www.borderlinks.org

Our Philosophy

At BorderLinks, we distinguish between the banking model of education and education for positive social transformation.  The banking model is a linear learning model that begins with teachers/experts who hold all the knowledge and serve as role models for students.  Success in such a learning system means conforming to the model of the expert, which supports the status quo. Conversely, education for positive social transformation is an integrated learning model that embraces and works with the tension between theory and practice, reflection and action, and teacher/learner knowledge and new information.

In all our work, whether it is with U.S. delegation participants or residents of border colonias, our educational pedagogy is grounded in the following commitments:

• Makes learning exciting and fun,
• Facilitates a space in which all are treated with dignity and respect, and in which violence of any kind is not tolerated,
• Names, challenges, and transforms social, economic, and environmental practices that support domination and injustice,
• Anticipates, addresses, and transforms conflict,
• Embodies just and caring relationships between learners and leaders, and between group members and contact organizations and individuals,
• Includes reflection and action,
• Puts local issues into a global context,
• Encourages collective action for change,
• Is a part of a life-long process of transformation, not a single event.

As a bi-national organization, BorderLinks offers educational programs out of both our Tucson and Mexico offices. Our programs consist of border immersion opportunities for groups and individuals, community-based programs for children and adults of    Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, and programs focusing on food security and sustainability. Specifically, these programs include:

Tucson, Arizona (U.S.)

Delegations Program: Short immersion trips along both sides of the border ranging in length from 1 day to 2 weeks. These programs are designed for self-organized groups, such as students of a particular school/university or members of a church.

BorderLinks II/Special Delegations:  Delegations specially designed to offer unique opportunities for both returning participants who have previously engaged in a BorderLinks program and for first time participants looking for an alternative to the BorderLinks delegation experience. Individuals or small groups are encouraged to join these programs.

Academic Programs: The BorderLinks Education Department can work with individual colleges and universities to sponsor accredited academic programs based in Tucson and Nogales, Sonora.  Please contact the Education Department if you are a faculty member, university administrator, or student interested in an academic experience with BorderLinks.

Sustainable Food Program:  An integral subset of the Delegations Program, this program provides program participants with delicious healthy, local, organic, vegetarian meals, while also integrating educational activities around food security and the link between consumer choices and immigration.
 
Community Education Department:  Our Community Education Workshops aim to provide educational dynamics and activities to groups who are either not able to participate in a delegation or would like a shorter educational experience for their class, church, or civic group.  Offered on a sliding scale basis, Educational Workshops provide interactive learning experiences around issues such as immigration, fair trade, economics, privilege, and intercultural understanding.  Please contact the Education Department for more details.

Nogales, Sonora (Mexico)

With the exception of our Delegations Program, which is a bi-national effort, our education programs based in Nogales, Mexico are geared toward local community members, adults and children alike. These programs include the following:

Children’s Food Security Program:  A program which offers nutritious, healthy, and hygienic meals to the neediest children in the colonias near BorderLinks’ Mexico community center, the Casa de la Misericordia. Through workshops and trainings, this program aims to raise awareness about healthy and nutritious eating and offers hands-on education on the development of organic, sustainable gardening.

Adult and Children’s education programs:  These include adult elementary and secondary school certification, a Mexican government-sponsored job training program, English courses, week-long educational kids camps, a children’s daycare (currently suspended), and various community workshops.

Women’s Co-op: Made up of local volunteers and BorderLinks Mexico staff members, this coop creates No More Deaths pendants and earrings in tribute to the women, men and children migrants who have tragically died in the Arizona-Sonora desert while trekking north in search of a better life.

 
Learn about these programs in further detail and find out how you can get involved with BorderLinks!