MISSION

Our mission is to offer our students the best language instruction in the city, make language learning affordable to everyone who wants to learn, and to serve as a space that facilitates collective cultural exchange, driven by collaboration, friendship, learning, and mutual respect.

Our Vision For La Guarida

The name of our space and school is La Guarida, which means “The Hideout.” We chose it in part because our first space was only a half-block from the Zócalo (the city square), but to enter, you had to walk through a hallway and then climb up a flight of stairs to reach the terrace and classrooms, reminding us of a treehouse. So while it was little hidden—making it the perfect space for our students to learned without too many distractions—it was also just a stairway away from the beating heart of the city.

Perhaps more importantly, though, we chose the name because it conjures up the idea of a group of people coming together and making a plan to do something big or important. And we see this project as a big and important one. And it’s not just our project. We see you, our students, as co-conspirators and equal partners with us in this venture—in helping us build this cooperative into the best school it can be, in developing real cultural exchange, in spreading knowledge and mutual understanding, and in expanding the model of fair living wages and cooperative business ownership in Oaxaca.

We promise you that we will work tirelessly to fulfill our mission. From you we ask that you come to classes eager to learn, contribute and share space with everyone. We also greatly appreciate and will always welcome all of your constructive feedback so that we can continue to grow and offer the best Spanish learning options in the city.