A SUCCESSFUL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE IMMERSED IN A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT

The “Centro de Estudios Justo Sierra CEJUS (Justo Sierra Study Center)”, an alternative educational project ranging from pre- to high-school, located in the highly isolated mountain range of the State of Sinaloa, Northwest Mexico, has been producing very positive results along the years. CEJUS is located in the rural town of Surutato, within the bounds of what is called the golden triangle, a large region that spans three of the country’s states, where illicit activities, like the production and traffic of narcotics, take place. Recently, 27 of CEJUS staff members graduated as Bachelors in Education, and five more as Engineers in disciplines related to sustainable exploitation of natural resources. Since its beginning CEJUS put emphasis in the participation of the community in the reflection, design and implementation of the educational plans. Through a participative process of reflection-design-action, with the aid of outside advisers, the community embarked on its own educational project, which includes the formation of community development agents. The project has expanded now beyond the community’s own boundaries to other neighboring settlements. The objective consisted of offering the youth that had finished elementary school an alternative to formal post-elementary education that would prepare them to remain in the community as productive individuals. Previously, if a student wished to continue his formal education, he would need to move to one of the neighboring urban centers. Over time, this would remove the individual from his roots, leading him to suffer a certain loss of identity. CEJUS’ alumni took themselves the education responsibilities of the region’s students, from pre- to high school. In 2003, CEJUS made a strategic alliance with the “Centro de Innovación y Desarrollo Educativo, CIDE (Center for Innovation and Educational Development)”, to develop professional and graduate learning geared to research in applied disciplines related to sustainable exploitation of natural resources. CIDE is an alternative model of learning, whose major features are problem-solving learning, individual and group study, individualized study plans, and most importantly: the intensive use of Internet for the retrieval and use of up to date scientific and technological information. Recently, this association has permitted CEJUS to graduate five of its members as Engineers. Why has it been possible to achieve such positive results within the bounds of such hostile environment? One of the key factors for success is the effective participation of large segments of the community in the reflection, design and implementation of alternative educational projects for the benefit of their children.