Alternative travel experiences for people-of-conscience.
Join us in the misty mountains and steamy jungles of the Mexican southeast. Every “Schools for Chiapas” trip provides excellent opportunities to meet, and personally interact with, the contemporary Zapatistas of Chiapas, Mexico. Your trip fees support Zapatista educational programs in literacy, health, ecology, and commercialization. No special language skills are required as full translations are always provided collectively.
Most Schools for Chiapas trips involve rustic living in breathtakingly beautiful locations with interesting and involved people from many countries. Occasionally, we offer trips which are based in comfortable hotels with day trips to the autonomous, indigenous communities (read Zapatista) in the misty highlands and steamy jungles of the Mexican southeast.
Schools for Chiapas also regularly organizes specially designed tours for university, church, and specific interest groups. As of this writing (Jan. 2008) Schools for Chiapas has organized over seventy trips involving thousands of people from more than thirty countries to locations throughout the southeastern Mexican state of Chiapas.
Trip #70A ~ Chiapas school construction, Mayan culture, and medicinal plant nurseries
Sunday, May 4 until Saturday, May 17, 2008
This unique two week long delegation will spend about half time in comfortable city hotels with day trips to sites of interest and the other half of their time "roughing it" in Mayan rural villages and centers.The delegation will spend several days making adobe block and wiring new lighting for a rural historical building which is being restored to serve as an autonomous, indigenous community education center. Participants will also visit two Zapatista centers exploring education, health, and development projects and to participate in face-to-face meeting with Mayan people. The delegation will visit the ancient Mayan city of Palenque, the modern tourist city of San Cristobal de las Casas, and several Mayan communities. Additional activities will be arranged based on participants interests and there is an optional side trip to the ancient city of Yachilan.
Trip #71: A Cultural and Educational Introduction to Chiapas, Mexico
Sunday, June 15 until Saturday, June 21, 2008
The delegation objective is to visit a variety of Zapatista directed education, health, and development projects and to participate in face-to-face meeting with Mayan people. Our goal is to gain familiarity with the educational progress of the contemporary indigenous communities of Chiapas, Mexico. Activities will also be arranged based on participants interests.
Trip #72: Zapatista Women’s Coops, Fair Trade, and Commercialization
Sunday, June 22 until Saturday, June 28, 2008
The delegation's objective is meet a wide variety of the Mayan women and men who are producing and distributing artisan, agricultural, and commercial products in the autonomous, indigenous communities of Chiapas, Mexico. Participants will have the option to visit the ancient Mayan city of Palenque. Additional activities will be arranged based in participants’ interests and concerns.
Trip #73: Chiapas Schools Construction Team
Sunday, July 20 until Saturday, July 26, 2008
The delegation's objective is to work with one or more isolated Mayan communities to upgrade, decorate, and repair their community-directed school. Participants will learn about the Zapatista movement through direct contact with Mayan students, education promoters, and local community members.
Trip #74: Health and Education Professionals’ Trip
Sunday, August 3, 2008 until Saturday, August 9, 2008
This delegation's objective is to visit a variety of Zapatista directed education and health projects and to participate in numerous face-to-face meeting with the Mayan people who are organizing these new and innovative systems. Delegation participants will sleep in comfortable hotels in the beautiful, international tourist destination city of San Cristobal de las Casas. From their hotel they will join daily trips to autonomous Mayan communities throughout the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. Additional activities will be arranged based on participants' interests.
Trip #75: Indigenous Autonomy and the Zapatistas
Sunday, August 10 until Saturday, August 16, 2008
The delegation's objective is to live and learn directly inside of the indigenous, autonomous centers of the Zapatista movement. Participants will visit two civilian Zapatista centers and learn about the Zapatista movement through direct contact with autonomous Mayan government members; health, education, agro-ecology promoters; and local community members. Participants will also visit the ancient Mayan city of Palenque. Additional activities will be arranged based in participants’ interests.
Trip #76: Zapatista Reforestation, Fruit, and Medicinal Tree Nurseries
Sunday, August 17 until Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008
The delegation's objective for the week is to plant approximately 5000 seedling trees in a Zapatista nursery including trees for reforestation as well as fruit and Neem trees. Participants will learn about tropical forests, ecological agriculture, and the Zapatista movement through direct contact with Mayan promoters of ecological agriculture, local community members, and Zapatista indigenous.
Trip #76A: Specially Designed Chiapas Travel
Dates determined by participants
Unique one week to one month immersion experiences in autonomous, Mayan civilian centers with emphasis on the social, cultural, educational, health, and/or agricultural aspects of the Zapatista movement. Side trips are available to ancient Mayan cities, rain and cloud forests, tropical rivers, and beautiful colonial cities.
Trip #77: Day of the Dead in the Mayan Highlands
Wednesday, October 29 until Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The delegation objective is to observe and understand contemporary expressions related to Day of the Dead and to visit a variety of Zapatista directed education, health, and community development projects and to participate in face-to-face meeting with Mayan people. Our goal is to gain familiarity with the contemporary indigenous communities of Chiapas, Mexico.
Trip #78: New Year’s 2009 Zapatista Anniversary Celebration
Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008 until Saturday, January 3, 2009
