KidSmart Cabo is a project sponsored by the Cabo San Lucas Optimist Club. The goal of Optimist International is to help children all over the world. (www.optimist.org)  The purpose of Project KidSmart Cabo is to see that high-achieving students from very low-income families have the opportunity to get at least a high school diploma. In poor families in Mexico, older children often have to drop out of school to take care of younger children while the parent(s) work, or have to go to work themselves to help maintain the family. This program was designed to intercept high-risk youth, and help them lift themselves above the poverty level.

The first kids were recommended to us by DIF, a Federal Program for the Development of the Integral Family, or "family services" here in Los Cabos in 2002.  Now we have two wonderful volunteer social workers, Maria Esther Yañez and Patricia Flores, that identify prospects for our project, do home visits and socio-economic studies of the families to help us reach the neediest kids.

In Mexico, even though education through junior high by law is “free”, public school students are required to wear uniforms paid for by their families and  also pay a quarterly “cooperation” for materials such as toilet paper, soap, and school improvements. Oftentimes teachers publicly post lists of students who have not paid and/or ask them for the money in front of their classmates.  Sensitive children whose families cannot pay sometimes quit going to school because of the humiliation.  It should not happen but it does. Once at the high school level, all students have to pay tuition. The basic needs are uniforms, shoes, tennis shoes, backpack, and school supplies.

Project KidSmart Cabo has 36 honor students in the group. A new Optimist Club in San Jose del Cabo is building their own KidSmart group.  We are helping that club find sponsors too.  The CSL Optimist Club has kids from 4th grade through grade 12 and beyond.  We maintain the group at 36 and provide various programs for them.  We also help the kids who want to continue to study at the university level.  A sponsor is not obligated to continue on with sponsoring the youth at the university level, although many have expressed that desire.  We will find new sponsors if necessary when the youth reaches university level. We now have one student studying accounting at the Univer University here in Cabo, and another on the way.  As more kids reach university level, we will be able to increase our grade school to high school basic project. 

The Cabo San Lucas Optimist Club, also receives general donations, which are used for other independent projects, such as soccer uniforms for a junior high team, computers for a junior high computer course that had none, Christmas presents for the DIF projects, emergency food supplies to families in crisis, and the club also helps other charities to raise money for their own projects. 

The goal of this group is to provide ongoing financial help to these young people. A student receives a stipend of 250 pesos per month to cover school supplies, lunch money, bus fare, and other basic necessities. The annual donation to sponsor a youth is $450.00 U.S. which includes uniforms and shoes before the start of school each year (we start buying uniforms in July for beginning of school in August). Each student is required to keep an accounting book of how they spend their stipend.  They understand that it can only be used for school supplies or lunch money, transportation, or additional clothing for shoes. 

Each month the kids must show their expenditures and if they don’t bring their accounting book, they cannot collect their stipend (they can catch up at the next monthly meeting). They also must maintain an average of 9.0 for grade school level and 8.5 for junior high and above.  They are responsible to bring their report cards every period (2 months) to prove their eligibility.  If they drop below the requirement, they are put on probation, still get their stipend, but must bring their grade level up by the next report card period.  If they don’t, they lose their place in KidSmart and another needy youth replaces them.  Unfortunately we have lost a few students this way but we are teaching them to be competitive in the real world against adverse conditions, preparing them for the reality they will soon face when they enter the work force. 

Miscellaneous donations "fill gaps" with the kids. Sponsors are encouraged, but not required, to interact with their child and their families as they choose. Donations over $100.00 through the Optimist International Foundation are deductible for American citizens.  Smaller donations (also tax deductible) can be made through our Cabo San Lucas Optimist Club account in San Jose, California.  See HOW TO HELP.

Project KidSmart Cabo has grown from a scholarship program to an educational and cultural program as well. We believe that youngsters need to learn that for performance, they are rewarded.  Once a month the sponsors and mentors who are available meet with the kids for an outing. To most of the kids, this is the only time they get out of their neighborhoods. Some of the outings they have enjoyed are: Whale watching tours with marine biologists explaining the migration of the gray whale; a trip to the set of the Brad Pitt movie filmed in Cabo in 2003, "Troy" to see how movie sets are built; a tour of Cactus World in San Jose del Cabo; bowling at the new mall in Cabo San Lucas; a snorkeling cruise to Santa Maria Bay; Christmas parties with a Spanish-speaking Santa; miniature golf at the Rusty Putter in San Jose del Cabo; an outing to see a local production of the musical CATS!; turtle protection classes culminating in each child releasing a baby turtle into the sea; a trip to the desert to see fossils thousands of years old, and much more.  Everardo Garcia, owner if IVI Los Cabos Destination Management Company – www.ivi-mexico.com is our major provider of transportation for the kids.  All events are sponsored by owners of businesses, outside donations and some of the kids' sponsors. Educational funds are kept separately from recreational funds.

We have received several large donations to enroll our kids in private English and computer classes.  We will need more donations to keep this program going.  We need used computers for the kids who have electricity to practice on at home.  Old ones break down and we always need replacements. 

The local chamber of commerce lets us use their conference room free for our meetings and classes.

Your donation or help mentoring the kids is GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Thank you for your generosity and kindness!