Category Archives: Capital Improvement Projects

Jorge Begins His Career​ Thanks to the Rupe’s

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Jorge has been with the Friends of Barrón Scholarship Program since he was in preparatory school. His first sponsors were Ron and Joyce Pogue, who supported him until his graduation. He was able to use his diploma and education to qualify for entrance into the prestigious maritime academy in Mazatlán, Mexico, and graduated this spring. During his four collegiate years, Rob and Jayne Rupe were his sponsors.
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Jorge at age 15. He spent one year on high school scholarship.

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The future captain will eventually have his own ship.

Friends of Barrón received an update from Jayne last month. Jorge left for his first job in Campeche, Mexico (a major port on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula) on July 3, 2019. According to Jayne, his departure for Campeche was very touch and go, since he did not receive his maritime passport until the day before.
He is living on a “vessel” that is currently inactive and he is waiting for a contract. He is sailing every day on another boat that transports people to oil platforms out in the Gulf of Mexico.
The captain has given him permission to learn how to do maneuvers and pilot the boat. When inactive he even cooks for the crew….not one of his favorite activities. He is still not “an employee,” but does receive room and board and experience. He is searching for a company where he can be gainfully employed.
Rob and Jayne are two of FOB’s best supporters. They also sponsored Daniella, who has graduated from university this year. Her major was physical therapy and she is now performing her residency. She prefers to work with children and is gaining valuable experience. Ron and Jayne hope to sponsor Daniela’s brother, Manuel when he enters University.                                                                              image1SAM_1186
It is only because of the generosity of people like the Rupe’s that Friends of Barrón is able to enable the children of Barrón to attend university and have a chance to give back to their community. If you would like to contribute to the advanced education of deserving children of people who live nearby our beautiful estate in Mexico, Estrella del Mar, please contact Dale Lyster or Richard McGuire.

New Computers Arrive

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Because of the generosity of many individuals, the Barron high school has taken delivery of 22 Samsung tablets connecting to the new high speed internet. Thanks to Jeremy Kennell and Lance Gutersohn, these machines are becoming part of the educational curriculum, accelerating these kids into the 21st century. Thank you Lance and Jeremy and everyone else who made this happen. More computers are needed however, so if you have about $300 usd to spare, donate it and we will buy another computer. We have a RallyUp site devoted to this effort.

Other developments include the extension of high speed internet into both the middle school and the primary school. For the first tine in history, all three principals are working together to improve the educational standards in Barron

The third wonderful thing happening in Barron is the addition of an internet hotspot in the plaza. Very soon, anyone with a smartphone will be able to connect to the internet while enjoying the beautiful plaza. Hopefully, they will be doing their homework.

The final step in the right direction is that plans for a new medical/dental clinic are progressing. Completion of this clinic is a milestone that will coincidentally mark the end of our annual dental clinic in the primary school. For the past six years, a remarkable set of dental professionals have donated their time, money and expertise to improve the dental health of the community. Simple thanks to this team, led by Jeff and Deb Astroth and Kurt Ferre, is insufficient. In a feeble effort to convey our thanks, we will be hosting a special Mother’s Day Taco Party scheduled for Thursday, May 10. If you can attend, you will be most welcome.

Barron High School Expands

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Due in part to FOB’s efforts to expand high school attendance in the town of Barron, the Mexican government has extended a program providing start-up aid to rural communities like Barron. Education past the eighth grade is not mandated by the government, so rural communities often lack the facilities to educate the graduating 13 year-olds, assuming they will turn immediately to field work, motherhood or other manual labor. In Barron, this is not so; not anymore.

Last year, the State authorities in Culiacan provided a principle, a few teachers and a space in which to educate them at the ninth grade level. With matching funds provided by the parents of Barron and FOB, the Sinaloa Department of Education then built a single room structure and called it a school. And now, due to efforts on the part of the school principal, Ana Cecelia, fundraising has begun to transform the dilapidated residence next door into a school annex. Thanks in part to the cash donation from the nearby Estrella del Mar resort, a result of their annual charity golf tournament, work began to convert a three room abandoned home into a place of learning.

Much progress has been made. Two more classrooms have been added in addition to an office for Ana Cecelia and a fully equipped computer laboratory. The classrooms still need to be finished, the roof must be tiled before the summer rains begin, an air conditioning system is almost a necessity during the fall semester and the security system must be updated. In all, about $15,000 USD needs to be raised to complete these tasks and provide the students of Barron a safe and reliable educational experience.

Because the 2017 eighth grade graduating class now has the option of attending a quality school without traveling into Mazatlan daily, the FOB high school scholarship program has been eliminated. Our current crop of scholarship students will continue to attend their current schools, although seven high schoolers and two university students will graduate this year, having maintained at least “B” average throughout their academic careers. Most maintain averages closer to “A+”. This leaves 24 high school and ten university students in the program for next year. Applications for additional university scholarships, five in all, will go out at the end of May. The completion of the Barron high school will allow Friends of Barron to concentrate on sending deserving young adults on to a university or vocational curriculum that will benefit themselves, their families and their community.

