Bilingual SF Bay Area Field Trips Happening Now!

AVENTURAS is an in-house Conexiones Institute production – it is a unique bilingual (Spanish-English) outdoor education program for children, meant to give Bay Area families an enriching alternative or complement to traditional childcare/homeschooling. It is a great summer program too!

On AVENTURAS, we take children (ages 3-10) out of the classroom or house to connect with nature, culture and self through fun eco-cultural field trips to natural and cultural spaces such as forests, museums, parks, organic farms, and protected areas.  Our experiential approach and small group size allows young explorers to have safe real-life experiences that expose them to the natural world, cultural diversity, the arts, community, sustainability, the sciences, agriculture and more!  ALL WHILE LEARNING SPANISH TOO!    

We just re-opened this program to new enrollments after our move from SF, so we currently have spots available every day!

Enrolling now for Spring and Summer Sessions!  Click here for more infomation 

Childcare License No. 7340762

Conexiones Partner, Noble Profit, Announces New Website and Distribution Deal with CSRWire

Noble Profit, the premier source of clean tech and sustainability content, announced on Feb. 5, 2013, a new website, and that its content will now be available as a channel on CSRwire and available for any publisher to use at no charge! Noble Profit´s content includes articles and video interviews on the latest news, views and trends with thought leaders who are setting standards in the emerging fields of clean technology and sustainable business.  ¨Noble Profit is about bridging the concept of making money and doing good.¨ says Founder, Amy Seidman.  Noble Profit is a production of Creative Entity, one of Conexiones´s Founding Members. The Noble Profit Launch Party will be at The Book Club in San Francisco on February 26 from 7pm-10pm (543 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105) Related Links: Noble Profit Launches Syndicated Video Content & Website Dedicated To Sustainability And Clean Tech; Announces Distribution Deal With CSRwire Noble Profit CSRWire Channel Noble Profit Website Creative Entity    

Second Pilot Session of Spanish Through Eco-Art Program Underway at Precita Eyes Mural Arts Studio in San Francisco

Second Pilot Session of Spanish Through Eco-Art Program Underway at Precita Eyes Muralists

After a successful first pilot session last Spring, a second session of the Spanish Through Eco-Art program, produced by Conexiones Institute, has been launched through Precita Eyes. The vision of Conexiones is to garner enough community interest and participant feedback to launch a year-round Spanish Through Eco-Art Program in San Francisco and the East Bay. Our pedagogical goal is to create an experience that fosters in our children a love for themselves, life, the earth, learning, cultural diversity and the arts.  Learning a second language and creative expression are real-life skills that help support this goal.   This pioneering program, which brings together art, culture, a second language, and ecology is especially created for children and families living in rapidly globalizing and multi-cultural communities, such as the Mission District of San Francisco. The program in San Francisco is facilitated by well-known artist and educator, Marta Ayala, a native Spanish-speaker trained in the Conexiones Approach and curriculum by Kimberly Newton (aka¨Tía Kimba¨).   Precita Eyes Muralists, a community arts organization celebrating its 35th Anniversary this year, is also a key partner in making this program a reality for dozens of San Francisco families.

Conexiones´ Spanish Through Eco-Art Program at Precita Eyes Muralists

ImageWe are pleased to announce the launch of a SPANISH THROUGH ECO-ART PROGRAM we developed for 2-7 year olds, and which will be offered by our partner, Precita Eyes Muralists! 
They are enrolling NOW through April 11th for a 5-week pilot session that will START APRIL 23rd.  Limited seats available so hurry and sign up! VITALS: Dates: Meets weekly on Mondays from April 23 - May 21, 2012* Time: 10:45-11:30am Place:
Meets at Precita Eyes Mural Arts Studio located 348 Precita Ave. in San Francisco but most activities will take place in the park across the street. DESCRIPTION: A 45 min. weekly Spanish and artistic immersion experience being offered by Precita Eyes using the Conexiones approach and curriculum.  Each week, students explore a letter of the week, eco-cultural themes and Spanish vocabulary through various art forms and activities.  This class is conducted 100% in Spanish and is appropriate for all levels of Spanish speakers. This special program will be facilitated by well-known artist and educator, Marta Ayala, a native Spanish-speaker trained in the Conexiones approach and curriculum by Kimberly Newton (aka¨Tía Kimba¨), founder of Instituto Conexiones.  This approach was developed specifically for sustainability-minded families living in culturally diverse communities like San Francisco who wish for their children to grow up learning skills and values that will help them advance peaceful and sustainable globalization for all. To learn more about this program and to enroll, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/SpanishThroughArt To learn more about Precita Eyes, please visit: http://www.precitaeyes.org * If there is enough community interest, a longer program will be offered in the Summer of 2012.

Celebrating Conexiones Institute’s 11-Year Anniversary in 2011!

From post war El Salvador, to the deserts of Arizona, to the jungles of Costa Rica, to the streets of San Francisco...from indigenous elders to CEO's, to filmmakers, to toddlers...its been a long path of experimentation to provide meaningful and educational ecological and cross-cultural experiences, programs, services, information, and productions meant to advance peaceful, prosperous, culturally vibrant and sustainable globalization for all. We have had steady growth amidst some surprises and set-backs thanks to the support of our students, members and friends and our determination to move forward! We're so glad we did! This Nov. 11, 2011 we will be unveiling our most exciting program yet!   In our new AVENTURAS Preschool Alternative, young children will learn Spanish through eco-cultural field trips, experiences and opportunities for creative expression! Stay tuned!

