Apoyo Escolar
Supporting Kids and Communities
At Apoyo Escolar, we create and support educational and economic opportunity for youth and families in the area surrounding San Miguel De Allende by providing schools with needed equipment and services and individual students with support to optimize opportunities for all and to establish rural schools as a community resource.
Who We Are and What We Do
We believe that education allows people to build and sustain a fulfilling life for themselves and their families. Since our founding in 2015, we have focused our grass root efforts on supporting individual students through scholarships, providing computer and internet access to kids, building and enhancing libraries, providing English language tutoring, and supporting facility improvements. Our efforts are led by Bill Wilkinson and his wife Jane and supported by many volunteers from the San Miguel De Allende (SMA) community. Apoyo Escolar is an all volunteer organization with nearly all donations directly supporting students and community schools.
The Mexican education system has many deficiencies which are profoundly felt in rural, low income areas. See Understanding the Mexican Education System for further information.
News
Relevant, Important Updates
December 2023 NEWSLETTER!
December 27, 2023
Please click below (Learn More) to read about our year of educational support in San Miguel De Allende.
Nueva Pantoja Kids Talk To Nasa!!!!
December 10, 2023
On July 14th, 2023, one of Nueva Pantoja's enterprising teachers contacted a NASA engineer in the US and arranged for a Zoom call between the schoolkids and some NASA engineers. The kids presented a robot that they had built in class. Imagine how exiting this type of exposure is for these kids from rural areas with limited resources. I'll bet it was exciting for the engineers as well!
Local School Kids Connect with New Friends in US
November 20, 2022
Wednesday, November 9, second graders at Nuevo Pantoja Baja had the opportunity to share and relive the beautiful tradition of Day of the Dead. Twenty-five second graders participated in a video happily and lovingly building an altar, or “orfreda” as part of “What is Day of the Dead?”
The students used zoom to connect to 25 second graders from Oriole Beach Elementary school in Gulf Breeze, Florida, who then told the Mexican class about their American Thanksgiving traditions.
Following these presentations, the children asked each other questions. All hands were raised, with much interest from both classrooms. Oscar, from San Miguel, asked why Americans celebrate Thanksgiving.
The exchange was facilitated by Jane and Bill Wilkinson, founders of Apoya Escolar. Their foundation has funded education support (computers, libraries) for many rural schools.
Nuestro Pantoja Baja Gets New Library/Computer Center
January 22, 2022
On January 10th, Bill Wilkinson, Apoyo Escolar President, introduced the finished library and computer room to the students, teachers, parents and guests. The small building has come a long way since our first involvement in 2019. The room has 16 new Chromebooks and over 300 books. The metal table frames were made by a herrero who works for Julian Lopez, of Friday Service. The wood tabletops and bookshelves were made by John Chapman. IENTC provides the internet. Don Lencho, the janitor, was an absolute workhorse on this project, doing the painting, tile laying, roof draining and other things. Finally, the moms and dads of the students were enthusiastic contributors to the project.
This success was due to the strong support and desire to improve her school as shown by the principal, Julieta Rodriguez Olalde. Bill and Julieta communicate via Google translate, but were always on the same page. Bill’s efforts were supported by willing volunteers and donors that shared the vision, particularly Betse Davies and Mary Young.
Pantoja marks the third library and computer room built by Bill and his support group. This is the third library built by Bill and Apoyo Escolar's supporters
Apoyo Escolar Donates Computer to ABBA
December 12, 2022
ABBA is a waystation for immigrants who sustain injuries on there way north, particularly those who are injured on their way north. As the gentleman expressed in the video, Apoyo Escolar donated two needed Chromebooks to ABBA.
Ways to Help
Take Action Now
Help With Funding
Our organization always appreciates the generosity and involvement of people like you, with every contribution going towards making Apoyo Escolar an even better Non-Profit Organization than it already is. Computer access, scholarships and facility improvements all require funding. For reference a scholarship (beca) is about $400 per year. A chromebook is around $250. Private and corporate donations are welcome.
Volunteer Your Time
This is one of the simplest ways to help out our cause. We believe the best way for our initiatives to be successful is for the community to actively get involved. This is an easy and efficient way of contributing to the great work we do at Apoyo Escolar. Get in touch with any questions about how you can Volunteer Your Time today.
Partner with Us
Apoyo Escolar is able to leverage its impact through active partnerships with like-minded non-profit organizations and individuals. Through its current partnerships, we have helped students improve language and reading skills, helped to provide schools with kitchen facilities, provided community education on conservation, and assisted with installing healthy water supply systems, among many other activities.
Ways We Help
Student Success + Community Connection = Better Lives for All
Educational Support
Apoyo Escolar offers students educational support in a variety of ways.
We organize volunteers to offer English language tutoring on school sites.
We provide direct support for computer access (including school computers, personal Chromebooks and internet access).
We award scholarships (becas) to secondary school and prepa students to help them remain in school (including payment for tuition, supplies, and internet access).
We area able to mentor post-prepa (university) students and provide direct support to keep them in school.
Through the computer and internet services we provide, schoolchildren have been able to connect with people and activities in the world beyond their small villages.
We mentor students who progress to post secondary studies.
Facility Improvements
Apoyo Escolar has directly accomplished and supported many facility improvements. These include:
Development of libraries including building renovation, equipment supply and book donations.
Construction, rehabilitation and equipment of school computer labs, including internet access.
Improvements to water supplies. Apoyo Escolar has partnered with Caminos Del Agua to install water collection systems.
Support the development and planting of gardens on school grounds that provide vegetables prepared in school kitchens.
Apoyo Escolar has partnered with Feed the Hungry to support the development of kitchen facilities at school sites that allow parents and volunteers to prepare healthy food for students.
Collaboration and Partnership
Apoyo Escolar works closely with many other allied non-profits and community organizations on activities that relate to our core mission of supporting schools and communities and the health and well-being of local residents. Accordingly we have:
Worked very closely with Caminos De Agua to educate residents on the importance of water filtration and the construction of water collection and storage systems.
Support a local dentist who worked wit h 12 other dentists to provide dental care to 52 residents.
Supported Computadoros Pro Ninos in supplying computers to kids.
Provided housing for Deaf School doctors.
Arranged school events for Three Kings activities.
Would you like to support our efforts?
Contact Apoyo Escolar
Get in touch with Apoyo Escolar to learn more about our work and how you can get involved.
Projects
Salitrillo Primaria
Apoyo Escolar was introduced to the principal of Salitrillo Primaria in 2018. Salitrillo is located southeast of San Miguel De Allende at the edge of the Ignacio Allende reservoir. The local economy has been dependent fishing the reservoir for commerce and food, but the waters have been contaminated and are no longer productive.
Apoyo Escolar has been involved in a wide variety of education and community activities based at the school including:
English language tutoring provided by volunteers from San Miguel De Allende (SMA)
Outfitting school library and computer lab with connection to the internet.
Planting community vegetable gardens.
Introducing a composting program in cooperation with Via Organica Farms.
Supporting special events such as Three Kings Day.
Implementation of a water collection, filtraton and storage system (See Water Projects).
Apoyo Escolar in Action
We invite you to take some time and enjoy our gallery of students, teachers voluteers and the results of our many projects. We are grateful for the collaboration of our many partner organizations, our amazing group of volunteers, our teachers and school administrators, our awesome donors and, of course, our beautiful children.
