News

I spent five weeks of the summer of 2010 in Oaxaca Mexico studying at the Instituto Cultural Oaxaca and volunteering at the Centro de Esperanza Infantil (Oaxaca Grassroots), a program for disadvantaged streetchildren in the city. The experience provided time to learn more about the local culture and gather photos, videos, and materials to share with students throughout this school year. The kids who go to the Centro are from poor homes and are very eager to receive services provided by the school. The students at the Centro received letters written in Spanish from classes at Groton Dunstable Middle School, learned about the Peace Book project, and several made artwork and letters for the book. Although resources are very scarce there, they were able to see the school and pagesforpeace.org websites where they learned more about students and life in Groton and Dunstable.

While the people are welcoming and the area is rich in many respects, it is one of the poorest parts of the country. According to the 2000 census the average daily income was $4.60 per person (US), half the average of the rest of the country. The average grade attained in school was 5.4 and illiteracy was 23%, more than double the average for all of Mexico.

Oaxaca, the name of the state as well as the capital City, is located in the south of Mexico and bordered on the north by the states of Puebla and Veracruz, to the east by Chiapas, to the west by Guerrero, and to the south by the Pacific Ocean. It is a beautiful and mountainous region with interesting towns, archaeological sites, and fantastic beaches along the shoreline comprising 95,364 square kilometers.

The City of Oaxaca has great colonial architecture, churches, museums, a botanical garden, and markets where visitors can purchase the local produce and artwork. It is an art center of the country and among some of the most popular items they create are ceramics, tinwork, candles, jewelry, weavings, and baskets. Because of its scenic beauty and music, dance, painting, traditions, and culinary arts tourism is one of the main industries of the area. Other industries of the area include harvesting local foods such as coffee, cocoa, beans, and corn, in addition to fishing, weaving, and the production of other indigenous crafts.


Groton Dunstable Middle School	District Home Page	District Calendar	Groton-Dunstable Education Foundation