Ambito Puerto Vallarta

A chartered bus tour to some of Vallarta’s public schools that are changing students’ lives with their excellent programs and to meet some of our becados (scholarship students.

Experience the Evolution of the Bahia de Banderas
Real World Home Tours capture the essence of the diverse lifestyles around the bay

by Polly G. Vicars
O n Wednesday, February 10, a group of Becas Compadres and other Becas Vallarta A.C./American-Mexico Foundation, Inc. supporters joined  Linda Azcarate, Pat Bendix, Linda Wirth and me on a chartered bus tour to some of Vallarta’s public schools that are changing students’ lives with their excellent programs and to meet some of our becados (scholarship students) who attend them.
La Eti, "Escuela Secundaria Tecnica #3," was our first stop.  Secundarias or junior highs are for grades 7 through 9 where the students are usually 12 to 14 years old.  La Eti was the first junior high to open 50 years ago in Puerto Vallarta and has changed the lives of the people of Puerto Vallarta. It was the impetus for the founding of Becas Vallarta.  Many neighborhood children could not attend the new school because they did not have the money to use public transportation to get there, to buy books that at that time were not furnished by the government nor to buy uniforms or school supplies.  This injustice infuriated former school teacher  Bernice Starr who had moved to Puerto Vallarta with her artist husband Ed to find a better life. She and a few of her Mexican lady friends set about raising money to send those children to school.  She made and sold note cards, decorated by her husband, they all canvassed their friends in Vallarta as well as those in other places for donations and by the next year, the children in her neighborhood were attending the new school and the America-Mexico Foundation, Inc. (Becas Vallarta) was born.
At the beginning of each school year junior high becados, such as those we visited at La Eti, get vouchers with which they buy their school and tennis shoes, their school and gym uniforms.  Additionally they are given a supply of paper, pencils, notebooks, pens, geometry tools, a calculator and a dictionary.  The cost of all of this is approximately $2,000 pesos.  This school year we have 99 becados in fourteen junior high schools throughout Puerto Vallarta and its vast environs.
At La Eti we were greeted warmly by Profesora Bertha Ramirez, Coordinator of Academics, Profesora Leonor Guitron Arce, Coordinator of Educational Services, María de Carmen Moctezuma Martinez, Social Worker for the morning session and María Mercedes Altamirano Hernandez, Social Worker for the afternoon session
We were given facts about the school and a grand tour of the classrooms where students were studying a full academic program as well as those classrooms where many technical skills; sewing, cooking, electrical working, carpentry were taking place.  We had the opportunity to chat with the students and congratulate Becada Gabriela Yamile Peña Peña for achieving grade point averages of perfect 10.0’s.
Next visit was to a high school, La Escuela Preparatoria Regional de Puerto Vallarta or Prepa as we call it.  This is a college preparatory school run by the University of Guadalajara.    Becas Vallarta has more than 100 becados in five high schools in the area.  These students are given cash stipends of $5500 pesos per school year, divided into two payments. 
At Prepa, we were greeted by Director Armando Soltero Macías.  He gave us a quick tour of this new school, designed and constructed under his watchful and creative eye.  Then he escorted us to the second floor where fresh fruit, cookies, coffee and water were there for our refreshment.  Nine of our becados joined us while Dr. Soltero told us about the school with an incredible display of photos and statistics on their cutting edge interactive “blackboard.”  
After picture taking and chats with our becados, we re-boarded the bus for the journey to visit the Centro Universitario de la Costa (CUC), Vallarta’s branch of the University of Guadalajara.  The University that opened its doors in 1994, located in the outskirts of Puerto Vallarta near the pueblo of Ixtapa. We have more than 70 becados in four local universities who receive an annual stipend of $7,000 pesos in two installments. 
At CUC we have twenty-six becados, several of whom will graduate at the end of this school year.  At the  Peter Gray Museum of Art, Becas University Coordinator Buri Gray, Becas members Elinor Prawer, Cheo Rangle, Sergio Valle and CUC teacher and Aid to the Rector Perla Alarcon were waiting for us on the balcony. Tables were beautifully set and one of our university becados joined each table to share a delightful light brunch with Mimosas, thanks to El Coyul’s donation of fine Mexican champagne, and the culinary art of Foods by Seth.
After a tour of the impressive Peter Gray Museum of Art, a tired but happy group of Becas members and supporters boarded the bus for the trip back to Vallarta.  Becas is considering organizing more schools tours with the dual goals of having more of Vallarta’s ex-patriot community see our fine public school system and raise funds to support our program.   Would you join us on a tour such as this one, but culminating with lunch at one of the famous seafood restaurants in Ixtapa for $500 pesos?  Call me at 223-1371 or e-mail me at phvicars@gmail.com.   When you call or write, don’t forget to reserve your March 11, 2010 Becas Ball tickets.  They are going fast!