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.

School’s out, and our summer music courses are in session! Through a two-week day camp, local kids of all ages get a crash course in the fundamentals of piano, guitar, choir, and music theory.

Together with researchers from the UNAM biology station in Chamela and Central Washington University, we hosted an environmental education workshop for preschool- and elementary-age kids and their families in the village of Emiliano Zapata.

We are so grateful to Mark and the entire KEEN team for renewing our KEEN Effect Youth Grant! Together, we will teach local children about nature through hands-on learning experiences, fostering a new generation of environmental stewards.

Over the past few months, our children’s and adult choirs have been delving into songs from Spain, Italy, Israel, the Congo, South Africa, and Cuba.

Kicking off our latest cinema series, guest speaker Judge Juan Antonio Rubio encouraged kids from the village of Arroyo Seco to chase their dreams and never let anyone tell them that something is out of reach.

How did you start your Saturday? Here in Agua Caliente, we were up at sunrise checking tires and adjusting helmets for ten intrepid third through sixth graders who had gathered for their school’s last bike ride of the school year.

On the final night of ArteCareyes Film & Arts Festival, families from several of the communities surrounding Careyes enjoyed an outdoor screening of the film Manou the Swift.

This past week, we put up two posters featuring basic English phrases in each of the classrooms at the twelve schools that participate in our Children’s English Program. We’ve been blown away by how quickly the kids have integrated this vocabulary and are excited to see teachers encouraging its use throughout the week.

Our Music School has a new home! The elementary school in Francisco Villa generously opened its doors to us in January.

Last week, we welcomed children, parents, and the elementary school principal from Francisco Villa to our Careyes cinema for the last event of our current film series.