U.S. Consul General Amy Scanlon was the guest of honor for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the February 26 inauguration of Chapala’s children’s recreational learning center, El Tren de Valores.
The facility is located at the Unidad Deportiva sports and recreation unit located in the Plaza de Toros neighborhood. It comprises three kid-friendly classrooms inside the main building connected by train tracks painted on the floor, plus an outdoor playground area equipped for small children.
Scanlon fit in perfectly as the guest dignitary considering the consulate’s interest in promoting educational endeavors, coupled with her professional background. Before joining the U.S. State Department’s diplomatic corps in 2004, she earned a Master’s degree in clinical social work from Boston College, acquired know-how as a volunteer in youth development with the Peace Corps, and gained work experience as assistant director of the Juvenile Justice Program in Salem, Massachusetts.
The Tren de Valores project was developed by Jalisco’s Family Development Agency (DIF) to provide communities with the tools for forming values and learning skills in spaces specially designed for children. Initially operated through mobile units scheduled for itinerant visits to different locations, DIF now funds the creation of permanent headquarters in dozens of municipalities.
In the case of Chapala, the agency invested one million pesos to equip and decorate the Tren de Valores headquarters. The Chapala government chipped in an additional 110,000 pesos to get the center up and running.
The program offers classes and workshops in reading, music, dance, art, yoga and martial arts for toddlers and children up to age 12, in addition to social work counseling services.
One of the classrooms is filled with child-size furnishings and educational toys to engage young minds. Another is devoted to musical training, with a small drum set and wind instruments purchased for the formation of a youth orchestra.