March 19, 2020
Dear Members and Friends of BCA,
These last two weeks have been difficult days for all of us as news of COVID-19 pandemic has challenged many aspects of our lives. We feel this particularly at BCA as we think of each of you, the communal aspect of our work as a nonprofit (i.e. tours and classes) and the health and wellbeing of our Mexican partners.
On Monday, BCA’s Board of Directors, decided for the health and safety of all of us to cancel all Mexico tours and Borderlands Forum classes through the month of May. The tour to Spain (May 26-June 6) had already been cancelled. The Board also voted to fully refund registration fees for those who had signed up for any tours, events and classes scheduled for this time period, including the March 21 BCA Foresight Spring Celebration. To secure your refund, please contact Suzy Webber at 520.398.3229 or
SuzyW.BCA@gmail.com
. Please be patient as the refund process can take up to two weeks.
Some of you have decided to donate all or a portion of your registration fees to support the nonprofit. Thank you. We very much appreciate your support. Without regular income for the next two months and with the summer offseason coming, contributions are particularly appreciated. If you decide to donate your registration fee rather than secure a refund, please let Suzy know so we can send you a donor acknowledgement letter.
Beginning today, BCA’s office is closed until further notice. Please know we are all still available by phone or email.
We are still planning to offer the summer intern program, with students scheduled to arrive June 22, 2020. Thanks to the hard work of dedicated volunteers, applications have been reviewed and four students have been selected for this six-weeks-long experience. The students are all on board to come, as we all hope that the crisis will be behind us by then.
How will BCA continue its mission of “bridging the border and fostering community through education, collaboration and cultural exchange” during this time period? Alex and others are working on virtual and internet options. Please see the article that follows this letter.
All the best and thank you so much for your support! See the following note from Alex.
Jerry Haas,
Executive Director
Cecilia Quade,
Board President
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March/April 2020
Dear BCA friends & supporters,
As you know from the above, the Border Community Alliance Board of Directors held a special emergency board meeting where it was decided that the nonprofit will cancel all of our cross border tours and Borderlands Forum programming until May 2020 given the grave circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and to be in coherence with CDC guidelines.
As you can imagine, the nonprofit counts on the income from cross border tours and Borderlands Forum for our operational ability and financial viability, so this unexpected loss of income at the height of our season is difficult. As Program Director, however, I want you to know that we see this as an opportunity to create cultural programming options, where and when possible, to a digital format; whether by social media posts, Facebook Live streams, Zoom video conferencing or Skype in the spirit of still serving you all. Please
give us a Like on Facebook
,
follow us on Instagram
or
follow us on Vimeo
to stay updated on these future opportunities.
Nonprofit organizations have always been on the fringes of the standard economy in accomplishing endeavors that - at the end of day - ultimately seek some form of profit-less and self-less motivated betterment to our community and our world at large. Indeed, what personally attracted me to leave a career with the National Park Service and commit myself to serving the mission of BCA is that its guiding philosophy has always been to recognize the greater world we live in with our closest international neighbor, Mexico, in the overarching spirit of global citizenship that is so direly needed given our current situation.
That being said, if you have always been curious
to join as a member of BCA
and are considering it, I would encourage you to do so in support of this mission in these precarious times or if you are able to pitch in to
make a donation
, the board, staff and our Mexican partners would be most grateful.
My best to you all and please be mindful, healthy and safe. We at BCA will continue on with the same, sincere level of dedication to our mission of bridging the border and fostering community through education, collaboration and cultural exchange and we hope to see you all again in person once this storm has passed.
Adelante (Forward)!
Alex La Pierre
BCA Program Director
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BCA is excited to announce that we have selected the four interns for the
BCA Summer Internship Program
and we will be presenting a rich program of cultural immersion and work experience.
The Interns
are eager to learn about the various cultural, historic, economic, and environmental topics that make the Arizona-Sonora borderlands such a special and unique place.
- Angelica is a student at New York University pursuing her Master’s Degree in Public Administration.
- Jacob is an undergraduate at Rhodes College majoring in History.
- Sophia is an undergraduate at Ball State University pursuing a double major in Spanish and Public History.
- Lizzie is an undergraduate at Wesleyan University pursuing a double major in Anthropology and Environmental Studies.
A Big Thank You!
We thank the Selection Committee for their assistance in selecting interns, securing references and securing background checks. The Selection Committee included Tom Braun, Dar Goatley (Chair), Jerry Haas, John James, Alex La Pierre, Magda Mankel, Larry Mello, and Susan Popp.
What’s New in 2020
This year marks a transitional year for the internship as it has been revamped and reorganized to provide a more robust, academic, and field-based opportunity for interns.
New Team Members.
We are happy to have
Magda Mankel, MAA
, our new BCA Education & Research Specialist, be the Instructor for the Internship. We also appreciate
Dar Goatley,
Intern Coordinator,
who has worked to coordinate the internship selection process and will join Magda in ensuring that the interns have a memorable experience.
Field Placements.
We are partnering with
BYTE
(Binational Youth Tennis Exchange) to provide Field Placements for interns two days a week at two BYTE sites in Nogales, Sonora. Charlie Cutler, a former BCA Intern, developed the BYTE Program and has offered his staff and program to enhance the experience of this year’s Interns.
Recreational Activities.
The interns will be with us from
June 22 to late July 31
.
On weekends, we will schedule BCA Volunteers to invite the Interns for cultural and recreational activities. If you would like to volunteer your time to the internship program, please note that we will be hosting a mandatory
Orientation for volunteers on June 22
in Tubac. Location and time are to be announced. Please contact Magda Mankel if you are interested in helping. Contact:
magda@bordercommunityaliance.org
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Introducing
Magda E. Mankel, M.A.A.,
BCA's new Research and Education Specialist
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Magda E. Mankel is a cultural anthropologist by training and is pairing her interests in culture and heritage with BCA's bi-national mission of creating community across the U.S.-Mexico borderlands.
Magda received her Masters of Applied Anthropology degree from the University of Maryland, College Park and also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from the University of Arizona. Prior to working with BCA, Magda taught university level courses in Anthropology and completed an internship with the National Park Service's Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.
"I'm involved with BCA because they are invested in fostering community through educational, collaborative, and cultural exchanges that allow individuals on both sides of the border to learn from each other and uphold the traditions that make the Sonora-Arizona borderlands so unique."
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Video presentation
to be uploaded to
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The Migrant Trail
by Magda Mankel
Learn about the Migrant Trail — a 75 mile, 7 day march that is led by a multicultural and multifaith community dedicated to commemorating the migrants who have died in their attempt to cross the US-Mexico border through clandestine means. Since the year 2000, more than 3,000 migrant remains have been recovered from the Sonoran Desert and processed by the Pima County Coroner’s office.
Mar 27, 2020
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Museum of Sonora in the Revolution
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On BCA's inaugural visit to Álamos in February, trip companions had the opportunity to visit one of the state of Sonora's outstanding museums, the Museum of Sonora in the Revolution in Ciudad Obregon.
The museum offered a virtual guided visit via its Facebook page. Take a look
here
!
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Director of Operations
Part - time
BCA is seeking a staff member to oversee internal operations
Requirements include:
- B.S. or equivalent
- Admin experience
- Excellent computer skills
- Highly organized
Duties include
team coordination, financial management, written and verbal communication
.
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Office Hours:
Office is currently closed until further notice
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I-19 2221 E. Frontage Rd.
Bldg F Suite 201-202
P.O. Box 1863
Tubac, AZ 85646
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Membership/Events:
520-398-3229
Office:
520-419-1960
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PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
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