Tag Archives: sueno zapoteco

A Team Transforming Rural Education with Technology, Commitment, and Heart

By Britt Jarnryd—

The Bacaanda Foundation, through its Escuela Rural Inteligente program, has developed an innovative educational model driven above all by its team. This extraordinary group of professionals, guided by vocation, consistency, and a deep sense of social responsibility, is transforming the educational experience.

The team is made up of six educational coaches, a technology engineer, and a project director, all working in close coordination to directly support teachers and students. In addition to conducting in-person visits to schools for 3 to 5 days each month, the team provides daily online support—guiding teachers in lesson planning, the design of teaching and learning strategies, and the effective use of educational technology.

During these visits, the coaches monitor, advise, and train teachers in the use of internet resources, smart screens, iPads, and educational apps, integrating them into Spanish and Mathematics curricula at the preschool, primary, and secondary levels. This hybrid model—combining in-person and virtual support—allows for continuous, timely, and personalized attention.

The role of the engineer is equally essential, overseeing the proper functioning of equipment, ensuring the effective use of technological tools, and providing timely technical solutions to prevent interruptions in the learning process.

Complementing this work, the project director coordinates efforts, ensures follow-up, and maintains the quality of implementation across the 53 rural schools currently served, guaranteeing consistency, efficiency, and alignment with the foundation’s educational goals.

In addition, the team maintains an active presence within the communities—observing and modeling classroom practices during school hours, and offering training sessions for teachers and parents in the afternoons. This close engagement strengthens trust, local commitment, and the long-term sustainability of the program.

Thanks to this consistent, hands-on and online support, the results have been clear: reduced gaps in literacy, steady improvements in mathematics, and significant progress in digital skills. The Escuela Rural Inteligente team has become a powerful example of how human guidance, combined with technology, can transform educational realities in rural settings.

From Chalkboards to Starlink: A New Era for Rural Schools in Oaxaca

By Jamie McIntyre—

Founded in 2008 to assist rural communities near Huatulco, Bacaanda Foundation began to focus its efforts on rural education in 2013. In partnership with CONAFE, the agency responsible for rural education in Oaxaca, the Foundation now supports over 550 children and 63 teachers, in 59 schools across 23 rural communities.

Initially, the Foundation worked to establish suitable classroom environments for students and teachers. With donor funding and community support, it built or renovated 46 schools and 33 teacher residences.

This initiative led to Bacaanda’s “Intelligent Rural Schools Program,” which uses technology to enhance student learning, and along with investments in teacher training these technologies are now being used in all classrooms.

This year, the Foundation completed installation of Starlink satellite systems providing high-speed internet to all 59 schools. With 400 iPads now fully integrated into student learning, we are seeing primary student test scores in Spanish and Math improve, by more than 30% in two years.

A review found significant gaps in student literacy, so the Foundation added a literacy module in 2025, focused on reading, comprehension and writing. Proficiency improved dramatically from 23% of primary students proficient last year, to 63% this year.

Many teachers at Bacaanda schools are recent high school graduates who lack experience and formal pedagogical training. At its two training facilities, the Foundation works collaboratively with CONAFE to deliver teacher training, which has proven to enhance educators’ skill sets, self-assurance, and instructional effectiveness.

Also, Bacaanda’s six trainers provide teacher support both in-class and online, but retaining teachers remains difficult. To address this, Bacaanda, in cooperation with CONAFE, began offering teacher salary support last year. As a result, teacher turnover in 2025/2026 dropped to less than half its previous rate.

Bacaanda Foundation is a registered charity in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. For further details or to learn about tax-efficient ways to give to this wonderful organization, please visit http://www.bacaandafoundation.org

The Dream Festival: Celebrating, Sharing, and Transforming

By Britt Jarnryd—

Each year, on a Saturday in January, Huatulco comes alive with music, color, and hope during the Dream Festival—a fundraising event that celebrates a shared commitment to education and the development of Oaxaca’s most vulnerable rural communities. Organized by Sueño Zapoteco A.C. / Bacaanda Foundation, the festival highlights the foundation’s projects, shares its achievements, and raises funds to continue its mission: reducing poverty through dignified, high-quality education.

The Dream Festival is more than a cultural celebration; it is the result of months of collaborative, volunteer-driven work. Beginning in July, a dedicated group of international volunteers plans every detail with enthusiasm and deep respect for the communities the foundation serves. Their commitment creates a space where solidarity knows no borders. Each year, local businesses, hotels, and members of the Huatulco community contribute by donating food, beverages, raffle prizes, and auction items, turning the festival into a true example of community collaboration. Every contribution—large or small—becomes a real opportunity for children and young people in rural areas.

At the heart of the Dream Festival are the rural schools it supports, which take center stage in the celebration. Weeks in advance, students prepare traditional dances from different regions of Oaxaca, accompanied by live bands and the iconic monos de calenda, filling the atmosphere with joy, identity, and cultural pride. Through their performances, students thank attendees for their support and invite them to continue being part of the transformation of rural education.

The Dream Festival is a celebration of achievement, culture, and hope—but above all, it is an invitation to be part of meaningful change.

Every ticket purchased and every donation made translates into dignified classrooms, educational materials, technological tools, academic support, and stronger opportunities for the future.

Come experience this extraordinary festival and be part of transforming lives.

Saturday, January 24, 2026
Starting at 5:00 p.m.
Parque Guelaguetza, Huatulco
Tickets available at the Bacaanda Foundation office

Live the magic, celebrate culture, and help transform lives.