Caliverano! A space and a time to have fun, live together, learn and love

Caliverano! A space and a time to have fun, live together, learn and love.

Luis Zarate. Vice-Province of the Californias

The Caliverano is one of the programs with the most significant impact in the communities of the Piarist presences in Mexico. It stands out for its focus on the pedagogy of play, which makes it an essential Piarist attraction. It offers recreational spaces led by young volunteers, who develop a healthy and entertaining vacation plan for children and adolescents in their communities during July. This program is organized by each camp’s aunts, uncles, and coordinators (lay and religious) and managed through the civil association Solidarity Education in the Californias.

Sadurní Tudela Sch.P., with the support of Piarists Manuel Bagonya and Ferrán Mateos from Catalonia, who organized the first activities of the camp: songs, games, handicrafts, and a lot of learning. At the end of each edition, a big closing ceremony is held in which the communities of each site meet and visit cultural centers or parks, sharing and thanking each other for the moments lived. Although the primary beneficiaries are the children and adolescents, the program’s main purpose is for the young volunteers to get involved in the training and education of minors, developing a strong sense of belonging that motivates them to serve and generate a positive impact in their communities. They do it all for the love of seeing children smile.

The main objective is for the tias, tíos and Caliverano coordinators to develop an enriching and fun vacation program, for which they receive training and training sessions with experts in pedagogy and various areas throughout the year. Planning revolves around the “center of interest”, i.e., a central theme that is presented to the children in order to encourage learning through playful activities. Active participation in decision-making as a team strengthens the volunteers’ self-esteem and provides them with a safe space, keeping them away from environments that could jeopardize their integral development.

Caliverano is present in all the communities of the Vice-Province, adopting specific names according to their location: in Mexicali it is “Cachiverano”, in Tijuana “Verano Feliz”, in Ensenada ‘Bufaverano’, in Los Angeles (CA) “Verano EsteLAr” and, since 2024, in Calexico (CA) “Calix-Verano”. To encourage collaboration between communities, each year a logo is designed to represent the values to be shared in Caliverano, promoting creativity in every step of the process.

The main competencies developed by the young volunteers are:

Healthy leisure: They dedicate their time to collaborative games in safe spaces.
Youth leadership: Through training sessions and the application of game pedagogy, they are encouraged to make decisions assertively and collaboratively within the work teams.
Volunteering: They discover their proactive side and develop a strong sense of belonging to their community, promoting empowerment through a positive approach.

The activities take place in a culture of peace, with a gender perspective, respect for diversity, and harmony. As the young volunteers progress through the program, they experience significant personal growth, strengthening their self-esteem, confidence, love of learning, friendships, and group cohesion, as well as reinforcing their commitment to service.

After the Caliverano, the volunteers organize the “Noche de Reyes”, which is celebrated every January 5. On this occasion, the tios and tias “support the Three Wise Men” to deliver toys to children in highly vulnerable areas. In addition to offering them a magical and unforgettable night, families are invited to get to know the Piarist communities and their educational works, such as the “Escuelita de Tareas Calasanz”, a program that reinforces reading, writing, and math skills of children in school.

In the words of our Caliverano general coordinator, Luz González: “The assessment of the impact of this program on the children is reflected in the comments of the parents, who state that their children learn to form healthy friendships and recognize the positive influence of the aunts and uncles, whom they view with respect and admiration. The young volunteers become role models for the children. The opportunity to positively influence the lives of the children and aunts and uncles, to see them grow, learn and excel, turns every challenge into a reward and every moment into a valuable part of a transformative educational journey.”

Every year, we make a joyful and different summer!

Luis Zárate

coordinacionh2@hocati.org