Ethical Tourism

Academia Vinigulaza supports several local community projects, such as The Learning Center , GEO Conservacion and many artisans who we visit on our Excursions .

The Learning Center, Oaxaca, Mexico.
www.tolc.org.mx
The Learning Center is a well-run education project just a few streets from our school. Gary Titus, the founder, saw a need for a support system for kids coming from villages or low-income families trying to either continue their education or enter the job market. Only too often, these children are not able to continue their schooling for financial reasons or make uninformed employment choices as they are unaware of their abilities or potential. Academia Vinigulaza supports this extremely worthwhile local program and we invite you to check it out, and if you would like to – do the same!

The learning center targets young men and women from the ages of 15 to 24 through contacts in other non-profit organizations throughout the state. A unique aspect of this worthy project is the fact that the Learning Center Team is comprised of former and current students. As they develop their skills and move down the educational road the students eventually become tutors and one intern is chosen to live and work at the center while he or she continues in their studies. Students are provided with computers for study use, internet, study support and basic financial support (covering the cost of school fees incurred in the state educational system and uniforms).

How can you help? Stay at their bed and breakfast! The Learning Center runs a well kept, family feel bed and breakfast. A studio apartment is available for longer stays. Please see the center’s web page for details and costs. - If you would like to support the Learning Center financially please contact Gary Titus for more information or drop by the Center while you are here. They would like to reach out to more students – would you like to help? Any donation is welcome and if you would like to go the extra mile - you could put a kid through school. All donations are tax deductible in the U.S.

Any laptops? As older students progress in their studies they really begin to need laptops for their schoolwork. Do you have a laptop you could donate? Do you know of any companies who have upgraded their computers and might like to help? Please contact Gary Titus for any information.

Stipends are given to Workshop tutors and a student intern who lives and works at the Workshop. The Workshop also hopes to raise funds for scholarships to assist participants who need financial help in order to continue with their studies. We currently have a staff of six tutors and a coordinator. The workshop is now open mornings, afternoons and evenings every day for a total of nine hours per day, Monday through Friday. There is a Saturday morning meeting with tutors to learn from our experience and provide ongoing training.

GEO Conservacion, Chinantla, Oaxaca.

GEO Conservacion is an NGO that has been working in the Chinantla region of Oaxaca for the last seven years. Chinantla is extremely beautiful, it has a climate and ecosystem similar to that of Costa Rica. The area has a rich ecosystem with toucans, parrots, spider monkeys and jaguars. There are rivers and beautiful mountain scenery. Their projects center on supporting and advising 6 villages in a remote area in sustainable development and environmental protection. Many of these communities are hit hard by migration as such high numbers travel to the US as migrant workers. GEO is working to provide jobs in the area - these include coffee production, tepijolote (a local vegetable) production and ecotourism. We invite our students to take a weekend trip to the region or to volunteer at GEO – there are many things to be done both in the community for longer periods or in the city.
(more info in Spanish )

Excursions to artisan villages

Academia Vinigulaza supports local artisans and does not take any commissions from sales made on our tours. You are under no obligation to buy when visiting artisan workshops but should you do so, rest assured all the money goes to the craftsmen and women.