The Encinitas Coastal Rotary Club has developed a partnership with the San Carlos Rotary Club of San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico (District 4100) to provide scholarships to enable qualified students to continue their education beyond the 8th grade level. In the 2018-2019 school year this has made it possible for 74 students to continue their education beyond middle school. It enabled 45 students to remain in high school (in preparatorias). In addition this partnership has provided support for 14 students to attend local universities and 15 to attend trade school at CECATI (Centro de Capacitacion para el Trabajadores de la Industria.
Needs Assessment:
Mexico provides free education, including textbooks, only for students to attend elementary and middle school. Families often lack the support needed for students to reach their full potential. Once the kids reach high school it is the parents' full responsibility to provide the financial support they need for their children to obtain a high school education (e.g., school fees, textbooks, supplies, uniforms, transportation, internet access, etc.). This gap leaves many students that are able and interested in bettering themselves and their community without the education required to grow, learn and have a positive impact. This program is essential to help fill the gap in this community and support those in need
Qualifying for Assistance:
The San Carlos Rotary Club has set rigorous standards and expectations for the students it supports. They must:
Maintain a minimum average grade of "9" (out of 10)
Pay attention in class
Attend school every day
Comply with school regulations
Have exemplary conduct
Communicate regularly with the Scholarship Coordinator
Rotary Club contributions per student average 5,000 pesos (about 263 dollars) per high school student and 12,000 pesos (about 631 dollars) per university student. These funds pay school fees and provide about 500 pesos for additional educational expenses for each student. A locally based educational professional serves as coordinator for the program (screens applicants, works with teachers to help ensure student success, motivates students through one-on-one mentoring, maintains academic and administrative records, disperses funds, monitors students' progress and manages all aspects of the scholarship program. As noted above, our recent assessment provided data showing not only how many students have been assisted, but also yielded an increased number of applicants aiming for the higher education programs for the coming year. The continuing need for supporting students in this area is essential.
Sustainability:
The San Carlos Rotary Club (about 48 members) is comprised of year-round residents of SC (some who have emigrated from the US) as well as part-time residents of San Carlos who also reside in the US and Canada. Meetings are conducted in English, and outreach events, such as fundraisers, are often conducted in both English and Spanish. They have a long history of supporting literacy and education in their community, having been instrumental in building and equipping the primary school and the telesecundaria. Partnerships established through Rotary District Grants funded some of these efforts. They have been funding and managing the scholarship program for over 20 years, and the needs are continually growing as more students qualify and more are going on to higher education opportunities.
Participation:
The Encinitas Coastal Rotary Club contributed $2,000 to the San Carlos Rotary's scholarship program in 2018-2019 Rotary year. The grant administrator has made multiple trips to San Carlos, attended several Rotary meetings and functions and met with the scholarship program coordinator. Additional members of the Encinitas Coastal Rotary Club will be visiting the area in 2019-2020 to further increase our fellowship, partnership and effective working relationship with the San Carlos Club. All travel costs associated with these trips are paid by the club members.
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