School in the Mountains

Realizing that education is so important for the future generations of the Tarahumara, Father Verplancken built two boarding schools. The first school was built in the late 1960's in a village not too distant from Creel, the Mission's headquarters. The second school, also a boarding one, was built in 1974 in a remote mountainous area. The children, age 5 to 14, attend school from Monday and return to their homes on Friday.

Tarahumara Classroom

The logistics of such an undertaking were enormous. Food, school supplies, bedding, linens and water all so necessary in operating a school had to be "on hand" since travel and distance were so far and difficult. There is no electricity and water was to be provided by digging a well by hand at one location and by tapping a stream coming out of the mountain a mile away and piping it to the school.

           
Students preparing tortillas  for lunch

Volunteer teachers helping prepare lunch

Volunteer teachers were obtained to instruct in grades one through five. The children are instructed in Spanish (they spoke only their native language), hygiene, basic arithmetic, husbandry, religion and crafi making. Craft making of dolls and animals would prove to be very fruitful in the 1980's and 90's with the growing of tourism in the area to view the Copper Canyons.

Lunch Time

Today many former students at the school are assistant teachers. Two certified volunteer teachers that come from other parts of Mexico and remain for the school year guide them each day.

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