Glenn C.W. Ames, Director, International Public Service and Outreach
Jorge H. Atiles, Associate Dean for Outreach and Extension, College of Family and Consumer Sciences

International Public Service and Outreach
College of Family and Consumer Sciences
UGA Cooperative Extension
USDA-CSREES International Science and Education Competitive Grants Program
Escuela para Estudiantes Extranjeros, Universidad Veracruzana

In 2000 the Cooperative Extension Service and the Office of International Public Service and Outreach initiated a program of cross-cultural studies to provide a better understanding of Georgia's changing demographics in order to better serve the community. This year the focus was on Mexico and its socio-economic challenges and their connection to the U.S, particularly Georgia.

The goal of Cross-Cultural Studies Mexico: 2008 was to help Agricultural and Natural Resource agents, Family and Consumer Science specialists, and 4-H agents to understand the cultural basis for interacting with Georgia's growing Hispanic community. The program was designed to provide the participants with a broad set of cultural experiences while in Mexico so that these Extension professionals could better understand, communicate with, and ultimately work more effectively with the Hispanic clientele in Georgia.

The following photo essay records and captures some of the highlights of the May 18-June 1, 2008 trip to Xalapa, Mexico.

SEE ALSO
	• Cross-Cultural Studies: Mexico 2008

Dr. Jorge Atiles, Associate Dean for Outreach and Extension, College of Family and Consumer Sciences, examines a medicinal plant as R.J. Byrne, Thomas County Cooperative Extension agent, and Philip R. Torrance, Agricultural & Natural Resources Program Development agent, S.E. District Cooperative Extension look on.		R.J. Byrne and Robbie Jones, Public Service Representative, 4-H Youth Program, Pierce County Cooperative Extension examine Roma tomatoes grown under plastic as an example of appropriate small scale technology.
Capacity Building Unit for Regional Development (UNCODER) in Coatepec		Prof. Jose Luis Pérez, Department of Social Outreach, Dr. Martha Allexsaht-Snider, Associate Professor of Elementary Education at UGA, the women's health committee, and Dr. Jorge Atiles lead the discussion of the Casa's program in Coyopolan.
Philip R. Torrance, Agricultural & Natural Resources Program Development agent, adds to the donation of school supplies given by the group to the teachers.		Phil Torrance shows the children how to take photos with a digital camera, which they thoroughly enjoyed. The children all wanted to see their image in the digital camera.

Specific objectives of the cross-cultural studies program were designed (1) to provide participants with a knowledge of social, cultural, and environmental issues in Veracruz, Mexico; (2) to compare and contrast cultural values between Mexico and the U.S. and to interpret these values relative to the Hispanic and non-Hispanic communities in Georgia; (3) to learn about globalization and its impact on Mexico; and (4) to expose participants to basic Spanish language skills.

The School for Foreign Students at the Universidad Veracruzana organized a two-week program that included home stays with local families; language classes; visits to local schools, social service centers, and the university's outreach program for rural and marginal communities.

A group of 17 agents and specialists representing Bartow, Clarke, Clayton, DeKalb, Elbert, Houston, Liberty, Laurens, McDuffie, Peach, Pierce, and Thomas counties as well as faculty located in Athens and Statesboro comprised the participants in the cross-cultural studies program.

Gary Johnson, County Extension Agent 4-H, Laurens County, made new friends at the primary school José Mar a Morelos y Pavón.		Caroline Richardson, McDuffe County Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Sciences, donates additional school supplies to the teachers at José María Morelos y Pavón.
Lauren Dye, Elbert County 4-H Extension Agent, R.J. Byrne, Steven Gibson, and Allison Perkins enjoy playing a game of "Red Rover" with the children at the primary school.		Lauren Dye races a little girl to the open space in a game of "Mother Goose."
Edda Cotto-Rivera, DeKalb County Radon Educator, Cooperative Extension Service, enthusiastically engages the children in after school games.		More after school games

The agents' cultural immersion began immediately after their arrival in Xalapa, the state capital, on May 18th. The agents met their host families in a small city park, Leonardo Pasquel, who took them to their homes where they immediately began practicing their Spanish. They were assigned to live with families for the two-week program. They were quickly introduced to la comida típica, which everyone seemed to enjoy, and the sights and sounds of a host family environment. Whenever the participants got together, they would immediately start comparing their experiences in a different culture and environment.

