John Doherty, member of the San Miguel Midday Rotary Club in Mexico, will share the story of the Escuela de Educacion de San Miguel de Allende which opened its doors on September 3, 2012.

The mission of the School for Special Education is to ensure that all San Miguel de Allende children who are deaf or hearing impaired become literate, independent, and productive citizens who set and achieve life goals.

John has not only been instrumental in the formation of the school but he has also has worked tirelessly with Stove Team International to help create a stove factory in San Miguel in 2011. Since that time he has hosted many work teams from Stove Team and most recently a team from our own Rotary club.

To learn more about the school, visit their website here.

Southtowne supports the School. To learn more about that click here.

Notes from the presentation:

  • The club in San Miguel of 35 members has been involved in the work of Rotary for 10 years and have completed many projects including water projects, orphanages, house builds, etc. It is a very active group involving hundreds of thousands of dollars of grants.
  • 4-5 years ago, they joined a larger project to help set up the stove factory for Stove Team, which to date has built over 2,000 stoves.
  • The School for Special Education invites University groups to come to the school as a cultural exchange and learning experience for the students.
  • The School for Special Education supports the deaf and hearing impaired. The kids who came in the program would otherwise have no way to learn and thrive.
  • There are no assistance programs in the public schools. They are trying to change that.
  • Currently, there are 23 students involved in the program. Some of the students are older (as old as 55) and some are younger.
  • Programs include cooking, carpentry, silversmith, sewing, and photography. The kids are thriving and learning skills that lead to self-sufficiency. Some of the kids have been offered jobs.
  • There are 3 teachers, one of whom is deaf herself and a few support staff.
  • The youngest student is now 5 but began when he was 2.
  • One of the students who is 29 years old was brought in after applying for a job as a cleaner for 2 days a week, and became a student.