Careyes Foundation

Art workshop: this program offers free contemporary art workshops for children in rural communities, promoting creativity and a connection to cultural heritage. In 2024, the program collaborated with artist eduardo sarabia and art collective guadalajara90210, reaching over 400 children in four villages. The workshops connected children with contemporary art while celebrating their cultural heritage and culminated in two exhibitions: cuentos liquidos cerca del lago (summer), organized in collaboration with museos de jalisco and featuring ten latin american artists, and suenxs (winter), led by eduardo sarabia. The art program also hosted contemporary dance performances in five communities, attended by more than 550 participants.

Environmental education: "the environmental education program promotes environmental awareness and sustainable living practices in rural communities. In 2024, the program continued its school-based and community activities, offering environmental education in twelve communities and reaching over 500 students through workshops, clean-ups, and field trips. It partnered with the sea turtle protection and conservation center, the unam chamela-cuixmala research station, and other local nonprofits and local leaders to engage children and families in biodiversity conservation. A new illustrated tree guide to 40 native species was printed and distributed to over 800 recipients. The program also advanced the bird book project, completing illustrations for all 272 native bird species.

Music school: the music school offers free singing and music lessons that nurture creativity, teamwork, and confidence among children. In 2024, the program continued to provide weekly classes to 50 children across seven communities, guided by a music teacher. The choirs performed in community concerts and cultural events, strengthening community bonds and fostering joy through collective music-making.

Sea turtle protection center: the sea turtle protection and conservation center protects four endangered turtle species along 3.7 miles of federally protected beach. The foundation coordinates volunteer training, hatchling releases, and school visits that connect the community with local biodiversity. In the 2024 season, 1,426 nests were protected and 112,512 hatchlings were released in collaboration with the federal environmental agency semarnat.

Community development: formerly the wellness program and vocational training center, this program evolved in 2024 into a broader initiative focused on strengthening local leadership and providing educational and social tools for community growth. It implemented the first certification course for local tourism guides in costalegre, in collaboration with the jalisco department of tourism and universidad de la vera cruz, graduating 23 participants. The program also offered english classes for teens and adults. Six adults completed elementary school equivalency exams, and 308 hours of english classes were provided to promote education and empowerment.

Disaster preparedness and response program: this program builds community capacity to prevent and respond to natural disasters along the coast of jalisco. Although there were no hurricanes in 2024, the program focused on education and preparedness, conducting workshops on first aid and emergency procedures in all communities. Ten temporary shelters were maintained and equipped with hurricane shutters and electric generators, and new local leaders were trained to manage their community shelters and coordinate response efforts during emergencies. Throughout the year, it conducted presentations on hurricane preparedness and first aid courses with civil defense, linking environmental awareness to community safety.

Robotics club: the robotics club encourages stem learning and creative problem-solving among youth. In 2024, the foundation continued its club in emiliano zapata and expanded to the miguel hidalgo preparatoria nuevo, launching a pilot robotics program and donating a 3d printer and robotics kits. The program engaged 40 students in weekly workshops, promoting teamwork, innovation, and access to technology education.