A free after-school enrichment program for
the children of Lo de Marcos, Nayarit, Mexico
WELCOME TO LA CASA DE LOS NIÑOS
Lo de Marcos, Nayarit, Mexico
La Casa de los Niños is a free after-school enrichment center available to all the children of Lo de Marcos, Nayarit, Mexico. It is our intention to provide a safe and stimulating location in which children can play, learn, and dream.
The children at La Casa de los Niños are free to enjoy classes in English, art, music, and cooking in a safe and clean environment. Our facilities include classrooms, a game room, a library, and outdoor areas for sporting and movement activities. Our teachers are dedicated to providing the children with lessons, laughter, and love.
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Our volunteer programs have been developed to provide opportunities for adults, children, and students to experience global community service opportunities.
OUR STORY
La Casa de los Niños was founded by Patti & Dave Martinez and Dulce and Jim Heinrich in October 2005.
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A few months prior, the Martinez’s only daughter and her family, Lauren, Kailee, Cameron, and Matthew, were killed in an automobile accident. The accident occurred just days before the young family from California was to depart for Lo de Marcos. They had planned to caretake the Martinez vacation home for a year so their children could experience their Mexican heritage in this small Mexican seaside town.
Dulce and Jim were already residents of Lo de Marcos. Dulce had been tutoring kids in her home and saw the need for a place where children could go for after-school help with homework and perhaps do art projects.
The two couples met and decided to use a memorial fund established in honor of the Martinez children to do something for the kids in Lo de Marcos. In short order, the dream became reality; on December 12, 2005, the doors of La Casa de Los Ninos opened—with 85 kids waiting to come in!
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Within four months, La Casa had grown out of it’s first home, so we moved into a larger building. We've moved two more times since then, but we've always been within a few blocks of the main road in the pueblo, and the children keep coming. After starting as merely a small room with a few art, study, and game supplies, La Casa’s resources in its current location have blossomed to include a wonderful library, many musical instruments, a room dedicated to art materials, a closet of sports equipment, computers to use for homework, a great kitchen for baking and cooking, and a large yard for sports and games.
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In 2008, Dulce and Jim lost their 18 year old son Fernando shortly after he was diagnosed with leukemia. Out of these tragic losses—the kind that most parents can’t bear to imagine—was born and grew a source of love and inspiration for an entire community of children. Today La Casa is a place that encourages kids to bloom, and provides resources they would not otherwise encounter.
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La Casa’s has become a beloved and supported part of the community of Lo de Marcos. The founders have been honored by invitations to special events held by the two local public schools, and are equally honored to be a part of the yearly graduation ceremonies in the escuela primaria.
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The townspeople have helped La Casa move, performed electrical, plumbing and roof repair, trimmed the very tall coconut trees in the yard, and generously donated gravel for La Casa’s huge play area.
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"We have experienced healing to our souls…we feel…lucky."
OUR TEACHERS
Clara Ibarra
Clara is a very talented and loving teacher. She is our Physical Education teacher and enjoys sharing her enthusiasm, talents and love with the children.
TEACHER ASSISTANTS​
Each year we select 2-3 of the older children at La Casa to work as assistants to our teachers. This gives them a chance to experience a little more responsibility in La Casa and to get some experience working closely with the teachers.
SCHOLARSHIPS
High School in Lo de Marcos is a luxury many locals cannot afford for their children.
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La Casa founders Jim and Dulce Heinrich’s son Fernando was one of the lucky kids who did graduate from the local high school. Before his untimely death from leukemia at the age of 18, Fernando—affectionately called ‘Fer’—had developed a reputation for "living life at 110%."
Through this scholarship created in Fernando’s honor, we are able to help kids go on to high school and make new dreams come true. Please contact us if you would like more information or you would like to sponsor a scholarship.
VOLUNTEERING
There are many ways to volunteer at La Casa de Los Ninos. We are grateful for help with our free after-school program. Volunteers are encouraged to help with extra-curricular activities including art, music, computer homework help, cooking and healthy food preparation, sports and outdoor games, or helping out in our library.
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The children also participate in community activities along with volunteers, including beach clean up, recycling and composting programs. These programs function Mondays-Thursdays from 4 to 6pm.
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The Circulo de Chicas y Circulo de Chavos are special programs for pre-teen girls and boys. A new project, Hola La, a clothing store full of beautiful new and second hand donated clothing, is a "learning lab" for the girls in the Circulo de Chicas, where they gain skills in working with the public, including English speaking skills, money handling and responsibility for the arranging and care of the merchandise. The Circulo de Chavos have guest instructors for drumming, manualidades (wood and other crafts), learning the care and use of specialized tools, and finding positive outlets for their abundant physical energy.
Volunteers have taught piano, flute and ukelele, offered yoga and hula classes, and more.
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Volunteers can also assist in the classroom in a myriad of ways, from sharpening pencils and cleaning paintbrushes to helping translate Spanish for other volunteers who don’t speak Spanish.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
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Volunteers at La Casa are welcomed to find a niche that fits their capacities, desire to learn, and time availability. There are short-term options such as one week of teaching yoga or ukulele, and longer time commitments such as one or two months working 2-4 days / week.
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Volunteers with some capacity for speaking Spanish can work directly with the children, but there are other roles for those who want to support or just be present with our children without taking on a direct supervision or teaching role. These tasks might include sharpening pencils, replenishing/cleaning paint supplies, baking the birthday cakes for the monthly birthday parties, to name a few.
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Temporary Staff Volunteer
With a minimum of a two week commitment, volunteers with Spanish speaking ability can be responsible for specific projects and activities.
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Full Time Temporary Staff
Participate in 12-15 hrs / week of classroom and preparation activity.
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Special Activity Volunteer
Can offer a specific activity for a specific period of time, e.g., teach a yoga class daily for one week; lead a drum circle 2x / week for one month.
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Support Volunteer
Even without Spanish speaking skills, a volunteer can still provide a wide variety of support tasks, either on- or offsite, on either a one-time or a regular basis. This can be arranged with the Volunteer Coordinator based on the volunteer’s availability.
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Special Services Volunteer
Volunteers on a grief healing path are invited to contact the founders to create the program that will fit the needs of all involved.
The primary teacher and founders review all applications and develop a participation plan for each volunteer that match the program’s needs with the skills and availability of the volunteer.
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Volunteers have participated and led a very wide spectrum of activities during the last few years, including:
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Beach clean up
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Recycling and composting program development
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La Casa’s boutique thrift store Hola La!
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Circulo de Chicas y Circulo de Chavos—special programs focused on La Casa pre-teens
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Volunteers have led classes in piano, flute, ukulele, yoga and hula.