Passports, FM2’s and FM3’s…these are our words…the words of foreigners and expats who have discovered their own personal paradise tucked away in Bucerias, Nayarit. We know the struggle, the cost and the time spent acquiring these necessary passports to make Mexico a part of our lives, and yet the time, cost, and dedication required to obtain these is small compared to the passport our Mexican friends must acquire to enrich their lives.

For the Spanish speaking children and adults of Bucerias it is not a piece of paper, but a language that is their passport to a richer life. In Mexico, being able to speak English offers better job opportunities, potentially higher wages, and in the eyes of many parents a better future for their families. But for many of these families English lessons have not been readily accessible.
 

It is not always easy, but these determined children and adults return class after class in an effort to improve the quality of their lives. They know being bilingual is important here. The synergy is exciting as volunteer teachers experience the joy of hearing students utter their very first sentences in English and the students recognize their personal success. Together they are creating a passport to future opportunities.

For expats and foreigners money and time buys our passports. For our Mexican friends, it is time and hard work, an open mind and knowing how important it is to speak English in today’s world.

Some of us understand what they are experiencing as we are also in the process of learning Spanish in an attempt to participate more fully in our new community.

 

Thanks to the willing volunteers of the Bucerias Bilingual Community Centre, English classes are growing in size. At the same time, Spanish classes are also being held thanks to the efforts of both Mexican and bilingual Anglo volunteer teachers. The word is spreading. Without our teachers and  wonderful donors, and without our beautiful school, none of this would be possible.

 

As another session of English and Spanish classes ends, congratulations are definitely in order. To our beautiful Mexican students, congratulations on adding to your passport. To the volunteers who help teach, congratulations on making a difference in the lives of many. We know that each of us gains when we share with each other. The opportunity to learn from our students enriches our lives as well. Truly, LEARNING is the passport that can take us anywhere! You too can be part of this wonderful process.
Don't hesitate to donate. Here's  how?

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BBCC In-Sights

Reta Ross
Amazing places are often the result of amazing people! Growth occurs when these people have vision, commitment, and a burning desire to make things happen. BBCC grows because of these amazing individuals. Have you ever loved your work so much that you would do it for free? Volunteers do! And one of these volunteer teachers at BBCC is Reta Ross.

She is the fairy woman. A beautiful, curly blonde, animated woman, she captures the attention of the children with her love, warmth and inner beauty. She loves these children, so much so that when they are missing from class, she walks the dusty streets to their homes across the arroyo to see if they are okay. She lets their parents know they are missed. And soon they are back in class.
 

When she arrived she knew her mission. She was here to teach children English, to share with them everything she could. She walked those same streets, inviting children, talking to parents, letting them know their children could learn English at BBCC. Starting with four beautiful little girls who brought more children, her classes grew. She took flyers written in Spanish to the streets, handing them out, letting people know what the centre could offer them. And by one night in February twenty eight children were attending her class.

Reta is the consummate teacher. Knowing she would have to buy it herself, she found an effective program for teaching English and purchased it. Hours were spent creating pages, laminating, and learning the materials so that these children could have the best learning experience possible. And it is a wonderful experience. You know that when you see children arriving with big smiles, running to hug her.

These children come because they want to, not because they have to. Often they come to class bringing younger brothers, sisters and friends, arriving early and wanting to stay after the daily session is ended. You see it on the street when you witness their excitement as she walks past their homes and stops into visit. And you can’t miss it in the eyes of their parents where the appreciation and acknowledgement of her work is so evident.

Come into her class and see the excellent teaching… the intentional repetition of English words, games, songs, and picture work that she knows will lead to language acquisition. I wish you could have been there the day the children looked at pictures and for the very first time answered in sentences. Suddenly single words like dog and running became a complete thought. “The dog is running.” “The ant is red.” These were huge steps for children who knew NO English months before. And these were enough to bring joyful tears to the fairy woman’s eyes.
 

This is the teacher who struggled with a lively 11 year old who couldn’t sit still and wanted to talk all the time. Trying everything she could, she finally put on meditative music… soothing and quiet, hoping it would help. When nothing changed, she stopped playing it. Imagine her surprise, when his first question was, “Reta, why don’t we have the music on? I like that.”

Come in and watch her work. She is an actress, pantomiming words, being silly, anything to enhance the learning experience for her children. As the consummate teacher, these ARE her children. And she is becoming one with them… loved and respected, she spent her new years eve celebrating and dancing with the children and their families. She is no outsider; she has been invited in, just as she invited them into her life.
 

It has not been all joy for this loving woman. There was a time with her classes growing she experienced such frustration at not being able to surround these children - to meet all their needs, and in her lovely warm way she asked for help and had faith it would come. And when help came in the form of one volunteer, and then another, and another, she shared her children and her love of teaching with them as well. The frustration was gone and replaced with more love and the knowledge that once again her children were surrounded.

The fairy woman with her long curly blonde hair, her ankle length dresses with puffy sleeves, her beautiful smile, and sparkling eyes will be missed this summer. But as her friend and co teacher, I know she has a dream. Next year she will return to teach. But there will be a difference. When she returns she will look for a home here. She dreams of teaching English, of walking streets where she is not a visitor but a local, of having her own horse to ride, and neighbors who will be part of life forever. She knows she will return to these children and share more of her language, her joy and her love. It is people like Reta who are part of amazing places like BBCC.

 Our Mission

The BBCC was founded as a non-profit organization to promote Spanish/English education and interaction in the small pueblo of Bucerias, northeast of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The mission is to offer English instruction to Mexican residents to improve their economic well-being, and to offer Spanish to a growing number of part and full time Anglo residents who are interested in meaningful interaction with their Mexican neighbors. Cultural programs will also be offered such as Mexican Cooking and History, Meditation, Belly Dancing, Yoga and others as teachers become available. Classes for children and summer school day camps are also offered.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.-- Margaret Mead"

 

 The Vision

The Bucerias Bilingual Community Centre will work to create a community where children and adults share the joy of developing skills and learning their neighbour's language and cultural background.

"When strangers start acting like neighbours...communities are reinvigorated."-- Ralph Nader

 Our Teachers

5 Qualities of Every BBCC Teacher

Teachers at BBCC come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and nationalities. Arriving from England, Canada, the United States and even from five blocks away right in Bucerias, Mexico, they come to the Bay of Banderas to share their passions and skills. Most work as volunteers, while some charge a nominal fee for their courses and return a percentage to the BBCC to help cover its operating costs. No matter where their place of origin, your teachers at BBCC share five important qualities. Every teacher you meet here will have an interest or knowledge they want to share with others:

Whether they are teaching English or Spanish, belly dancing or meditation, crafts or computers, kids or adults, all of them share their passions, and together we all learn.

If you have something you'd like to share with us, please contact the Bucerias Bilingual Community Centre. There's always room for more.

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops" -- Henry Brooks Adams
 

 The Volunteers

Without volunteers, non-profits like Bucerias Bilingual Community Centre could not survive. In Bucerias the combined efforts of many are creating a thriving centre where children and adults come to learn and share. To meet the needs of the community, a variety of skills and talents from a large group of volunteers is required.

Our volunteers fulfill many roles. Our goal is utilize their strengths so that both the centre and our volunteers benefit from their gifts of service.

What roles could you play in our future growth? The following is a list of our ongoing needs:

Please call for further ideas or to offer suggestions Your assistance even for a few hours is invaluable!


I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. ~Edward Everett Hale