How Can You Help or Visit the School?

Students like recent Netza graduate Mayra Magali Adame Jaimes, age 12, need your help with scholarships of just $400 USD per year to continue their education into local Secondaria (middle school). Contact us today to sponsor a deserving student, and begin a friendship that will change your life, as well.

While the city and state provide for basic construction of classrooms, some text books, and teachers salaries, there is little or no funding for school furnishings, kitchen and maintenance equipment, and essential supplies. Funds are needed to help build steps and landscaping retaining walls, and an all-new Kindergarten complex. Donations of fresh food for the kitchen, art and school supplies, and items such as soap, shampoo, and towels for the shelter are always welcome.

The new school is open 8:00 to 1:00 pm Monday-Friday, September to June, and is visible from La Ropa Beach and the center of Zihuatanejo if you look Northwest toward the hills under the cell towers. It is the group of blue cement buildings with red roofs. Access by taxi and bus to the La Colonia Primer Paso neighborhood is possible. For your first visit, it may be best to contact one of our local guides, or call the school director to let her know you are coming.

Taxi directions are "La Escuela Netza, en la parte alta de la Colonia Primer Paso Cardenista, cerca de La Noria" and the taxi fee is $25 or $30 pesos from centro Zihua or 70-90 pesos from ixtapa. You can catch a bus back to central Zihua or hail a taxi or have your taxi wait for a small fee.

Please note new Visitor & Volunteer Guidelines for The Netza School.

If you plan to visit, please contact us with at least 48 hours notice, when possible, and plan to register you and your donations in the school office Visitors Book. Cash/check donations should be made to our US/WA office.

Visiting hours are 10 to 11:00 am or after school 12:30 to 1:30 pm, and other times by appointment.

If you are unable to come to The Netza School, drop off sites include Bernardo’s Market stall # 123 in the Mercado des Artesanias (Indian Craft Market) Avenue Cinco de Mayo, Centro Zihua; and The Catalina Beach Resort, La Ropa Beach.

Please secure & mark your bag or box plainly with “Donations for The Netza Project” and include your name, address, email, and estimated value of donations so we can send a ‘Thank You’ & tax receipt. GRACIAS!

See also "News & Events" for current projects you can support or participate in.

Donations of materials and supplies

The following list includes much-needed supplies that you can consider bringing to the school. With over 325 children ages 5-12, we go through a lot of supplies! If you are packing these things in with your checked luggage, we suggest mixing them in with your clothes to avoid customs delays or problems. Make them look like "a reasonable personal amount" for gifts or peraonl/family use, versus separate, large cases, boxes or bags of "all new" things, as you want to avoid paying duties and suffering airport delays.

If you prefer to make a donation of in-kind goods such as school supplies or clothing, please print our Donation Form (Word Format | PDF Format) and let us know by mailing it to us or writing us a quick email what items you've donated, and the estimated value. We'll also send you a tax receipt!

Funding for kindergarten retaining walls and construction - $15,000 needed ASAP.
Funding for scholarships, operating costs, water & nutrition, women’s banking program & more:
Donations from $25 to $100 to $2,500 – or any amount - help us greatly.
(cash, check or credit card donations should be made to “The Netza Project” at our WA/USA address for safe handling).

School and Teacher Supplies: * indicates more urgent need, now.
- Colored construction paper; art and craft supplies of any type *
- Paper for art projects like watercolor paper, rolls of white paper or large pads *
- Lined spiral notebooks (8.5 x 11)*
- Colored markers all sizes/types*; Permanent markers, thin and thick (like Sharpies)*
- Crayons; watercolor and paint sets; paint brushes
- Blue ink pens, # 2 pencils; Colored pencil sets; erasers, pencil sharpeners * always!
- Glue sticks and small bottles Elmer-type glue * Stickers! Great fun and incentives for students.
- Scissors (student and small child safety-type) *
- Colored beads and .5 ml clear stretchy cord for friendship and fundraising bracelet projects
- Read/write CD’s blank, paper sleeves or jewel cases (We have 2 new computers for teachers,
helping automate the grading and lesson plan process. We can also use to copy/share music) *
- White board markers, erasers and cleaner solution *
- CD/tape players for classrooms, music CDs suitable for young children, learning, dance, relaxing
- Puzzles, games suitable for pre-school age, or after school programs (cards, checkers, activity books)
- Reading and library program books in Spanish, or Spanish/English; (sets of 6 preferable)l; Sp/Eng Dictionaries *

For the Dormitory (40 beds!) and new Sanitation Lessons/Health Programs:
- Antibacterial hand soaps in bars, or bottles with hand pumps *
- Hand cleaner/sanitizer that does not need water (like Purell) *
- Ointments for cuts and scrapes, like Bacitracin, Neosporin in tubes *
- Children’s Tylenol liquid (aspirin) and Dimetapp (purple) cold medicine *
- Pepto Bismol liquid, chewable Mylanta and Immodium tablets *
- Band aids, all sizes; hydrogen peroxide, cotton balls or small sterile pads for cleaning wounds
- Bars of soap, large and small (antibacterial where possible) *
- Large bottles shampoo for dormitory (or save up your hotel sizes; soaps, lotions) *
- Hair brushes, combs, hair bands, elastic hair ties, barrettes
- Toothbrushes and toothpaste, some small child size *
- Kotex pads, light and heavy days. Underarm deodorant for blossoming teens.
- New underwear, white T-shirts and socks, cotton shorts, tops and dresses for our dorm and most
needy children sizes for children ages 4 to 14, girls and boys. New or good used sturdy sandals (not
flip flops), shoes, sneakers, elastic waist shorts also welcome (school colors are light blue and white).
- New or good used towels, twin size bed sheets, pillow cases.

Other: Basketballs, soccer balls, and rubber play balls and sports equipment *; for ages 3 to 12.
- Large Ziploc bags (used for organizing and making student supply and personal care kits)
- If in town, please buy and bring – toilet paper, paper towels, large and medium black trash bags,
Pinol pine floor cleaner, Clorox, large bars of clothes washing soap, large bags of fresh fruit. *

Visitors & Donors: Items cannot be shipped to Mexico and must be hand carried in luggage.

Donations Wish List (Word Format | PDF Format)