According to data from the Mexican National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), 22% of the Mexican population does not have access to the Internet, 63% do not use a computer, and 66% do not have the skills to send an e-mail.

Xalapa is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz, and is located directly East of Mexico City. The Xalapa Solar Community Hub (SCH) has been established since December 2021, working to provide digital skills and specifically robotics and programming skills to local youth aged from 6 to 16 years of age. The hub also has initiatives for adults, including workshops for older learners seeking to access digital technologies and improve their digital skills.

The Project

Working with Dell Technologies and our local partner, Desarrollo Autogestionario A.C. (AUGE), the SCH offers introductory and intermediate courses for robotics and programming covering Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills, educational robotics, dynamics, and uses gamification to assist and motivate learners in their education; the courses are offered for free to local youth.

In the past 2 years, the hub has entered a team into a national Lego building tournament called ‘First Lego League’ with 20 children and teenagers taking part.

In addition to the youth programmes offered at the Xalapa SCH, the hub also has initiatives for older citizens aiming to improve their digital skills for practical uses in their daily lives, and adult weekly workshops for life skills and financial training, self-esteem building, work skills training, and access to seed capital for enterprises.

The Impact

In 2024, the Xalapa SCH ran 6 different programmes with the following impact:

• Youth Robotics & Programming: 107 beneficiaries, 64% aged 6-10, 36% aged 11-16
• Lego League Tournaments: 36 beneficiaries
• Summer Course: 84 beneficiaries, 60% aged 6-10, 40% aged 11-16
• Digital Culture: 125 beneficiaries, 25 students completed basic programming module
• Digital Skills for Older Adults: 47 beneficiaries
• Adult Solidarity Group: 19 beneficiaries

Total Beneficiaries in 2024: 418 beneficiaries

This SCH is funded by Dell Technologies.