Obviously, funding for these programs is of prime necessity. Please visit our CrowdRise page and donate money to achieve this goal.

Thank-You EDM!

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Friends of Barron would like to thank Estrella del Mar and its Charity Golf Tournament for its kind donation of 40,000 pesos to our charity. This money will go a long way in adding two rooms to the high school in Barron which just opened in the fall of 2016.

If you’d like to know more about this project and other projects Friends of Barron is conducting in Barron, please contact Dale Lyster at DLyster@shaw.ca.

Benefactors Tour Facility

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Friends of Barron was recently able to inaugurate a temporary computer classroom for the Secondary School in Barron due to the generous contribution of computers from Joe & Berenice Oviatt (11 computers) and Dave & Elaine Greiner (7 computers). With a lot of help from the Estrella del Mar IT department member Carlos Mercado and others, the computers were wiped clean, reprogrammed and installed in a regular classroom over in Barron after electrical wiring improvements had been made. The computers are connected to an Internet tower at the school that allows reception of a signal shared by the Barron Elementary School. Using a device residing on EDM’s radio tower located at the gate entrance, the signal is relayed to the elementary school and then on to the secondary school. Students who have never had internet access can now begin to view a whole other world.

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New Computer Lab
New Computer Lab

 

As soon as the new computer laboratory is complete, the students will be able to have class without displacing a third of the population every time. Currently, there are three classrooms that house 100 students. When the new computer lab is complete, students will be able to attend class without disturbing other students. The new lab is about half complete. Another $60,000 pesos is required to finish it. FOB has committed to provide matching funds to the people of Barron to finish the classroom. They have raised about $20,000 pesos so far with raffles and collection days out on the highway. As they near their goal, they are now getting bids from local contractors in anticipation of completing the much-needed project.  If you would like to contribute to this project, please contact Dale Lyster (Condo #1117 – 178-0117) or Dick McGuire (Condo #1105  – 178-0105). If you intend to leave a check, please make it out to “FOB CANAM AC”. Because the Mexican banks will not accept corrected checks, please make out the check exactly as indicated and do not have any spelling errors or other corrections. FOB is a registered charitable organization and you will receive a receipt that indicates that the funds went to a Mexican charity.

 

 

Progress at the Primary School

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It has been obvious for a very long time that the Barron Primary School needed paint. The new principal, Norma, decided to do something about it. So she organized her parents into work groups, and using paint provided by Friends of Barron, has transformed the school. Look at the before and after pictures below. This lady is organized and motivated to improve the learning environment at Barron. She has also instituted a plastic bottle recycling program. Things are changing over in Barron! For the better!

Ongoing School Construction Projects

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Elementary School – The next time you drive by the Barron Primary School, take a look… the exterior has received a much needed paint job. In keeping with the FOB’s rules of Community Development, after parents of the students volunteered to paint the school exterior, Friends of Barron agreed to buy the paint. Some fathers have also volunteered to re-roof two of the classrooms and we are currently evaluating a request to buy roofing material. We also have a request from the teaching staff to refurnish one of the classrooms. The existing desks are in such disrepair and so many have collapsed, they are forced to borrow furniture from the library in order to hold classes. We are not currently funded to address this request and although it is important, it is not among our highest priorities. FOB has spent $10,000 pesos on this project and we expect to spend another $8,000 pesos on the roofing project.

School for Adults – Barron has a program supported and sanctioned by the Mexican Government to provide elementary, middle and high school curricula to adult members of the community. There are also basic literacy classes for approximately 15 students associated with this adult school. In total, 65 adults are receiving equivalent education through the efforts of three local teachers who volunteer their time and effort to this program. The Mexican Government support consists of classroom materials, planned curricula and formal testing that leads to certification of the students as graduates. The problem facing the school is a lack of adequate classroom space and furnishings that allow classes to held during the evening hours. The town has provided a vacant two room building in need of much repair for these volunteer teachers to use as their classrooms. The teachers have approached FOB with a request to repair, paint and furnish these classrooms. From among the 65 adult students, cement masons, plumbers, electricians and groundskeepers have volunteered their time and skills to provide the labor necessary to bring this school up to a point where it is useable. Given the impressive rate of volunteerism on the part of both the teachers and students to improve the educational experience for the adult school, FOB has decided to assist them with the necessary materials and furnishings to compete the classroom renovation project. FOB will probably spend upwards of $20,000 pesos on this project.

What’s New Over at the Barron Schools?

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KINDERGARTEN NEWS
Recently, an electrical fire damaged one of the classrooms at the Barron kindergarten. The incident required the room to be completely rewired and repainted. The Parent-Teacher Committee, together with FOB, raised sufficient money to quickly put the classroom back in order. While the work was underway, a leaking roof and a faulty water pump were also repaired.

We have a request from the Parent-Teacher Committee to assist with the installation of five air conditioners for the four classrooms and the principal’s office. the Committee and FOB have obtained a bid for $34,000 pesos to complete the project. We will not take further action until we see significant financial participation from the community.

