In response to the violence and drug war in our country, HECAT was opened in the Northern Mexican city of Torreon seeking to provide better chances to children from low-income families through high quality education. With your help, this project will expand our middle school program by building three new rooms on our roof to continue to provide education, nutritional and medical support for children who hail from some of the poorest areas of our region.
According to the Mexican Ministry of Education, every minute 2.2 students drop out of school. This is particularly worrisome in our state, where, being located in passage way to the US-border, drug-violence flooded our region. Public schools have been historically hijacked by corruption and lack of funds which explains why Mexico's education was ranked last by the OECD. With a bleak future, some Mexican children and youth find in drugs, violence and crime not only a lifestyle but an illusion.
At HECAT (Spanish "Educational Brotherhood of the American College, Torreon") we believe that education is the best weapon to combat crime and fight for social justice. Our educational model is based on a subsidized comprehensive program in extended hours that includes meals, health support, bilingual, art and sports education, which rivals the quality of private schools. In particular, this campaign will build new three rooms on our roof for our secondary school and purchase furniture for it.
Can you imagine a world where your family's background does not determine your future? We do. Our graduates are already breaking ground by getting scholarships in some of the most prestigious schools in our region and obtaining local awards. The new space will reduce overcrowding and provide additional resources, to facilitate improved education. This project will allow us to continue dreaming and empowering 100 secondary school students every year, breaking the cycle of poverty and violence.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
