News

(a 2^nd year of pandemic challenges)

In spite of the challenges, Cara Adelante completed 3 years of successful operation in December.

2021 began with continued challenges living in a multi-person environment during Covid-19. The students returned to online studies at our group home for the January to July semester. Throughout the semester academic counseling sessions and English classes resumed. Despite the routine and monotonous conditions caused by confinement, these young women were collaborative and participated in activities and workshops designed to release pent up frustration.

The staff responded with appropriate interventions and flexible support to help the students cope with their stress and anxiety. Individual external counseling was also provided as needed.

Diversion activities were also carried out including:

Organic Garden – The addition of Gaby Knobl to our board launched a new project. Gaby, assisted by Alice Garcia, helped the girls start a container garden on the terrace. It has become a favorite activity generating healthy fresh vegetables used in their meal planning and cooking. Composting of all food waste was also introduced. This project has created an environment of healthy eating and environmental responsibility.

Weekend Hikes/Visits – Mark Emmer and Nancy Vickery organized the hikes, an outside activity that was safe and helped unload accumulated energy. Edmundo Arciga, Luis Olivares and Connie Pareskeva opened their homes to students as a getaway.

Motivational Talks/Workshops – Friends of Gaby’s, professionals in specific careers, shared their stories with the girls introducing positive role models and expanding vocational options. Two sketching workshops by local artist Susan Dorf unleashed creativity and taught basic sketching skills.

Book/Movie Club – A selected book or movie was read/viewed, followed by discussion facilitated by staff.

By the end of June, grades had improved. Also, Adri completed her studies and began her college career in September at UPM in Patzcuaro studying Industrial Agronomy Engineering.

In August, everyone returned to the house and 2nd semester was a hybrid, alternating in-person school for one week and the following week online. Our students commented that even having a few days of in-person school helped them keep sane and be happier.

All of the staff and students were vaccinated upon return.

Workshops were presented in Strengthening Autonomy (initiative and decision making in running the daily activities of the house) and Personal Financial Skills.

An acting and editing workshop was presented by Mora Goistein, where the students made video clips and learned how to edit them.

The students visited the office of nutritionist Karina Sosa. She introduced them to healthy food choices, intake, nutrients and proper diet. They came away realizing good nutrition serves not only as treatment but also as prevention, leading to a healthy lifestyle.

We currently have 6 young women living at Cara Adelante. Two in 4th semester (Nubia and Navidad), two in 6th semester (Carmen and Alma) and two in university (Adri and Ana). Grades from August to December improved again.

We finished the year with our annual posada. It was a lovely afternoon and very gratifying to look around the table at these bright, dedicated and flexible young women. Their resilience and strength is to be commended.

The pandemic protocols also affected parental visits to their daughters. Workshops for family members and visits will be increased in 2022.

Since we suspended recruiting during the pandemic, we have resumed sourcing new students immediately. We have tasked our staff Laura Huerta (Program Director) and Carolina Piñon (Education Specialist) with adding 3-4 new students in August 2022.

We have extended our geography (including Pátzcuaro) to identify new young women. The qualifications include:

• Grades – finishing Secundaria with marks averaging 8.5 – 10
• Socio economic – coming from homes where economic hardship or no access to high school exists

The Board of Directors is investigating a transition of our organizational structure from an AC (Civil Association) to an IAP (Private Assistance Institution). This designation would allow us to broaden our donor base and secure our future with the ability to apply for grants from Foundations. The Board was reconfigured at the last annual meeting in anticipation of this designation.

We finished the year on budget under the watchful care of Mark Emmer, our Treasurer. Cara Adelante continues to be funded through private donations. We thank you again for your invaluable contributions and enthusiastic support.

Cara Adelante, AC Board of Directors

Luis, Edmundo, Mark, Gaby, Suzanne

(during this extraordinary time of the COVID-19 pandemic)

The young women of Cara Adelante returned to their family homes on March 18th when in person school was terminated.  They were sent home with large despensas of food and supplies. Because of the extreme poverty of some families and their inability to earn income under the government’s stay-at-home order, we occasionally provided money for food purchases. Each young woman was sent home with a cell phone data plan and a laptop to enable them to receive online instruction from their schools and to be able to send in homework and take tests. Because of the remoteness of some homes and how rapidly online video instruction was consuming their cell phone data, and we had to investigate other options to keep them connected.

Having quiet places to study AND have internet access can also be a challenge.  However the board felt that we could not guarantee their safety or the safety of our staff if we continued in a group home setting.

Staff members Laura Huerta (Program Director) and Carolina Piñon (Education Specialist) went to the office once a week, at different times, otherwise the house was not occupied. They both stayed in touch with the school administrators, and held Zoom calls with these young women multiple times a week to check on them and assess their physical and mental state. Contests were employed to keep them engaged (like who can make the most progress in a week with the Duolingo English instruction program), with prizes to look forward to when they eventually returned.

