Tejiendo Alianzas AC

18/04/2026

Empowering the Next Generation: 3 Years of TEAM Mexico 🏎️💨🧵

This March, we celebrated the third year of our TEAM Mexico program! While our collaboration with the Cockrell School of Engineering - UT Austin began in 2017—initially focused on solar-powered mesquite production with Xuchil—the program has evolved into a vibrant bridge between ancestral heritage and modern STEM education.

At Tejiendo Alianzas, we see these workshops as a critical entry point into the professional pipeline. By sparking interest in technical education early, we help local youth see engineering as a pathway to meaningful careers that support their families and preserve their cultural identity.

Immersion Highlights:

🏎️ STEM Outreach at Scale: Our teams facilitated hands-on workshops for 224 students (including 63 in Suchilquitongo and 161 in San Dionisio Ocotepec). Middle schoolers built and tested wind-powered cars, transforming "friendly competition" into real-world lessons in renewable energy.

👩‍🔬 Bi-National Collaboration: In collaboration with , our students participated in the "Mujeres Ingenieras en Acción" (MIA) program, featuring an inspiring presentation by professional engineer Michelle Serao ().

🧶 Heritage & Sustainable Craft: From natural dye making in Teotitlan del Valle to palm weaving with artisans from San Baltazar Guelavila, students saw how technical skill meets tradition. We also learned about sustainable employment and cultural preservation at the DAVA Artisan Design zapotec collective ().

🏛️ History, Design, & Wellness: Our journey took us from the ancient engineering of Monte Albán to the 250-year-old and project. Students also participated in traditional chocolate making and learned about ancestral medicine in San Dionisio Ocotepec for equilibrium and peace.

Special thanks to Municipal President Lic. Laura Isabel Roman Figueroa () for coordinating our community tours. We are proud to continue weaving this bridge between Austin and Oaxaca. 🧡🤘

17/04/2026

Bridging Cultures Through Renewable Energy: A Milestone for Santiago Suchilquitongo ⚡️🤝

This March marked another successful chapter in our 7-year partnership (established in 2017) with the Cockrell School of Engineering - UT Austin. Alongside our development partner , we are demonstrating how sustainable infrastructure can catalyze immediate community agency.

At Tejiendo Alianzas, our mission is to build a robust educational pipeline. When we improve school resources, we create a pathway for young people to thrive in Oaxaca, reducing the pressure to migrate and preparing them for sustainable employment within their own community.

Deployment Highlights:

💧 The Well Breakthrough: For years, a well existed on school property but lacked the resources for testing. This month, our engineering cohort and Ing. Ezequiel () performed a successful drawdown test. Pumping water directly into the cistern for the first time was a major leap toward the school's resource autonomy, moving away from costly water trucking.

⚡ Scaling Impact: With the solar microgrid now at full capacity, the school can support 10+ high-draw devices simultaneously. This has already inspired the parent committee to purchase equipment for vocational workshops, while teachers launch new digital literacy classes.

🤝 Bi-National Innovation: At the campus, UT students collaborated with local students to tackle complex challenges in natural disaster preparation and waste processing.

🌱 Policy & Practice: Our cohort attended an insightful seminar with Prof. Augusto Mosqueda (UAO) to explore the future of renewable energy policy in Mexico. This included a visit to the project, where we learned about his zero-waste solar distillation process—a perfect example of localized innovation.

🏛️ Local Leadership: We extend our deepest gratitude to Municipal President Lic. Laura Isabel Roman Figueroa () for meeting with our cohort. Her perspective on the challenges facing Suchilquitongo and the innovative solutions her administration is implementing was invaluable to our mission.

The Vision: We are providing the technical tools and structure needed to build a life of dignity and opportunity. Next step: Delivering 3 new solar-powered laptops to the school lab! 💻☀️

06/01/2026

As we close out 2025, we are looking back with immense gratitude at what we’ve built together. This year was about more than just projects; it was about bridging cultures and creating a humane, positive impact in the heart of Oaxaca.

Our 2025 Highlights:
☀️ Renewable Energy & STEM: In collaboration with Engineering and Business students from UT Austin, we successfully installed solar panels at a local middle school and launched a STEM skills program for young girls.
📱 Tech for Microbusiness: We partnered with UT Dallas and Universidad Anáhuac Oaxaca to develop custom applications that support and scale our community microbusinesses.
📈 Strategic Growth: We worked with Texas A&M’s 180 Degrees Consulting and Georgetown University’s Global Consulting to evaluate and refine our programs for long-term sustainability.

The Impact:
✨ Nearly 300 local students empowered with new skills.
✨ 20 indigenous business leaders and associates supported in rural communities.
✨ 65 university students from the US and Mexico participated in life-changing service-learning experiences.

We are so grateful for the opportunity to create unforgettable experiences and foster community-centered change. To our partners, students, and supporters: thank you for being part of this journey.

Wishing you all a 2026 filled with hope, perseverance, and happiness. Together, we keep weaving. 🧶✨

15/09/2025

Registration is OPEN: Oaxaca Community Impact Tour, Dec 1–6, 2025
Meet Oaxacan artisans, farmers, and entrepreneurs in their communities—hands‑on workshops in palm weaving with Xula, mesquite innovation with Xuchil, mezcal in Ixcatlán, chocolate, and eco‑friendly footwear design with DAVA. Small group, partner‑led activities, and 10% of profits returned to community initiatives.
Price: $2,500 USD per person. Couples save $100 per person ($200 per couple) when booking together.

