This post was written by Ann Lutterman-Aguilar, site director at Augsburg CGEE in Mexico (Cuernavaca). Please note that Cuernavaca and Mexico City were NOT impacted by Popocatépetl’s recent eruption – all CGEE students & participants are well and accounted for.

Greetings from Cuernavaca, where all is well.

By now, you may have heard news of volcanic eruptions in Mexico. I want to assure everyone that the recent eruptions have NOT affected Cuernavaca or Mexico City, The volcano that has alerted news services is Popocatépetl (known locally as “Popo,”), a beautiful mountain approximately 40 miles east of Cuernavaca, 43 miles southeast of Mexico City, and 30 miles west of Puebla.

With a threat level of 3 (7 being the highest), there are no evacuations taking place in the areas typically impacted by this volcano. As a result of ash clouds, the Puebla International Airport did close briefly from 7 am until 1 pm, when it was fortunately safe to reopen.

It is important to know that the primary concerns regarding potential damage from these eruptions is gritty ash that can harm people’s lungs if not protected.  Since The Center is on the other side of the volcano, we are not in serious danger of ash raining down on Cuernavaca.  Nonetheless, we do have face masks ready to use should that ever become necessary.

I have lived here for over 20 years, and have frequently climbed in the area of the volcano and talked with members of the National Rescue Team who are involved in evacuations, I feel very confident that our program participants are safe.  Of course, we will continue to monitor the situation and take any necessary steps to continue to ensure their health and safety.  In addition, as an added measure of precaution we have added an extra safety session to our ongoing orientation procedures.

If you have any questions or concerns about this situation, please contact me (Ann) at lutterma@augsburg.edu, or Leah Spinosa de Vega in our Minneapolis location at + 1 (612) 330 – 1650

Photos and text are from CGEE’s IRA (International Resident Assistant) in Mexico, Laura Aguas. 

This is a picture from the UNAM week, the week Social Work students visit the National School of Social Work (ENTS) of the UNAM. Students in this picture, are with social work from the UNAM, at their field placements. The UNAM students are doing their practicum/internship with a community in a rural-urban part of Mexico City. The students conduct research on the community’s resilience to keep their properties, and to look into how the community could be empowered.

House members and students at the migrant shelter in Mexico City, Tochan. The migrants and students exchanged experiences of what they consider to be their home. Students were honored to hear their stories and share a meal prepared by a couple of house members. The members surely want our students to go back and visit!

“La Bestia” train – a project by one of the migrants at the Tochan shelter. He and other house members are creating art pieces for a raffle, to support their house.

CGEE students visit a UNAM field placement, Casa Cuna, a shelter for youth. The UNAM students prepared a wonderful presentation for the CGEE group, explaining their investigation for the preparation of a suitable intervention for youth in crisis. CGEE students were fascinated by the work of UNAM social work students and the attention given to babies and children at the shelter.

This is a guest blog post & photos from Crystal Winkelman, a St. Cloud State University student currently participating on CGEE’s program, “Social Work in a Latin American Context.” 

So much has happened in the last month in Mexico! After a long week of midterms, I was able to enjoy my spring break! I traveled to Ixtapa, Mexico for Semana Santa and got to go horseback riding, swimming with the dolphins, snorkeling, swimming in the ocean along with many other activities. After Semana Santa, Augsburg CGEE went to “UNAM” (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) and spent the week in Mexico City.

This post was written by CGEE staff member Lucy Hardaker, who works at the Minneapolis office at Augsburg College.

When I traveled to Cuernavaca, Mexico this April, I got a glimpse of the life of a CGEE student in Mexico. I landed at the Mexico City airport, where the CGEE driver, Ismael, came to pick me up. He was incredibly friendly, and chatted with me during our 2 hour drive to Cuernavaca, and taught me about Mexico. As a Cuernavaca native, he is very knowledgeable about the region and culture!

For the next two (intensive) days, I observed and participated in the student semester experience. I visited an elementary school where our students intern teaching English, visited a host family, got a tour of the town, participated in class activities, saw guest speakers, and met the students from UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) who spend two weeks with the social work students.

Cuernavaca is a very balanced and accessible city in which to study.  It’s not an overly large or sprawling city, but it is also not too small – it has many great shops, cafes, events, and theaters to keep students busy. It’s not “touristy”, so you can get the full Mexico cultural experience. And perhaps one other wonderful perk – it’s BEAUTIFUL!

Aside from the city being marvelous for a study abroad experience, the staff on site are also wonderful people. Each one brings their own expert knowledge and insight about Mexican culture, the town of Cuernavaca, and their respective academic disciplines. They are all kind-hearted and fun-loving, and I had an absolute blast getting to meet them in person!

Who wouldn’t want this great experience in a cool town with fun people?! Thanks to the entire Cuernavaca team for making my visit memorable.