To provide high quality extra curricular activities to school children in Mexico who, for whatever reason, are unable to participate in after school clubs. We hope to broaden children's horizons through a wide range of artistic, musical, sporting and academic activities. It is our desire that participation in The Children's University will help children become constructive participants in their communities and life long learners.
Thanks to the initiative of Katherine and John Evans in sending a financial donation present/gift on behalf of their friends Amanda and Vladimir Ramirez, The Children’s University - Mexico have been able to buy 3 beginners violins to support our developing music programme. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts in helping us to offer musical opportunities to children who would not normally be given such a chance.
The photos below are of the violin teacher, Ms. Norma, working with a couple of her CU Mexico students using our new violins.
On the 19th of July 2008 Oliver Westgarth and I, Christoph Courth, handed in our notices at work, buttoned down the rusting hatches of our 1971 Renault 4 and left Hyde Park in London to head, somewhat optimistically, in the direction of Mongolia. The reason not just to satiate the travelers itch beneath our feet but to raise as much cash as possible for three, charities specifically the Children’s University of Mexico.Our ‘sat nav’ was a compass, our itinerary up for discussion and our Ipod a 1954 gramophone, we succeeded in making it through France and Italy towards the primeval forests of Slovenia, the rocky Adriatic coastline of Croatia, one of the worlds newest countries Montenegro, the mountains of Albania, the rugged valleys of Macedonia, into Greece to dip our toes off the beaches of Thessalonica before heading to the wonders of Turkey, war torn Georgia, the vodka breakfasts of Azerbaijan, the deserts of Kazakhstan, into the friendly world of eastern Russia before descending into the road less steppes of Mongolia before finally throwing in the towel after two days stranded with little water and food in the Gobi desert.
We are proud to have supported the Children’s University where we know 100% of the funds raised will go towards those that really need the assistance.
The full articles of our adventure from the road can be found on the following link:
After a highly successful first year operating the Children’s University model in Mexico, we are now in our first month of activities for this academic year.
Last year we gradually increased the number of students to over 200 from various local schools. We have been running the programme on a shoe string budget, but we are having a noticeable impact on the lives of many of the disadvantaged local community children. In our small way we are contributing towards narrowing the opportunities divide for Mexican children.
As last year, we are offering around 30 different modules. Some of the innovative additions this year have included Touch American Football, guitar classes and cookery. One important new development is the introduction of cricket module sponsored by the Mexican Cricket Association. This has enabled the Children’s University Mexico to form the first truely Mexican youth side in the sport.
In only 3 days of inscriptions at the start of term we have enrolled 170 children from the surrounding area. All of them are looking forward to taking advantage of the unique opportunities on offer.
Some friends of the project have come up with a very unique way to raise funds for The Children’s University. Chris and Ollie will be driving a car from London UK all the way to Mongolia in a race called the Mongol rally. They will be covering the 10,000 mile journey in a car that was built in 1965!
This amazing adventure race is completed by people like Chris and Ollie each year in order to raise money for charity. We at The Children’s University Mexico are lucky enough to have chosen by Chris and Ollie as one of the charities they are riding for. Please check out their reports and websites and, if you can, give generously towards helping them complete this remarkable journey.
The links to their website and a travel blog they use to keep people updated on how preparations are going are listed here.
On May 19th we had our community exhibition day where all the children invited their parents to see what has been happening in the project. We had a stage set up, a gallery full of children’s work and sports demonstrations on the football and basketball courts. Parents were invited to join in and, in some cases, were even taught by their children. To see more photos, read comments from the parents of children involved and continue finding out about this excellent event visit the Events page on this site.
These are some of the people here in Mexico that are supporting the project.
”La Universidad de los Niños” (Children’s University) is an altruistic international project initiated in Wales to create formative extracurricular opportunities for underprivileged children. Thanks to the drive and enthusiasm of Dave Jones and Sam Rowley and to the generous support of the community of the Lancaster School and to a small number of private benefactors this project has come to life in the community of Tlalcoligia in southern district of Tlalpan in Mexico City. With this, the first project of “La Universidad de los Niños” in Latin America has been created. We trust that the success of this experience will translate into the creation of similar projects in Mexico and other countries in Latin America.
We invite you to support this project as benefactors or by donating materials or as teachers. Every child deserves to have access to opportunities for personal development; those of us who had that privilege in our childhood have the opportunity to create similar opportunities for less privileged. Become a part of this project and support “La Universidad de los Niños”.
Dr. Alejandro Zentella Dehesa (PhD)
(President of The Children’s University Mexico)
“The Children’s University is a fascinating project and, I believe, shows great potential in Mexico. It is exciting to see that through minimal additional investment we can do so much more for our future and our society. Giving children this opportunity will make a real difference in their, as well as Mexico’s, future.I am really confident that through this project, ‘The Children’s University’ will demonstrate that social projects can make a difference and help more children become better citizens with greater opportunities.”
Angelica Careaga
(Assistant Director of Education)
(The British Council Mexico)
“The Mendez Rubio family is really happy to be able to support ‘The Children’s University Mexico’. The project is fantastic for the children in the community. We believe that the project does an excellent job of providing with these children with learning opportunities that they would not normal have access to. We will be supporting the work for the long term. Good job!”
The Mendez Rubio Family.
“The Children’s University is a great opportunity for our children to continue learning, broadening their horizons and preparing themselves to face the challenges that life brings. The best thing about this program is that this learning is done through exciting activities that stimulate their creativity. Activities that the children enjoy, like sports and artistic projects.”
Nora Toledano Cadena,
(Open Water swimmer)
(World Swimming Hall of Fame member)
“During my life I have noticed the athletes that represent their country in an honourable way are those that are the product of a balanced education that includes knowledge, recreation and relaxation.When you have this balance you create community spirit. For this, and many other reasons I believe in The Children’s University. I am proud to be associated with an organisation that is giving future generations the opportunity to have better life chances and to grow up to be balanced.”
