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Morelia, Mexico in the state of Michoacan has a high school graduation rate of only 27%.  Many parents pull their children out of school early to help earn money for the family.  In an area where the average annual income is only $400, it’s important for every member of the family to pitch in.

Enter New Opportunities in Education, a faith-based non-profit organization founded in 1992.  The group started with one center, enrolling 490 kids in after-school programs.  Now students ranging in age from 4th grade through college age attend classes in one of four centers in Morelia and nearby Leon, Mexico.  

One of the great benefits of participating in the NOE program is learning to speak English.  Mexican students who learn English make, on average, 40% more income than those who speak only Spanish.  If they pass the test offered by NOE, they get free college tuition.  Ninety percent of NOE graduates stay in Mexico.

Many NOE graduates come back to teach at NOE and give back to the organization that helped them.    One student who did just that is Erik Garcia, who currently the program director at the newest NOE center, Vida West.  The Vida West location opened in September 2019 and currently has 140 students.  Erik started the NOE program at the age of 12 and didn’t like it.  But, after two years he found himself engaged in the English, computer, art, and music classes offered at the center.  Now he has a college degree in communications.  His brother, another NOE grad, recently graduated from Medical School.

Billy Fox is a member of Clackamas Rotary and a 25-year Rotarian.  The Clackamas Club is working on a Rotary Global Grant to raise money to purchase equipment and curriculum for the West Vida Center.  The goal is to raise $12,000 locally for the effort.

For more information, visit noeinternational.org