YMCA Community Development Center in Tijuana, Mexico

GRID worked to bring solar electricity to the YMCA Community Development Center in Tijuana, Mexico. The YMCA Development Center is an affordable preschool for children in the Tijuana area. More than 140 children are enrolled in preschool, and 13 staff members work at the center, including a full-time social worker. Children who attend the YMCA Development Center learn about reading, writing, math, computers, and take English classes, all of which help them as they enter elementary school.

The YMCA Development Center offers preschool at a reduced rate primarily to single mothers who work at the nearby factories called ‘maquilas’ and offers extended care for children whose parents after work beyond the preschool hours.  The Center also offers scholarships for students to families who cannot afford the monthly tuition of $60. 

In, 2025 GRID installed solar on the center; a three-story building with five classrooms, a computer lab, a small kitchen, three offices and a playground area.   Solar will help lower the electric bill, which ranges from $250-$275 per month.  With the cost savings from solar, the Center plans to purchase more computers, add additional roofing to playground and classroom areas to prevent flooding, and install both air conditioning and heaters for temperature control in the summer and winter. These upgrades directly affect the students and staff, making the preschool a safer and more comfortable place to learn and play.