The Zapotian Project (Proyecto Zapotian) is the name of an organization of volunteers in Ciudad Guzman, a city in the state of Jalisco in Mexico.

In 1992, an unprecedented event may have changed the future of Ciudad Guzman. For the first time in decades, the citizens became involved in the polítical process and a new relationship between govemment and citizens began to evolve. Govemment officials demonstrated a sincere interest in the community, corruption diminished ostensibly, and they initiated a process to empower the citizens. The city was divided in sectors, each with a board of directors democratically elected. They were encouraged to participase meaningfully in the political process. Constructive criticism was invited, the city books were open to all and the city council entered into partnership with the community.

In the elections of 1995 the new administration adopted a similar policy. The city council remained conscious and concerned about issues that most modem communities face: severe environmental degradation, obsolete health care practices, inadequate public education policies, and a rising wave of conditions that indicate social distress, mainly poverty, drug-addiction and gang activities.

It was in this context that Proyecto Zapotian was bom. Most local leaders were aware of the enormous task ahead and they were eager to cooperase. The University of Guadalajara, state health institutions, regional educational agencies, ecological groups and the state govemment among others collaborated in a series of activities that helped create an infonned and cohesive group of volunteers.

The Centro de Actualizacion del Magisterio (CAM), is an offícial institution in Ciudad Guzman, charged with the task of updating the professional skills of teachers in public schools. lt works under the jurisdiction of the Unidades Regionales de Servicios Educativos (URSE), which are descentralizad, regional branches of the ministry of education, one of which happens to be located in Ciudad Guzman. The URSE in Ciudad Guzman, covers 30 counties with 3,421 teachers working in 910 work centers that serve 81,464 students. Both, the CAM and the URSE administrations are working with Proyecto Zapotlan in the design of collaborative programs. A project to foster intemational cooperation and cultura¡ immersion opportunities involving US and Mexican teachers is in the planning stages, to be implemented by 1997.

Through intemational working conferences, committee meetings, and the mass media, Proyecto Zapotlan in cooperation with universities from severas states began to define goals and objectives and initiated activities accordingly. After a human resource network was formed, one of their activities was to invite students and teachers from the University of North Texas to participase in cultural immersion courses organizad by project members and qualified guests. Other institutions sent students to conduct community development field work and to engage in cross-cultural dissertation research.

The students carne with a variety of academic backgrounds. Their goal was to have an experience related to their field of interest in a cross-cultural context and to make a contribution to the community. In the summer of 1996, a group of 25 students from the University of North Texas and the University of Texas in Arlington participated in a course organizad by faculty members and experts from both, Mexico and the US.

In the summer of 1996, Proyecto Zapotian members considered they were ready to try involving the whole community in an ambitious effort to tum the whole city ínto a classroom.

The "City-school" concept basically means "an organizad effort to offer basic inforination needed to become a sustainable community". Such information should be accessible to all, therefore it must be free, casy to grasp and open to anyone.

The course offered in the summer of 1996 included formal presentations that were televised through a local educational channel, in addition, there was wide mass media coverage via radio programs and newspaper releases. Selected community members participated as "host families". The philosophy of the Zapotlan Project is pro-community and precludes individual profit. This is essential to persuade members to volunteer their time. Local, participating families were recruited under this principle, therefore they could only be compensated for the expenses generated by their guests, who paid nominal amounts for room and board.

The guests were faculty and students enrolied in a cultural immersion course at participating universities. They were mostly anthropology students who chose from a list of themes, (provided by community members) a project that would help alleviate a specific community problem. The guests were called "catalysts" because their role was to motivate and assist local participants to work toward the solution of problems of their community.

Although the visiting faculty and students (catalysts) were knowledgeable and able to provide solutions, their lack of Spanish and familiarity with the physical and social fabric of the community presentes limitations to their efficacy in the short time period they lived with them (the course lasted four weeks). To enhance their efficiency, they were "paired" with local experts (academic hosts) and lay volunteers (auxiliary hosts) to form a "working dyad". The auxiliary hosts facilitated the catalyst's work and functioned as transiators and guides. The role of the academic hosts was to act as consultants and facilitase the work of the catalysts. A working dyad then, had a specific communitv problem to focus on.

Realistically, nobody believes that the problems of the community were solved by a few working dyads in four weeks. However, what was remarkable was the ability to reach the degree of agreement and cooperation needed to organize alí the participants.

It was interesting to observe the renewed enthusiasm among community members. The host families became aware of their potential to work with city leaders in public issues. Academic hosts found new resources to work with. Strong ties developed among the participants who realized the leverage inherent in working groups. Individual projects thrived with renewed hope. Most of the students reported a motivation to reflect on their own world perceptions and review their paradigms with a new, global village flavor.

By far, the most significant role of the project, is its potencia¡ to usher the community into the changes the 2lst century will demand. This is a rare opportunity with far reaching potencia¡. The govemment is detennined to empower the citizens and motivate them to share responsibilities, so that together they can develop the partnership needed to deter incompetence and corruption. Other institutions are open to new ideas, to refonn outdated programs and prepare local citizens for the future.

The networking nature of the interactions nurtured by the project allows the identification of valuable, socially conscious community members. So far, the project has been seif supported by highly motivated individuals who have found a forum to act on their social concems in a practicar, innovative manner.

Visitors have a unique opportunity to share experiences with their hosts and leam in an experiential fashion about their culture. At the same time, their presence is beneficial at severa] levels. Their economic impact is significant to the extent that project members are planning to encourage a very special brand of tourism labeled "academic tourism" as a non-profit income generator to develop other social programs.

Negotiations are being conducted to develop collaborative projects. From distance learning inter-university, multi-level academic courses to joint, communitv development, intemational agreements. Through committed volunteers from severas organizátions, steps are being taken to invite multi-disciplinarv teams from Mexico to work toward the social and cultural development of underserved hispanic minority communities in Texas.

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