During the two-week program, participants had the opportunity to attend Spanish classes and lectures from local professors on topics related to Mexican history, social services, immigration, agribusiness, and rural development. Day trips were organized to rural development organizations, local social services agencies, and the Universidad Veracruzana's outreach program to rural communities called University Houses. Since UV students are required to perform 480 hours of community service in order to graduate, the program became an opportunity for agents to learn about outreach in Mexico and the local communities the university serves. Currently, UV has seven outreach locations in Veracruz. The program concluded with a trip to El Tajin, a large Totonacapan archeological site, famous for flying dancers and the pyramid of the "Niches" (365 windows).

R. J. Bryne engages the children in a makeshift game of basketball.		Phil Torrance
Mtro. Lino Mora illustrates the proper technique to carve a mask using a machete as Phil Torrance looks on. Mtro. Mora then invited the agents to carve a mask.		Mtro. Mora illustrates a mask depicting life and death.
Gwendolyn Williams, Clayton County Program Specialist, carves the inside of the mask while Mayeli Peralta from the School for Foreign Students observes the proper techniques.		R.J. Byrne masters the technique of using the machete to carve the mask face.

The agents began the cross-cultural studies program with an orientation to the Universidad Veracruzana at the School for Foreign Students followed by a field trip to the Capacity Building Unit for Regional Development (UNCODER) in Coatepec, a large town near Xalapa. UNCODER is a part of the Secretariat of Education's Technical Agricultural Education Program to help small farmers learn about appropriate technology to increase food production for home consumption and sale. UNCODER's staff made eight presentations on topics such as medicinal plants, mushrooms, hydroponics, plastic covered green houses, bamboo, integrated small livestock farming, multi-cropping, and earthworm cultivation.

On Thursday May 22nd, the agents visited the "University House" in Coyopolan to learn about Universidad Veracruzana's work in the rural community directed by the Department of Social Outreach. Many UV students chose to do their community service required for graduation at the Casas de la Universidad. Agents talked with students from the university, brigadistas, during their community service in psychology, dentistry, medicine, and other disciplines. Mtro. Jose Luis Pérez, explained that the mission of the University House is to give students a new perspective on the challenges facing Mexican society and how outreach can improve the lives of the people. Community involvement was one of the apparent reasons that the Casa in Coyopolan was so successful. Agents met with two community leaders, the women's health committee, and a young man from the community who graduated from the local telesecundaria (distance learning middle school) and telebachillerato (distance learning high school). Ultimately, he graduated from the Universidad Veracruzana and returned to Coyopolan.

Edda Cotto-Rivera and Mtro. Lino Mora pose for the camera.		Jorge Atiles also practiced the art of mask making with the machete.
Robert Bell		Robert Bell and Gary Johnson relax at Mtro. Lino Mora's studio.
Group photo at the Naolinco overlook		Agents pose with DIF staff in front of a mobile cancer-screening unit.

Prior to visiting the University House at Coyopolan, the agents visited the primary school "José María Morelos y Pavón" where they talked with the teachers and children and introduced them to 4-H programs.

The agents' expertise was recognized as a valuable asset for a conference held at Universidad Veracruzana while the group was in Xalapa. Mtro. Daniel Romero, Instituto de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores Económicos y Sociales (IIESES), invited Jorge Atiles, Phil Torrance and Glenn Ames to talk about Agribusiness in the U.S. at the conference entitled "Mexicomercio 2008: Agronegocios y Los Mercados Internacionales" on Friday May 23rd at UV's library and conference center, USBI, in Xalapa. The UGA panel discussion focused on agribusiness issues in Georgia. Their topics were as follows: Dr. Atiles, "Agribusiness' reliance on Hispanic labor and the needs of the Hispanic worker in Georgia," Mr. Torrance, "Production, harvesting, and marketing [blueberries and Vidalia onions] in the U.S.," and Dr. Ames, "Agribusiness Associations in the U.S. and promotion and marketing of their products abroad."

On Saturday May 24th, the UGA group took a trip to Naolinco, a mountain town known for its leather crafts and a famous local mask maker, Mtro. Lino Mora. Mtro. Mora masks are used for cultural dances illustrating the conflict between Christians and Moors in Spain and pre-Colombian mythology.

