Mini-Grants

Founded in 2005, The Oaxaca Learning Center supports, motivates and accompanies socially disadvantaged young people through youth-to-youth intervention and comprehensive training that features academic, social, and psychological components. The Center features a robust academic tutoring program including admissions exam preparation.

Mini-Grant Project: Support for an Academic Counselor to provide tutoring services and serve as a mentor for 15 students.

Timeline: Five months.

Goals: Provide 320 hours of tutoring to 50 high school students in math, physics, and chemistry. Improve the students' knowledge of subjects by 30 percent utilizing before and after surveys. Facilitate two workshops about Learning Strategies to 50 students.

Protection of the Young Women of Oaxaca provides refuge and more to young, indigenous women who seek to better their lives by obtaining an education. Founded in 1949 in Mexico and moved to Oaxaca in 1959, Protection of the Young Women offers residential dorms to approximately 25 women, allowing them to study at a local university. Residents obtain a variety of life skills, including the opportunity to generate income and learn small-business operation by working at an on-site store.

Mini-Grant Project: Residential Dorm Revitalization.

Timeline: One month.

Goals: Purchase 25 new sets of sheets for student residents. Acquire paint and labor to renovate the dormitory area. Provide a safe and clean environment for residents.

SiKanda was founded in 2009 with the goal of creating sustainable local development in communities facing marginalization. It develops projects in collaboration with the communities to address specific needs. SiKanda’s promotes labor rights, gender equality, the participation of children and youth, economic empowerment of women, governance, and environmental education.

Mini-Grant Project: Visible Girls and Youth, a project promoting violence prevention, life skills, education for peace, gender equality and empowerment among 100 girls.

Timeline: Eight months.

Goals: At least 90 percent of participants improve knowledge and practice of gender equality; increase knowledge and prevention of at least two types of violence (sexual, relationship, human trafficking); gain confidence when referring to the changes in their bodies, particularly menstruation; and report having at least one person to then can turn for support.