How a trip to Mexico taught San Gabriel students about cultural awareness

By Staff

teachers and staff, broaden students’ perspectives and help to foster the important values of civic engagement and cultural appreciation.

Given that the trip was free and space limited, the Mexico trip participants went through a competitive application process that required them to submit an essay describing their interest in the program. Students with the most compelling essays were awarded a subsequent interview before final selection and notification.

office” and choosing their cabinet, to better understand the value of crosscultural leadership and how Mexico and the U.S. work together as bordering nations.

ship development, crosscultural economic trade and business, and community building, was made possible through partnerships with Pathways Travels and Centro Fox, a non-profit started by former Mexican President, Vincente Fox.

The OFY Experiential Learning Program series provides its students with the opportunity to go on all-inclusive, multi-day trips to domestic and international locations, such as Washington DC, Cuba, Italy and China – with its destinations varying year to year, at no cost to students and their families. These trips, chaperoned by OFY

The selected group and their chaperones departed on Feb. 21. After checking into their hotel accommodations in León, Guanajuato, participants received a welcome tour from Centro Fox, a non-profit organization that aims to train “compassionate leaders through social values to create a better world.”

As a part of the Centro Fox President-For-A-Day program, students visited a replica of the presidential office and took part in reflective activities, like being “sworn into

Juvenile halls

juvenile detainees, with a goal of reducing the number of juveniles in custody and development of Secure Youth Treatment Facilities to provide a more supportive environment for detained youth.

But while those plans have been slowly advancing, the juvenile detention system and the Probation Department that oversees it have been routinely under fire from state regulators over conditions at the facilities.

In March of last year, about 140 juvenile detainees were hastily transferred from Central Juvenile Hall in Lincoln Heights to Barry J. Nidorf hall in Sylmar -- a move that the county inspector general later concluded was orchestrated to avert a state inspection that appeared likely to fail.

Late last year, nearly 300 boys and girls filed a lawsuit alleging they were sexually assaulted, harassed and abused by county probation and detention officers while being held at juvenile facilities dating back to the 1970s.

In March, the Board of Supervisors fired Probation Department Chief Adofo Gonzales, with board Chair Janice Hahn noting that the juvenile halls "are in crisis."

The Los Angeles Times reported last month that state regulators were threatening to shut down Nidorf and Central halls.

In the past, the state board has determined the county's

The following day, participants engaged in a community service project in which they were transported to a local primary school in León where they painted children’s games and planted flowers to create a more colorful, energizing playground area for young students. During the remainder of the trip, students went on guided tours of the Mummy Museum in Guanajuato, and the stunning Xochimilco canals and pyramids in Mexico City.

In addition to receiving high school credit for their trip, college-bound participants are also able to earn one elective credit at UC San Diego through Pathways Travels’ partnership with the university.

David Regalado, 15, initially felt nervous about traveling outside the United States but returned back feeling grateful for such a special experience, saying, “I was glad I went on this trip because I learned a lot, and I saw a lot of cool stuff over there. I was also glad I got to experience being in another country and meet some nice people that lived in the community that we stayed at.”

Timothy Reyes, a PostSecondary Counselor at OFY, who served as a chaperone on the trip, expressed his enthusiasm for the unique learning and growth opportunities that the experiential learning program provides to his students, saying, "I love that Options For Youth offers Pathways trips to our students. Our trip included students who were first-time flyers with this being their first time out of the country and away from home. Students are given a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity to explore different parts of the world and experience different cultures at no cost. It brought me joy seeing our students trying the delicious local cuisine and learning more about the culture in Mexico.” juvenile halls were "unsuitable," but gave the county Probation Department more time to submit a "corrective action plan" to comply with state regulations.

The motion filed by the state Attorney General's Office on Wednesday asks a judge to mandate that the county:

-- transport youth from their units in the juvenile halls to school daily;

-- deliver compensatory education services to youth who are entitled to them;

-- ensure youth have access to daily outdoor recreation;

-- document and review all use-of-force incidents, following procedures outlined in the original judgment;

-- install video cameras throughout Barry J. Nidorf juvenile hall; and

-- implement a "positive behavior management plan." According to a statement from the AG's Office, the county -- plagued by a staffing crisis at the juvenile halls -- "has not just failed to make forward progress towards compliance with the judgment, it has actually regressed away from complying with the most basic and fundamental provisions that ensure youth and staff safety and well-being."

The AG's Office alleged that due to low staffing levels, youth in the county detention halls have been "forced to urinate and defecate in their cells overnight," and some staffers have been required to work 24-hour shifts.