her
stay
in
Oaxaca.
signed to work with
Center and the bed &
Hugo Vincente, a soft-spoken soccer breakfast. Hugo got the job and impressed everyone with his
player with a fabulous smile, who ability. “He was very well organized and an excellent worker,”
lived and worked at the Center. Like Gary testifies. His quiet charm and ready wit quickly won many
all the kids at the Center, Hugo had friends among the staff and students of the Center and the many
no possibility of moving up in life guests of the Bed and Breakfast. It didn’t hurt that he was also
without an education and there was an enthusiastic and very proficient soccer player. He soon beno money for such a luxury. By the came part of the Center’s extended family and was influenced by
time I left, we had agreed to finance the spirit of camaraderie and dedication to excellence that charHugo’s four years at the Oaxaca acterizes the whole enterprise.
Technological Institute where he is
Taking advantage of a Center scholarship, he took classes in
now in his second year studying Civil the Cambridge Academy to learn English and practiced his new
Engineering.
language skills with guests at the Center. Then he decided to fol! There are so many reasons to low in the footsteps of another Center student and good friend
support the Center in its truly trans- and enroll in the Instituto Tecnológico de Oaxaca. His associaformative work with young people. tion with the Learning Center was a boon. Tutors at the Center
Mine came down to the simple reali- helped him prepare for the college entrance exam. A guest at the
zation that I could actually give back B&B who had come to know him agreed to pay his educational
for all those hours I had spent in this expenses. Now he is in his fourth semester at the university. “I
city I love so much. I feel very lucky.”
feel very fortunate to be at the Learning Center,” Hugo says.