Last spring, 28 SDSU students spent nine days in the United States’ southern neighbor and spent three days in Mexico City and six in Mineral del Pozos, a small rural city in the central state of Guanajuato which is considered a Pueblo Mágico de México (magical town). A magical town designation is given by Mexico to those towns with great cultural, culinary and artistic wealth.
While in Mexico City, the students visited the different communities in the area, including the Ajusco, a volcano just south of the city. At Ajusco, the students participated in a service learning project working with family members in the community. They also got to learn about the Isla Urbana Rain Catchment Water System Project, a rainwater harvesting system that collects and cleans rainwater for households, schools and health clinics in that community and throughout Mexico City.
“The project introduced the students to the importance of water and food security in this rural community,” said Dr. Jacki Booth, a faculty in the College of Education Department of Child and Family Development and Study Abroad Coordinator. “I think we all left with a greater appreciation of the resources we have at home.”
They also got to experience the rich culture and history of Mexico and visited the Diego Rivera murals in the Palacio Nacional (the Mexican Palace) and the Casa Azul museum, the home of Rivera and his wife Frida Kahlo. The students also visited Pirámided de Teotihuacán, an ancient pyramid city located about 25 miles northeast of Mexico City and home to the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon.
“The history was amazing and the experience gave us a new perspective on the meaning of sustainability,” Booth said.
In Mineral de Pozos, the students visited the ancient ruins of the silver mines of the area. They also visited Mexican schools and participated in panel discussions with the teachers and students.
Learn more about the study abroad program in Central Mexico.