Caroline Richardson		Edda Cotto-Rivera and Robbie Jones
Gwendolyn Williams enjoyed meeting the boys at Aldea La Merced.		Agents were treated to a delicious snack at Aldea La Merced.
At the Aldea La Merced		Phil Torrance, Stacey Ellison, and Allison Perkins

On Tuesday May 27th, the agents visited DIF, the family and children's social services agency for Veracruz State. DIF provides mobile medical units, child services, nutrition programs, and a wide range of social services that help the most vulnerable groups in society. DIF helps reunite children with families when they may become separated due to difficult circumstances. The agents also learned that children can petition DIF for services. Also, DIF helps women and others earn money through craft sales.

On Wednesday May 21st, the agents visited "Aldea La Merced," a social service agency in Xalapa that provides shelter, food, and lodging for boys who may have become separated from their families. The boys and staff at La Merced welcomed the group warmly. They were treated to a delicious snack made from local ingredients used to feed the boys on a daily basis. Agents then donated school supplies and 4-H t-shirts to the boys.

Palmas de Abajo Community leaders		Jorge Atiles examines one of the workbooks that accompany the televised programs.
R.J. Byrne, Gwendolyn Williams, Gary Johnson, Robert Bell, and Tiffany Williams listen to an explanation about distance education in Palmas de Abajo.		R.J. Byrne helps make a snack for the children at the primary school.
The community was very gracious in escorting the agents around the community.		Agents donate materials to the schools throughout the trip. Lauren Dye donated some Elbert County 4-H lunch bags to the school.

One of the objectives of the cross-cultural studies program was to learn more about the educational system in Mexico and how it relates to the Latino community in Georgia. On May 28th, the agents visited a primary school and a middle school in Palmas de Abajo, Actopan, Veracruz to learn about distance education or telesecundarias for middle schools in Mexico. The community came together at the school to talk with the agents about the educational system and the economy in the region. Educational programs originate from Mexico City via television. The students and teacher follow the lessons on the television monitor accompanied with the appropriate workbooks. The system works fine as long as there are no power shortages or equipment failures.

Palmas de Abajo is a limited resource community. About 25% of the community of 1,000 persons was in the U.S. working, mainly in Georgia. Families stated many times that they did not want to be separated but employment was very limited in the Actopan region.

The cross-cultural studies program would not be complete without a visit to the archeological site El Tajin in Papantla and its famous "Pyramid of the Niches." The site is also famous for its 17 ball courts. El Tajin, a Totonaco community, was abandoned in about 1300 A.D. Today, the nearby community of Papantla is known for its vanilla production.

El Tajin		Music at farewell dinner
Phil Torrance and his host family at La Pergola		Mtro. Saul Abarca and Mtra. Katia Romero, UGA graduates and former TIES students in Agribusiness, Mtra. Lucia León, Universidad Veracruzana, Jorge Atiles, and Glenn Ames

At the farewell dinner, the group enjoyed music and great food at the La Pergola, a restaurant near the Universidad Veracruzana. The agents were accompanied by their host families, which made for a very enjoyable evening. Finally, we have to recognize the great contribution of the staff at the School for Foreign Students at the Universidad Veracruzana, led by Mtra. Pilar Castillo de Gulson, to the success of our program. Also, we have to recognize contribution of the Mexican graduate students who studied at UGA under our Training, Internships, Exchanges, and Scholarships (TIES) partnership with UV. Saul Abarca, Katia Romero and Mayeli Peralta helped organize, coordinate, guide, and translate for the lectures, field trips, and cultural activities throughout our two-week program.

For a related article in UniVerso: El Periódico de los Universitarios—Universidad Veracruzana written by Amparo Garrido about the UGA agent's visit to the University House in Coyopolan, please go to www.uv.mx/universo/314/infgral/infgral13.htm

For statistics about Georgia's demographics data, please go to "Georgia County Facts and Figures" created by Professor Douglas Rachtel: www.fcs.uga.edu/newfacs/hace/gafacts/index/html

Partial Funding for cross-cultural seminar participant travel was provided by the USDACSREES International Science and Education Competitive Grants Program.