Empowering Mexico's Youth Through STEM Education

We successfully completed the first course across the eight schools where we have been working, and this semester we have launched the next phase. Currently, we have more than 100 active students enrolled, 60% of whom are young women between the ages of 13 and 18.

For our online teachers, we developed a rigorous training program focused on servant leadership, emphasizing both its importance and practical application in their daily teaching.

Looking ahead, we are preparing to expand into seven additional states in Mexico, providing teacher training while also managing the logistics of delivering the necessary materials to students in each community.

At the Universidad Tecnológica del Mezquital in Durango, which has become our first Global Learning Center in Mexico, 16 trained teachers have already begun teaching at four different campuses in the region.

In addition, we are preparing to welcome students from Durango to Chicago for our 19th Cultural Exchange, continuing a tradition that has been at the heart of YTC’s cross-border collaboration for over two decades.

When we first met Yareli, a high school student from Mezquital, Durango, she was curious but hesitant about technology. She had never worked with robotics or coding, and English was a language she had only encountered music or films. Today, Yareli confidently builds and programs Arduino-based robots, helps her peers troubleshoot technical issues, and even practices her English pronunciation by following along with U.S. student-teacher video lessons. Her growth shows how learning by teaching—at the heart of YTC’s model—can empower students to become leaders in their own communities.

Since August 2024, YTC has expanded its efforts across Mexico. There are now active programs in 10 locations (8 in Durango, 1 in Aguascalientes, and 1 in Mexico City), supported by 15 trained U.S. student-teachers, with 8 more in preparation. We have collaborated with 16 Mexican teachers, who are now co-teaching and learning the curriculum themselves to continue expanding the program locally. Over 175 Mexican students are participating, surpassing our initial goals. Of these, 72.8% are high school students, nearly 20% are in university, and the rest are in middle school. The gender breakdown includes 58.1% male and 41.9% female students.

A standout development has been at Universidad Tecnológica del Mezquital (UTM), where teachers and students have fully embraced the robotics program. UTM now reaches 14 schools and communities, averaging 9 students per site, and has begun translating the curriculum into three indigenous languages. This initiative is helping bridge cultural and educational gaps while preparing more students to participate in STEM learning.

Although we have faced challenges with power outages and online platform enrollment, these issues were resolved with technical support and local collaboration. Most students are steadily progressing through the course modules, and all teachers provide regular reports and feedback to ensure learning outcomes. With growing community engagement and school interest, YTC is creating lasting change across Mexico by helping students like Yareli discover their potential through technology and mentorship.