The staff was retained at 100% pay so that they could take care of themselves and continue whatever assistance they might provide to their families. Fixed monthly expenses like salary, employee benefits, accounting services, rent and telephone remain unchanged. Variable expenses like food, clothing, transportation, gas and electricity were much less, though the savings were partially offset by providing remote support for internet and some food purchases.

Our efforts were focused both on keeping these young women safe as well as planning for their future. We made the required payments for the next semester’s high-school inscriptions.  We continued to weigh the trade-offs of their poor home situations versus group living as we watched how the pandemic evolved.  We wanted to return them to the happy, healthy life they had together in Pátzcuaro as quickly and safely as possible.
 

 Unfortunately, our concerns regarding family dysfunction, overcrowded households, poverty, lack of privacy and inadequate internet service proved true in varying degrees.  In one case the student was required to work to bring in money despite our stipends and supplementary food for the family. Grades suffered, they were very unhappy and they all longed to be together again under the Cara Adelante umbrella.

As we considered options for bringing them back from their villages, we were grateful to have one of our donors, Connie Paraskeva, offer her home until it was safe to return to the house in Pátzcuaro.  Connie has a wonderful property on a lake with cabins and casitas for housing so these young women could continue their studies.  They were able to go to a comfortable space with reliable internet, many recreational activities and their own kitchen. The fenced property was secure and they were isolated from the general public. They thrived being back together again with their Cara Adelante sisters.

After a 14 day quarantine they took advantage of the dogs, horses, bicycles, hiking and kayaking that the camp offered. They had already learned to manage their study time, plan and cook meals, and live independently at the Pátzcuaro house, so they easily settled into these routines in this new setting. They did their weekly meal planning and Laura, the project director,  delivered food and other supplies weekly, as well as checked on their physical and mental well being. Edmundo Arciga, a board member, accompanied her to provide tutoring in math and science, and Alejandra Hernandez provided English instruction via Skype.

They  also experienced personal growth as they took on new challenges. For example, several of them began taking 2.5 hour mountain bike rides. In the beginning they were tentative and nervous about the terrain, but responding to the challenge, they gave it their all and succeeded. We were all thrilled to see them learn new skills and become more confident in their abilities.

During this time our fixed expenses remained unchanged. Variable expenses were lower when they were at their homes, but expenses approached pre-COVID-19 levels once we resumed responsibility for their care and support.

Online school resumed the middle of August and all the young women returned to the house in Pátzcuaro. With no end of the pandemic in sight, we reluctantly overcame our March hesitance about maintaining a group home by instituting rigorous sanitary controls.  Also they had requested supervised visits with their family at the group home; something the families were unable to do because of the remoteness of the camp. 

The day to day life at the house was now under supervision of Lola Alonso Garcia, hired temporarily during Covid to live in the house, acting as the House Mother, to ensure that the students are safe and secure. Lola, who was a resident of the former Casa Hogar, finished her university education in Uruapan. Her degree is in social work, and she is a valuable addition to the household.

Two new students—twins—joined the program at this time to attend high school and live in the house. That brought the total number of young women in the Cara Adelante program to eight; 5 in preparatoria and 3 in university (2 in Patzcuaro, one in León). 

The León student who is studying to be a veterinarian is also a Casa Hogar alumna. She lived in our house because her home village does not have internet and this semester’s classes were online only. As a stellar student, she has been a wonderful role model for the others.

Now they have entered the next year of their education, using the internet and other methods of distance learning. They were safely isolated from contact with the coronavirus while at the camp in Umecuaro, but since they returned to Pátzcuaro they were no longer in a protected environment. This created new challenges, but we had confidence that they would be able to overcome them just as they had when learning new physical skills. They are remarkable young women.

Navidad and Nubia (identical twins) began their 1^st semester in preparatoria.  Alma and Carmen began 3^rd, and Adri began 5^th, all at CBTIS-94.  Roxana began her 1^st semester of university in Pátzcuaro studying nutrition, and Ana Alicia began her 2^nd year at the Technology Institute in Tzurumutaro studying community engineering. (For support and safety they will continue to live at the house during the pandemic.)  We have received the first grades of the year, and are happy to report that everyone has delivered excellent performance, with many 9s and 10s. 

To accommodate full-time remote education for seven students, it was necessary to upgrade the WiFi and some laptops. We continued to offer in-person tutoring in English and math and science at the house, so these young women can remain academically strong despite the challenges.
 
Because we provide 100% of their needs (housing, food, clothing, health care, tuition, etc.) and they don’t return to their families on weekends, our monthly expenses have increased significantly.
 
Laura Huerta (Director) and Carolina Piñon (Education Specialist) continue to guide the program.  They have been creative and dedicated as they assist all of our students dealing with the protocols, anxiety, and mental health challenges of living in pandemic times.  They took part in a country wide workshop over the summer specifically for managing Covid at Casa Hogares.  The team set up appropriate safety protocols and family visitations using best practices from the workshop.

