In week 3, each of the Laidlaw scholars met with their respective nonprofits. Meeting IRRI in week 3 was one of the most eye-opening experiences ever. IRRI is led by an amazing team of women who truly believe in the act of community-oriented change. They wear many hats such as educators, counselors, engineers, and designers, but most importantly, they listen to the needs of their communities. The rural communities of Las Chinampas in Xochimilco have vastly different needs from those located in Yucatan, yet IRRI is able to integrate and shift its toolbox to cater to the communities in need. 

Week 3 was all about coming up with a game plan and a course of action that would guide us our whole summer. My team came up with the following: 

1.  Create promotional content for IRRI
2. Document at least 3 events for IRRI 
3. Work on a booklet in English for IRRI

Week 4 was dedicated to meeting with our volunteers who ranged from Mexican students to professionals was truly rewarding and inspiring. I personally learned so much about the culture around activism and the importance of being politically active in a large city such as Mexico City. 
Our volunteers were great listeners and gave our team important and critical feedback needed for my group's growth. They also demonstrated a wonderful, engaging, and optimistic attitude despite facing many challenges. 
 
Together we were able to co-create content and promote IRRI on Instagram in both English and Spanish! 

Check out our posts! https://www.instagram.com/p/CwiKz0kOC2i/