What’s included: Lodging (Hotel Casona del Llano in Oaxaca City + cozy hotel in Coixtlahuaca with a temazcal session), most meals with families and favorite spots, all workshops, all in‑trip transport, arrival airport pickup, local guides, translation, and 24/7 support.

Reserve your spot: WeTravel → https://www.wetravel.com/trips/experience-the-heart-of-oaxaca-a-transformative-cultural-immersion-richard-hanson-97144193

14/09/2025

Impact you can trace. 10% of tour profits go directly to our partner groups to strengthen community‑led initiatives year‑round. We define “profits” as net revenue after direct tour costs (lodging, transport, guides, meals, supplies). Transfers are made after each tour. Registration opens later this month—join the interest list: https://www.tejiendoalianzas.org/en-contact
Questions? Drop them in the comments—we’ll answer.

11/09/2025

A glimpse of our 6‑day Oaxaca itinerary (early December 2025):
Day 1: Explore the historic capital and meet partners over a welcome meal.
Day 2–5: Hands‑on workshops in partner communities; learn about sustainable organic strawberry projects, renewable energy use to produce organic mesquite flour, hands-on palm weaving and artisanal chocolate, gorgeous hand-made shoes with traditional textiles, cultural and contemporary design projects with artisans in a 250-year old hacienda, and more, all directly from the Oaxacans at the forefront of these enterprises.

And before you leave on Day 6, we'll make sure you've had enough traditional meals to keep you dreaming about your trip long after you've boarded your flight.

Spots will be limited. Registration opens later this month—join the interest list: https://www.tejiendoalianzas.org/en-contact

07/09/2025

What do we mean by “responsible engagement” on our Community Impact Tours?
• Partner‑led activities and fair compensation
• Small groups and timeframes set with our partners
• Consent‑based photography and storytelling
• 10% of tour profits go directly to partner groups
Registration opens later this month. Be first to know: https://www.tejiendoalianzas.org/en-contact

03/09/2025

We’re launching Tejiendo Alianzas Community Impact Tours in Oaxaca. Over six days in early December 2025, you’ll meet Zapotec artisans and entrepreneurs whose family‑run businesses keep traditions—and innovation—alive: sustainable agriculture, mezcal, artisanal chocolate, eco‑friendly footwear, and more. Hands‑on workshops, visits with partners in their communities, and meals with regional producers. Impact: 10% of tour profits go directly to our partner groups to support community‑led initiatives year‑round. Full itinerary, pricing, and registration drop later this month. Join the interest list—limited spots.
https://www.tejiendoalianzas.org/en-contact

30/06/2025

Here's an article by the The Daily Texan on our collaboration with Cockrell School of Engineering - UT Austin students to support rural communities in Oaxaca this past spring. When tailored around local needs, these partnerships deliver a significant impact!

Eight engineering undergraduate students traveled to Mexico during spring break to teach middle school students about engineering and clean water. Students from UT’s Women in Engineering Program traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico, to help local middle schoolers from two schools build small-scale water fil...

07/06/2025

🎓✨ Exciting Partnership Update: UT Dallas x Tejiendo Alianzas x DAVA Artisan Design

This spring marked the beginning of an incredible collaboration with the Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science through their EPICS program, where students tackle real-world engineering challenges alongside community organizations.

What made this experience special:
🌾 Students visited the Xuchil mesquite flour factory in Suchilquitongo
🍓 Met local innovator Don Plutarco Contreras and tasted his amazing agro-ecological strawberries
🏛️ Explored Oaxaca City's historic center and the 2,000-year-old Zapotec fortress of Monte Albán

The main focus: Supporting DAVA Artisan Design 👜
Students dove deep into leather tanning processes and shoe/sandal production, learning directly from DAVA representatives. After understanding the business challenges and opportunities, they split into two project teams:
• Team 1: Refining and synchronizing inventory systems across platforms
• Team 2: Streamlining leather production processes

We're especially proud to support Artesanal as one of the few women-led leather production groups in Oaxaca! 💪

The students' innovative ideas have been vetted by the DAVA team, and we're eagerly awaiting next year's UTD cohort to implement these solutions. This partnership exceeded our expectations—exciting things ahead! 🚀

10/04/2025

🌞✨ Empowering Communities Through Engineering & Solar Energy! ✨🌞

In addition to running TEAM Mexico in Oaxaca Cockrell School of Engineering - UT Austins completed an incredible pilot project with Cockrell School of Engineering - UT Austin! 🎉 Together, we developed a renewable energy-focused course that brought UT engineering students to Oaxaca, Mexico, blending academic expertise with cultural immersion.

💡 Students attended seminars led by the director of the local solar energy company and a professor from , exploring solar energy solutions and their applications in Mexico—from technical installations to national policies and rural energy challenges. 🌍⚡

Through fundraising efforts in Texas, $10,000 USD was raised to install solar panels on a middle school in Santiago Suchilquitongo, powering this off-grid campus. These panels now serve as a vital resource for education and inspire students—especially young girls—to pursue STEM careers and humanitarian engineering projects in their community! 🚀📚

And it wasn’t all work! While in Oaxaca, the students connected with local culture:
🎨 Explored natural dyes and rug weaving in Teotitlán
🌱 Harvested fresh berries with local farmers
🏛️ Explored Zapotec sites like Monte Albán and Santiago Suchilquitongo's archaeological site to learn about Tomb #5
🙏 Visited San Jerónimo Tlacochahuaya’s iconic church
🗣 Visited our friends and partners at the engineering school to learn about their exciting programs and take a pasta cooking workshop!

This program united innovation and heritage, showing how local resources and culture can inspire global solutions.

❤️ Thank you to everyone who supported this mission—we’re building brighter futures, one solar panel at a time.

🌟