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EVENTS
2025 Posada
If you’ve ever spent time in Nayarit, you know it’s a place that hums with a specific kind of magic. Most tourists see the sunset at the beach, but if you go a few miles from the main drag, you’ll find the real heart of the community: La Casa Clu.
A Typical Day (If "Typical" Exists)
My mornings usually started with prep work—organizing art supplies or sweeping the patio—but the energy shifted the moment the school bell rang.
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The Homework Hustle: We’d start with academic support. Watching a child finally grasp a multiplication table or finish a difficult reading assignment is a small but massive victory.
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The Creative Explosion: This was my favorite part. Whether it was painting, music, or gardening in their small urban plot, the kids at CLU are encouraged to express themselves without judgment.
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Community Meals: There is something incredibly grounding about sitting down to eat with thirty energetic kids. It’s loud, it’s chaotic, and it feels like family.
Why It Sticks With Me
I’ll be honest: volunteering isn’t always “rainbows and butterflies.” Some days were exhausting. Trying to explain the difference between “there,” “their,” and “they’re” while a soccer game is breaking out three feet away requires the patience of a saint.
But then, you see the impact. You see a shy child finally stand up to lead a game, or you notice how the older kids instinctively look out for the little ones. Casa CLU isn’t just an after-school program; it’s a social fabric. It’s where these kids learn that their voices matter.
Advice for Future Volunteers
If you’re thinking about heading to Nayarit to help out, here’s my unsolicited advice:
Check your ego at the door: You aren’t there to “save” anyone. You’re there to support a local ecosystem that is already doing amazing work.
Learn some Spanish: Even a little goes a long way in building trust with the kids and the staff.
Be consistent: The kids value presence more than fancy gifts or elaborate lesson plans. Just showing up and being “there” is the greatest thing you can offer.
Leaving San Ignacio was hard, but I left knowing that Casa Clu would keep on shining, one art project and soccer goal at a time.
Posada 2025
spent three months volunteering there last year, and honestly? I think I…
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