Gibson Soto Foundation Inc

We maintain a facility named La Cima, located in Queretaro, Mexico ( Learn More ), where our beneficiaries reside during their time enrolled in our program. Our young women are provided full room and board (private bedroom), fully-cooked nutritious meals, college tuition, all school and home supplies, and complete medical care. The facility offers a great home-like setting with a dining, kitchen, and living area, as well as a study area and large space used for group programs and events. Since the weather in Queretaro is moderate year-round, we have an exterior dining and study area and gardens. Our goal is to create a comfortable, safe setting where our amazing young women can focus on their development. The home is maintained with 24/7 staff.

The young woman's path begins with an orientation to the Gibson Soto program, and she will be evaluated by one of our expert psychologists. The physical and mental health of our women is always the priority of our work. We understand that our women come to us with unique challenges. Often, they are propelled into adulthood responsibilities during early childhood, causing developmental concerns. Poverty social and cultural norms are very much different than those of the middle class. Lastly, although our students are very bright, education quality typically leaves them one or two grades behind in major subjects such as math, reading, and writing. The early days of a young woman at La Cima are spent designing her unique program to ensure sustainable success after graduation.

Our mission does not end there. All graduates are welcome to continue in our after graduation program and provide volunteer support to the foundation as our ambassadors.

The Gibson Soto Foundation has developed a unique program to support young women's positive growth, prepare them to graduate with a college degree, and prepare them to integrate into a culture and life not experienced before. It is vital to understand that poverty life and thinking are very different from those of the middle class. Education alone is not enough to provide a fulfilling and sustainable life foundation for our graduates.

Like every good project, we start with a strong foundation that we call the Pillars of Integrity. We have five pillars:
Respect, Generosity, Commitment, Excellence, and Honesty. We base our work around these principles and carry these principles through all aspects of our organizations.

Our beneficiaries have 24/7 access to La Cima staff, and there is always (24/7) a psychologist on site. Our program covers five development areas: Health and motor skills, Education and cultural Psycho-emotional, Social communications, and Professional and vocational. We accomplish these goals through workshops and training programs. These programs include self-love, self-esteem and confidence, communication and presentation skills, interview skills, and much more.

Our young women will learn English as a second language and be required to learn a second skill or talent of their desire. We see the importance of our students participating in enjoyable programs such as music, arts, sports, and hobbies as part of a well-balanced life.

Our young women will complete a community project and an internship with our foundation or local business through our mentorship program.
To ensure our students have the academic support they need, we provide a full tutoring program powered by volunteers from our local partner universities.

The goal for 2024 is to add three more young women to our program.

The Foundation has alliances with high schools in marginalized communities. Interested female students are provided applications, and qualified students will be interviewed by Foundation staff. Our Foundation team does all in-home in-person interviews with the beneficiaries and their families. The interview process is an important part of our program that helps to build a unique relationship with our beneficiaries and their families. Three young women will be selected and enter the orientation program. All beneficiaries receive full room and board, university tuition, supplies, life skills programs so they can focus on their future out of poverty. The Foundation has dedicated funds for this project.

Our Foundation continually seeks our beneficiaries through community programs, school affiliations, and word of mouth. In 2023, we added four new young women to our program. We are currently serving 12 students through our Foundation program.