Our house is large and we are always in need of in-kind additional furnishings, such as wardrobes, bedside tables, desks, and reading lamps, and a new refrigerator/freezer.
 
Thank you again for your invaluable contributions and your enthusiastic support of our students. As the project has grown, it’s clear to all that we couldn’t do it without you!

Cara Adelante, AC Board of Directors

Mark, Nancy, Suzanne, Gordon, Luis, Lourdes, Edmundo

CARA ADELANTE, A.C.

“FOR THE EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF MICHOACÁN WOMEN”

Cara Adelante A.C. has completed our first year as an association committed to the development of young women’s high school education in Pátzcuaro.

The activities included in the program are aimed at the development of teenagers, providing scholarships for high school students to complete preparatoria, and finding sponsors for these students to attend tech school or university. Cara Adelante provides housing, food, education, clothing, psychological support, health, nutrition, tutoring and academic counseling, factors that determine the student success during their stay in the program.

Activities and accomplishments from our first year:

Education guidance and support

Our Director Laura Huerta and Education Specialist Carolina Piñon analyze the specific needs of each student. They work with the teachers and tutors to support their education and psychological needs. They have accomplished this by supervising each student’s academic progress, through constant communication with teachers and directors of the schools, recording progress in accordance with the expectations of the scholarship program.

Accomplishments:

• Our senior student successfully completed her high school degree and is now attending a two year technical school in Tzurumutaro
• Our additional three students advanced successfully to their next level
• Two new students were added to our program after successful completion of secundaria.

Tutoring

This after school activity each afternoon, provides the students a place to do their homework and gives Edmundo, our tutor, the ability to identify the subjects in which each student requires assistance. He reinforces what has been learned in class and supports the school curriculum.

Accomplishments:

• This structure has reinforced not only subject matter, they have also learned new study and test taking skills
• The first quartile grades of the 2019-2020 school year have increased significantly for each student

English Classes

Studying another language will offer each of our young women better opportunities and another advantage consistent with the demands of today’s labor market. We employ an English teacher who designs tools and learning methods for the students, one afternoon per week.

Accomplishment:

• All of the students are reported to be progressing at a faster pace than last year
• Two of our students received a grade of 9.4 and 10 in English in their first quartile grades this school year

Health and Nutrition

A nutritional counseling program is implemented where the young women are assisted with planning the weekly menu according to the appropriate portions and the nutritional requirements of each one, with the goal of establishing healthy eating habits. They do their budgeting, shopping, and preparation together, developing independent living skills.

In addition, they all attended 3 workshops with Mujeres Aliadas AC, where they received education and guidance related to their sexual health. Mujeres also supports us with ongoing checkups. If a student requires psychotherapeutic support we have provider services, an important part of the emotional and intellectual balance.

Accomplishments:

• The workshops in Erongaricuaro allowed the students to interact with others in their age group, and it was reported our group was engaged, interested, and asked good questions.

Workshops

The week prior to starting classes, workshops were held with the objective to promote harmonious coexistence and social skills among the students. The workshops included decision making, developing an efficient life plan, and integrated our 2 new students into the house for this school year.

Accomplishments:

• We have already observed that this work done in August has increased their commitment and study behaviors.

Vocational orientation

We are introducing these young women to successful women in our community to broaden their vision, discover career alternatives, and provide more information to make wise decisions about their professional future.

Accomplishments:

• Over the last year, we have had women who are in the arts, business owners, attorneys, and teachers in Pátzcuaro come to speak. We meet in a small group either at the business or in our space. The experience is interactive and they can ask questions.
• We are always sourcing for referrals of successful Mexican women that we can contact to participate.

Home visits

Home visits are made to the families or guardians of the students, for socioeconomic study and regular reporting visits, where they are given a detailed account of the academic and behavioral state of their participant.

Accomplishments:

• Laura and Caro have developed strong relationships with the parents and guardians.
• The families have made a commitment to Cara Adelante in addition to the student commitment, so the relationships developed support our program.

Infrastructure

A suitable house was rented and furnished for independent living by the girls. A separate office with attached classroom was also rented and outfitted, including computers, office equipment, and TV for instructional videos. All girls have been provided with their own laptops.

Funding

Several fundraisers have been held and local and US donors secured.

Board meetings

Weekly Board meetings are held in our conference room that keep the BOD informed of the progress of the students, plan follow-up strategies and implement new guidelines or procedures, which will guide the scholarship program based on the stated objectives.

Accomplishments:

• Non-profit status as Cara Adelante, AC is complete. Application to provide tax-deduction certificates for Mexican-sourced donations submitted to Hacienda.
• Website caraadelante.org developed with link to PayPal for donations
• Accounting system set up and an accountant has been contracted
• Laura and Caro enrolled in IMSS and benefits and taxes are being paid
• A Bancomer account is set up and accepting donations
• Policies and Procedures, Job Descriptions, Parent and Student Contracts have all been created
• We are close to having a conduit to make US tax deductible donations