Carbon Nation Sparks a Solutions-Based Conversation About a Unifying Issue

Justly produced green/renewable energy is a common theme that unites us all and which requires extensive cross-cultural cooperation.   We all pretty much know the problems with oil and coal (whether or not humans are causing climate change), but most of us need more information about how to support a just transition to renewables. The film, Carbon Nation, by Peter Byrk, not only educates on this important issue, but it motivates and inspires cooperative action.  It is focused on positive case-studies already in place in the U.S.A. and the small solutions everyday people can be a part of.  Those outside of the U.S. can glean many ideas for their own countries from this showcase of solutions.  We like that it doesn´t go into politics, doesn´t point fingers and is based on real solutions that make sense not just for the environment, but for social justice and economic development too. Of course, there are always hidden social/ecological/economic nuances to consider in any ¨solution¨(i.e. using food crops for biofuel = food shortages and increased deforestation), but this film is a very good start and should be in the toolkit of any educator or advocate working in the fields of sustainability, renewable energy, and climate change. Watch the trailer and visit the Carbon Nation film website to learn more by clicking here Spread the word!

Baja All-Exclusive Film English Version Now Available Online!

After many months of hard work, an 11 minute English version of the documentary, Baja All-Exclusive, is now available via YouTube.com! This short film, produced by Producciones 7Filos and Directed by Carmina Valiente is eye-opening and a must-watch for those who love to travel, especially to Baja California, Mexico.  The reality this video portrays is very similar to what is happening throughout Latin America.  Watch it, share it, spread it! -- For more information on responsible ways of traveling to Latin America and beyond, visit the following links: Sustainable Travel International Center for Responsible Travel Responsible-Travel.org  Ethical Traveler Volunteer Travel

Journeys of Discovery for Tots Underway Daily in SF

This week, the children of the Conexiones Play School in San Francisco learned about "mountains" by climbing a few of the San Francisco hills. They reached the summit of the North peak of Twin Peaks last Wed. 2.2.11 and they reached the top of Bernal Hill on 2.3.11. The views were breathtaking and the children all want to climb even more mountains as soon as possible...

Finaliza con Éxito el Primer Festival de Cine Salvadoreño en San Francisco, California

Por: Manuel Arias El  teatro del  Centro Cultural   de la Misión para el Arte Latinoamericano (MCCLA) en San Francisco por sus siglas en ingles,  lucio  abarrotado el pasado  3, 4 y 5 de diciembre,  por cientos de personas  que atendieron el llamado  a presenciar  el Primer Festival de Cine Salvadoreño. Por primera vez, la  incipiente  cinematografía salvadoreña  ocupo  una de las salas más importantes de esta Ciudad, para presentar  16  audiovisuales  dirigidos por artistas visuales salvadoreños  y producidos en  su mayoría en  el territorio  Cuscatleco. Durante  dos años , el Colectivo Cultural Ana Gómez  conformado por un grupo de salvadoreños amantes de su cultura,  organizaron  este primer festival,   respaldado por  la Coordinación  de Cine y Audiovisuales de la Secretaria  de Cultura  del Gobierno  de El Salvador y por el Centro Cultural de la Mision. La muestra fue representativa  según dijeron sus organizadores,   puesto que estuvo compuesta por  una variedad de temas, desde locales hasta  universales, entre los  locales podemos mencionar  “La última ofensiva” de José Luis Sanz, “Entre los  Muertos” de Jorge Dalton, “Cuentos de Cipotes” del Museo  de la Palabra,  “Colima” de Audiovisuales de la UCA entre  otros. El esfuerzo fue sumamente grande, “ya que  durante dos años  trabajamos  voluntariamente en organizar la muestra, sacrificamos a nuestras  familias, nuestros  fines  de semana, vacaciones etc, sin embargo lo hicimos con todo nuestro corazón y amor por nuestro país y nuestra cultura” Aseguro  Dagoberto Argueta, miembro del Colectivo  en mención. José Luis Sanz, productor  de la película “La Última  Ofensiva” con la que se abrió la muestra cinematográfica  y quien vino  de  El Salvador  para formar parte del  evento, aseguro que la mayoría de los cineastas salvadoreños  se mostraron  muy entusiasmado en participar, al tiempo  que  expreso  sobre los grandes esfuerzos  que estos hacen  para producir  sus historias y sobre todo  en  lograr  que sus trabajos  participen en  festivales internacionales. Sanz de de origen español pero que reside en El Salvador desde hace 12 anos, participo  en  varios cines fórum, en donde intercambio  opiniones, ideas, información de producción de su película  e inquietudes respecto a su propuesta, en la que analiza la trayectoria de la izquierda salvadoreña  desde el conflicto armado hasta   conseguir llegar a la poder ejecutivo  en las   elecciones  del 2009. Este director  mantiene una postura bastante critica  sobre  el desempeño que  el Presidente de la Republica Mauricio Funes y  el partido Frente Farabundo Martí FMLN realizan  en lo que va de su gestión, especialmente en aquellos  problemas estructurales  que les heredo  el partido ARENA, quienes gobernaron  el país por más de 20 anos.  Los temores, las esperanzas y las expectativas de los salvadoreños y salvadoreñas   es lo que recoge  Sanz  en su película en donde además  plantea la eterna   polarización entre  la derecha y la izquierda, en la que  el pueblo salvadoreño  está inmerso. Por otro lado, las  películas   fueron seleccionadas  y adquiridas  por la Coordinación de Cine y Audiovisuales de la Secretaria de Cultura, dirigida  por el cineasta salvadoreño-cubano  Jorge Dalton. El proceso  tomo alrededor de un ano, incluyendo el envío de cada uno de ellas con sus respectivas fichas técnicas  y demás información visual.