Record Number of Summer Travelers Return to Baja California

Despite reports of security issues in the region, a record number of summer travelers are enrolling in the Spanish immersion program at the Baja California Language College in Ensenada, Mexico.

“I’ve heard and read things in the news that seemed sort of exaggerated,” says recent student Marci Houts of Spokane, WA. “I love Baja and the Mexican people and have never had a security concern. Traveling to Ensenada has always been safe for me.”

College president, Keith Rolle, confirms the uptick in enrollment, “The year-to-date numbers for summer students are about 15% above last year. Needless to say, we are pleasantly surprised by the increase in families enrolling in the summer programs.”

Rolle attributes the increase to two main factors. “The Baja California Language College was recently rated #3 by Sunset Magazine for Smart Vacations of 2008. That certainly helped a lot. But it’s also because of the current economic situation in the US. More families are looking for an educational summer experience that’s closer to home and not so financially challenging.”

Ensenada is only 90 miles south of downtown San Diego and is easily accessible by personal car or public transportation.

The Baja California Language College is Baja’s premier Spanish immersion school. It has earned international renown for its legal, medical and executive programs as well as programs for educators, teens and children.”*

• Ricardo Salinas Breaks Ground for What Will Be the Most Modern Television Studio in Latin America – Mexico City
• Brazil replaces Mexico as China’s top market in Latin America and boosts its surplus as well.
• The mayor of a wealthy suburb (San Pedro Garza Garcia) of Monterrey said Monday that he has sent his family to the United States for their own safety as he pursues his campaign against extortion and kidnapping gangs.
• Expert: Juárez violence a ‘terrorist war’
• About 350 Latino underclassmen from 11 northwest suburban high schools explored the campus of Harper College, getting a sample of what their lives could be like if they pursue higher education. 8th annual Latino Summit
• Mexican Mennonites Impacted by Drug Violence
• Raúl Martinez, founder and chief creative officer of ad agency AR New York, has been brought on as creative consultant to Vogue after the departure of the magazine’s design director.
• Mexican farmers reeling from worst drought in decades
• Mexico City’s famed dance-for-peso halls fading
• Americans Running South: Why We are Flocking to Mexico for Work
• On the mayor’s agenda: ‘Civilize’ Mexico City – Marcelo Ebrard
• At-risk Hispanic students get a hand up in after-school program at Bonnabel – Louisiana
• Juárez violence: Drug-war brutality persists despite presence of military
• Mexican doctors pointed to parents as the reason Mexico leads the world in child obesity, a problem made worse in this country by the lack of sports training.
• Mexico’s top domestic security official said Friday that sectors of the general public have cooperated with drug cartels in the violent border city of Ciudad Juarez, and the government is about to launch new social programs there to combat gangs.
• Susana Iglesias, writing from the streets – Mexico City native is winner of the first-ever Aura Estrada Prize, an international competition for young women writing literature in Spanish.
• “They” Are “Us”: The Devastating Effects of Broken Immigration Policy on Children in Immigrant Families
• Angel Reyes Interview About Child Safety In Cars On Good Morning Texas
• Interview with Children’s Author Lucia Gonzalez – Gonzalez’s latest children’s book, The Storyteller’s Candle, is dedicated to Pura Belpre
• Mexican authorities predict fewer Mexican immigrants will be back home for Christmas