Get ready to celebrate with us as The Palapa Society, the driving force behind exceptional educational programs in Todos Santos, is about to hit a monumental milestone. It will be The Palapa Society’s 20th anniversary this July!

It's a testament to the unwavering trust and support we've garnered from our beloved community and beyond. To our generous donors, enthusiastic volunteers, dedicated staff members, and visionary board members, we wish to express our deepest gratitude. Your support has been the bedrock of our success of providing education, year after year.

Watch for events that celebrate this milestone and continue exceptional opportunities in the community. If you would like to get involved with The Palapa Society please contact us.

By Arias S., Student



Teachers are the individuals who keep a school running, so shouldn't we celebrate that? Teacher's Day was celebrated in Todos Santos, and our event shone brightly. My school set out to have a great day where teachers would feel appreciated, while also having fun with the students. My class decided to organize a rally with fun activities for the teachers and their groups.

The entire student body worked hard to make an event like this happen, and we managed to organize some enjoyable festivities. Each teacher received a customized award to show how much we appreciate them individually. We created activities challenging their intellect and showcasing their knowledge of the subjects they taught.

Days like these are so important and desired in a school because they help teachers understand how much they are needed. This event helped students work together to create a space where they can feel proud and comfortable with what they are doing. I am grateful we had the opportunity to experience something as great as this and hope through this article, you can see how much we support our teachers.

Support Businesses That

Support The Palapa Society

As you know, The Palapa Society is an official Mexican non-profit organization, known as an Association Civil. Our ability to provide educational programs relies primarily on the generosity of our community through volunteerism, monetary donations, and in-kind donations. For this reason, we ask our readers to support the businesses and organizations that support our efforts, which will be showcased in upcoming newsletters.

Water Ways Baja provides our community with exceptional water through innovative filtration technology and extraordinary service. Founder and CEO Barbara Manfrediz has been a big champion of The Palapa since her business opened over 10 years ago, starting with the donation of a campus-wide water filtration system when The Palapa Learning Center was constructed. This donation includes a lifetime annual service plan to ensure clean water is delivered from every faucet. 

During the pandemic, Water Ways Baja helped us maintain our SEP certification when the government issued new chlorine-level regulations. Not only did they source and install several thousand dollars´ worth of special equipment, they provided free labor and expertise, and trained our team how to verify and report on chlorine levels to the Department of Health.

Now, Water Ways Baja is helping us to reduce waste in the community, and uphold our Agent status with our partnership with Cero Basura/Zero Waste Alliance, by installing water bottle refill stations across the campus.

As you can see, Water Ways Baja has been a valued partner for over a decade. If you are considering installing a water filtration system for your home, you know who to call. 

Monthly Spoken Word Series

Our last one until November 2023

June 16, 2023

12:00 - 1:00 PM

Free

Palapa Learning Center

Children's Literary and Art Workshops

Our last one until November 2023

June 17, 2023

12:00 - 1:00 PM

Free

Palapa Learning Center

by Jacki Gillespie, Director 

With our last day of classes rapidly approaching, we are now gearing up for our summer workshops. Our program will run for 6 weeks and continue to focus on Environmental Awareness and Water Safety. We look forward to partnering with local organizations and businesses to help educate our local children on topics such as marine biology, local flora and fauna, recycling, and animal care including the importance of pet adoption and sterilization, equine rescue and therapy, and more.

We are looking for volunteers who would like to help this summer and for the upcoming school year in October. This is a great and rewarding way to get involved and give back to your community.

Contact Director Jacki Gillespie by clicking here.

By Kate Lewis, Director

We will be finishing this term in mid-July with the next quarter due to begin in September. As we wind down for a short break, I would again like to give a huge thank you to our volunteer teachers who are so generous with their time. Our morning classes have grown considerably in popularity, and it is very heartening to accommodate the demand.

If you are interested in how our classes run and/or perhaps becoming a volunteer, please feel free to join us for a class!

Classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-11:30 a.m. and 6-7:30 p.m.

Contact Director Kate Lewis by clicking here.

Special Thank You

Tori Sepulveda and Oscar Rosales never stop inspiring their friends and family to support The Palapa Society.

Last month, Alietha and John McKay delivered bags full of school and art supplies all the way from the Northwest Territories of ice and snow.

Thank you to Lana of South Africa who donated her almost-new printer and power strip since she’s moving to a new location without electricity.

Every single item on campus has been donated, and that includes furniture. Thank you to Mary Carlson and Tom Stoltman who donated a gorgeous desk, which will be used by Palapa staff members.

A special thank you to David Lacey who donated Pickle Ball equipment to the Palapa School and to Marcelo, Dean and Joyce who came out and provided lessons for our teachers! This will be a well-loved addition to our sports and athletics.

Thank you to Kenny Viese Photography who has become the official photographer of The Palapa Society. Kenny started assisting us during the pandemic and continues to provide his services. Most photos on our website and publications have been taken by him. If you are looking for a world-class photographer, consider him first.

Thank you to Mary Carlson for her donation of a gorgeous fresh water pearl necklace designed by Diane Yamaguchi of Hawaii.

Watch for this beauty to be offered during an event next season!

Anonymous

Eleanor Andrews

Suzanne & Rick Arnold

Gail & Scott Bosch

Sally & David Brower

Marjolein Brugman

Paul & Pam Bumann

Vickie Butler

Ryan Casey

Dennis Chapman

Karen & Judd Cuenin

Julie & Michael Dandurand

Elizabeth Farner

Ken Ford

Kristen & Rick Friedman

Jane Gehring

Virginia Gollery

Charley & Karen Haley

Jane Hall

Margot & Dick Hampleman

Marc Hankin

Charles & Ruth Herren

Cindy & David Higgins

Marimar Higgins

Anthony & Lee Irons

Rhoda Jacobs

Coach & Marilyn Jacques

Bonnie & AJ Johnston

Janna Kinkade

Brian & Lynn Kuske

Marshall Laird

Teresa Laird

Jay Masaschi

Connie & Andy Mical

Jill Mollenhauer & Robert Bland

Chris Miller & Diana Pandell

Sharon Morris

Dennis & Nancy Naigle

Cathy & William Nation

Sophia & Stephen Nicholas

Patricia O'Connell

Maria Olaisen & Mike Block

Deborah Parrish

Kristin Rust

Erin Sands

Sydney & Greg Schweitzer

Tori Sepulveda & Oscar Rosales

Nancy Simpson

Angelica Velez Mendez

Stephen Carver & Stephanie Vetter

Kathy Warnert

Lisa Welsch

Robert Bruce Westbrook