Many young people from indigenous communities in Yucatán, Mexico, leave their communities looking for opportunities to continue their education or to find a job in urban areas. However, many of them lack the necessary skills and competencies to develop successfully in a globalized society. This migration not only leads to the loss of the cultural and natural heritage but also damages the economic and social development of the communities.
The Cultural Promoters program seeks to develop learning, life, and social skills of indigenous youth in Mexico and strengthen their ties to the community by implementing dia (Development of Intelligence through Art) sessions in schools or community spaces and following a project-based learning approach. Through the generation of cultural products, recreational information tools, indigenous language lessons, and dia sessions, this innovative and context-relevant program allows participants to acquire learning and life skills, as well as leadership skills and socioemotional competencies that are useful for their personal, social and professional development.
Throughout the program, participants are encouraged to conduct cultural projects that stimulate inquiry and intergenerational dialogue, such as mapping the tangible and intangible heritage, identifying the needs of the community, creating a game or product, etc. The program consists of a 2-years formative path for youth (15 to 18 years old) of indigenous communities that attend the local upper-secondary school. During the first year, participants learn pedagogical mediation skills, learning skills, and socioemotional competencies to conduct intergenerational dialogues, research-based inquiries, and community projects. In the second year, participants continue strengthening socioemotional competencies and develop leadership and social skills for the management of community cultural projects with an economic and social focus, which seek to contribute to the conservation of the biocultural heritage of their communities.
Objectives of the program:
• Equip participants with project management and leadership skills to promote projects based on local culture as a mechanism for the economic and social well-being of indigenous communities.
• Develop socioemotional competencies, learning, life and social skills of indigenous youth to support them in their personal and professional development.
• Foster life skills of young people to strengthen their sense of belonging and cultural identity, as well as trust in themselves to assume an active role in their communities, to promote the conservation of their culture and natural environment.
• Build pedagogical mediation skills in young people so that they can create intergenerational spaces for dialogue in their community.
