Christine Brady and her School of Hope in Tijuana

In 2009, journalist Sharon Boorstin wrote a Family Circle article about Christine Brady, an engineer who had walked away from her corporate career in San Diego to build and run a school for the neediest children in Tijuana. With the help of donors, volunteers, and award-winning Southern California artist James Hubbell, Colegio La Esperanza rose among the ramshackle dwellings on a Tijuana hillside—its Gaudiesque, whitewashed stucco classrooms beautifully decorated with colorful mosaics. In this course, Sharon interviews Christine and her daughter Emily, a former student, about their experiences at the school, where the rich curriculum ranges from language arts and computer science to nutritional ecology (organic gardening) and dance. They also share how Tijuana has evolved over the decades, transforming from a simple manufacturing hub into a complex focal point for international refugees. This course uses the Hybrid format which allows students to participate remotely and/or in the classroom. This course will be recorded. Students will have access to videos for 30 days.