PRIMARY SCHOOL
We have been told that a new principal has been appointed and started work last week. FOB plans to meet with the new principal next week and establish a working relationship. One of the issues we want to pursue is the status of the library that FOB helped build two years ago. Lately, the library has been closed to the public. Our aim is to see the library operate under its original concept, which was to serve the community in general as well as the primary school. We hope that the new principal will enable this process and welcome readers of every stripe.

SECONDARY SCHOOL
FOB met with the Secondary school principal and teachers last week and toured the facility. It was exciting to see the computer class, consisting of about 40 students, in full session. The temporary classroom was wired with the help of FOB and has been equipped with 17 new computers provided by the school district. The computer server is connected to the Internet via a proprietary Mazatlan school district satellite system. When the new, more spacious computer classroom is complete and more computers added by the District, each student will have his/her own computer.

Construction of the new computer classroom, which is located behind the present facility and not visible from the main road, began in 2010. The community (with FOB help) raised sufficient funds to attract a Mexican government match that resulted in the completion of the foundation, floor and walls. In 2011, fundraising continued, and with FOB help, the community was able to complete the roof. Doors, windows, electrical and final finish are goals for the 2012 – 2013 school year. We have not yet seen a budget to complete this project, but we are hopeful that the community, with FOB help, and the Mexican government match will get this project completed once and for all. Typically, these community-initiated projects take three to four years to complete and this one is no exception.

UPCOMING FOB ACTIVITIES
We plan to produce a 2011 Annual Report, complete with project and scholarship program status, donations and current financial condition. This project will be completed by December 20. The report will be posted here and will also be available in hard copy for those without computer access.

Update on School Construction Projects

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Friends of Barron just donated $9500 MX to match kindergarten parents’ work and donations to complete the new classroom at the Barron kindergarten. Funds were used to buy bookshelves, coat racks, teacher’s desk, a whiteboard and a wall-mounted television. The parents painted the classroom, leveled and graveled the ground outside the classroom and donated miscellaneous furniture to finish the job.

The project to build a new computer classroom for the secondary school started in 2010 with FOB helping the school to raise $25,000 MX to obtain a government match of $25,000 MX to begin the project. By August of 2010, foundation and walls were up. The 2011 fund raising effort to complete the computer classroom with roof, doors and windows raised another $25,000 MX ($15,000 MX raised by student families in Barron and $10,000 MX contributed by FOB). The money was deposited with the Mexican government with the expectation of winning another $25,000 MX match. With these $50,000 new construction pesos, the families of Barron hope to see the computer classroom finished before the next school year begins in August 2011. Once the building is complete, the Mexican Government is offering to outfit the classroom with 30 new computers.

Project Update

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SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM : The 2010-2011 school year scholarship program to provide 50% of the cost to send 15 Barron kids to preparatory school (high school) in Mazatlan began in August, 2010. Each scholarship is worth $10,000 MX payable in five successive installments throughout the school year. Each successive payment requires students and parents to present grades and attendance records to the parent-teacher committee. We are now half-way through the school year and of the 15 students that started the program in August, 13 remain and are producing good grades and attendance. Two students were dropped from the program in October 2010 because they failed to present grades and attendance records. The parent-teacher committee will evaluate final grades and attendance records at school year end to decide which students are eligible to continue on the program for the next school year. The success of our fund raising efforts will determine whether we will be able to fund the students already in the program and accept new applications from this years’ secondary school graduating class.
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS; Secondary School: Last year, FOB helped the Barron secondary school raise $25,000 MX to build a new computer classroom. The Mexican Government matched the $25,000 pesos for a total of $50,000 MX. Work began in July, 2010. Foundations and walls were completed before the funds ran out. FOB is again helping the secondary school raise another $25,000 MX by March 15, 2011 with the hope of getting another government match. With the next $50,000 MX, we hope to see the roof and floor completed so that the space, although not ready to be a computer classroom, will at least be usable as an instruction classroom in 2012. If fundraising goes as planned, the computer labs will be fully equipped and operational in 2013.
Kindergarten School: The Barron Kindergarten is overcrowded to the point that the principal had to give up her tiny office as a classroom. The principal now conducts her business under a tree in the schoolyard. The parents of the kindergartners raised $22,000 MX in cash and materials to begin construction of a new classroom. This was enough to lay the foundations and put up the walls, but not enough to finish the project to the point where a classroom is usable. The parent-teacher committee appealed to FOB for assistance to finish the project and we agreed to commit $20,000 pesos to the effort. This amount will get them a roof and a floor and make the classroom usable (if it doesn’t rain). Meanwhile, they are looking at ways to raise more money for doors, windows and electrical wiring.
FUNDRAISING: During the period January 2010 – January 2011, FOB raised $322,000 MX from the following sources:
Individual donations : 56%
Charity Golf Tournament: 22%
Dinner & Silent Auction: 17%
50/50 Super Bowl Draw: 5%
Fundraising this year is off to a much slower start with individual donations standing at about $15,000 MX. No commitment yet from the Charity Golf Tournament (we are hopeful that this will surpass last years’ generous donation), $8000 MX from the 50/50 Draw and hopes for a successful Fiesta Dinner and Silent Auction on March 5th, 2011. As always, your generous support of Barron’s kids is greatly appreciated.