Language & Employable Skills

Our most important and vital program is to provide an academic education to young Deaf children in San Miguel de Allende.

EEESMA offers preschool to high school levels in a bilingual model of Mexican Sign Language and written Spanish.

Scientific evidence proves that a child introduced to language (or sign language) at a young age, two years or younger, has a much better chance to succeed academically, making learning to read and write in primary school far more attainable. 

Another challenge that EEESMA faces is the employability of students after they graduate from school.  With their future prospects in mind, we have developed the following programs so that our students are equipped with practical skills they can utilize in future work environments:
  • job skills training
  • entrepreneurship classes
  • communication coaching
  • transitioning to the workplace 

Mexican Sign Language

Mexican Sign Language (LSM) classes are essential to help siblings, parents, and volunteers communicate more effectively with
Deaf students.

Classes have also been designed for the public to help ensure more understanding and awareness in the community of the Deaf.
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Please donate to this program so classes continue on a regular basis. 

 Deseñas Store

To showcase and sell the creations made by the students with their own hands in the Vocational Training Workshops, a small store was carved out of an underutilized school space.

The store's name Deseñas means "design" or "of sign"; also referencing the store's slogan "For the love of sign language".

The store is manned by volunteers and will be open two days each month to start.

Please email desenas@eeesma.com to learn more.  

Vocational Training

Many older students will likely choose not to continue their education past the middle school level, so the school offers vocational training to increase their chances of gaining employment locally.

Students receive skills training from volunteers and small business owners in the community in areas of carpentry, baking, cooking, jewelry making and design, sewing, and computing.

Local business involvement and your donation will ensure the workshops continue.​

Transition Planning

Ensuring a smooth transition from school to the workplace is essential. In transition planning students receive:
  • entrepreneurship classes to prepare them to run their own small business,
  • communication coaching to improve on-the-job discourse with those that don't have sign language,
  • extra mathematics and Spanish lessons to include vocabulary specifically needed for the job,  
  • classes to teach each student what an employer expects from an employee, and
  • a mentor guidance during the first stages of employment to ensure the best outcome. 

Education is not filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.

- William Butler Yeats