From July 20th to August 1st, the Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council welcomed Jovenes en Accion, a group of Mexican youth participating in a U.S. Department of State youth leadership program in conjunction with the Mexican Ministry of Education.
The youth came from the Mexican states of Colima, Chihuahua, and Mexico State. As part of the program, they developed specific projects to address the needs of their communities. Two of the three projects consisted of activities designed to encourage students to stay in school with the aim of decreasing the dropout rate, especially in high school. The third focused on promoting indigenous cultures and combating discrimination through education and interactive community events.
During their visit, many of the group’s activities centered on core themes, including youth involvement in the local community, multicultural diversity and tolerance, democracy, social justice and conflict resolution, lawfulness, advocacy and social media, and disability rights. Through these themes and their corresponding community events, the primary goal of the program was to teach the group skills and knowledge to implement in their own projects in Mexico.
The Mexican students’ visit to Pensacola began with volunteering at Project Greenshores and with an overview of biodiversity and water quality issues by Chips Kirschenfeld of the Escambia County Community and Environment Department. They then met with two local teens, Maria Kondrat’yev and Olivia Liseth, to discuss volunteerism in Pensacola high schools before going on to explore Pensacola Beach and to enjoy Bands on the Beach.
They continued their visit with public speaking skills practice and by having a conversation about civil rights and local life under Jim Crow laws with Ora Wills. Grace McCaffery, the editor of the local Spanish-language newspaper, La Costa Latina, opened discussion on how the newspaper has brought together Latino immigrants and the wider Pensacola community.
To gain greater insight into the workings of democracy in Pensacola, the group attended an Agenda Work Session of the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners, observing an elected body dealing with local issues. The youth then went on to lead their own local government simulation with the assistance by former City Council Member Ms. Maren DeWeese who also spoke with the students about the organization and structure of a city council meeting. The students served as both the council and community stakeholders and tackled the issue of teenage curfews in their simulated community. (Surprisingly, the curfew ordinance passed!)
To discuss the theme of social justice and conflict resolution, the group met with Keyontay Humphries, regional organizer with the American Civil Liberties Union Panhandle Chapter and member of the Escambia Youth Justice Coalition. Keyontay spoke about the importance of the defense and preservation of individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the constitution as well as the issue of high youth incarceration in the local community.
The students wrapped up their first week in Pensacola with a visit to the University Of West Florida (UWF). First, they took a campus tour with Valeria Aramaya of the Office of International Education and Programs. After that, they participated in a tolerance and diversity discussion led by Tonya Jackson of Common Ground.
After a weekend spent with host families, the Mexican youth kicked off their second week by observing all of the stages of jury selection, an experience arranged by Shelia Sims and Brenda Van Brussel.
They were then welcomed to City Hall by Councilmember Sherri Myers who presented them with a special gift on behalf of Mayor Ashton Hayward – certificates of honorary citizenship to the city! This was followed by visit to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, where Protocol Officer Allison Morgan arranged for the students to meet with victim advocates and an investigator and to visit the dispatch to learn more about law enforcement operations.
The next day, the teens met with Deputy Supervisor of Elections Sonya Daniel to learn about the election process. Shifting the focus to social media, they then visited Ballpoint Communications Group where Shane Maples spoke on effective communication through media and branding strategies. At ARC Gateway, the students learned about employment opportunities and programs in place for adults with disabilities while at Teen Court Executive Director Mary Ann Barrows explained alternative sentencing for youth and gave them the opportunity to sit in on proceedings. It was a day packed with information!
The group continued the discussion on disability rights when they visited the Lacey Collier Sensory Complex at Westgate School later in the week. Behavior Specialist Joe Denmon gave a tour of the complex and the students were surprised and delighted by the themed rooms designed to stimulate senses and encourage exploration.
During a day at Big Lagoon State Park, the students explored the natural environment of the park and participated in the multicultural game “Bafa Bafa,” a game used to teach diversity, communication, and tolerance. Afterwards, they attended a Digital Media Education workshop focusing on critical thinking, social media, and communication to emphasize media as a medium for social change.
During their final day of activities, the Mexican students met with and gave cultural presentations about Mexico to the young men of Escambia Boys Base, aiming to leave a positive impact and to share a bit of their culture while wrapping up their visit.
This program would not have been possible without the help of the community. We thank all of the organizations, businesses, and individuals who contributed to making this visit a success, and we extend a special thank you to the families who hosted the students in their homes during their visit: Jenn and Rusty Scott, Kim and Darryl Lipnicky, Mary Brawn and Thomas Noethlich, Linda Wade and Bill, Jeannine Van Reeth, Laurie and David Kreuser, Paula Wade and Oscar Woody, Elizabeth and Harry Hewson, and Ruth and John Kane. We hope that this collaborative effort made a lasting positive impression both on the students and members of the Pensacola community. We wish these young leaders the best of luck in their future lives, and we say goodbye to them knowing that they will make a positive impact on their country.
