TZICATL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Causes: Community & Neighborhood Development, Economic Development

Mission: The mission of Tzicatl Community Development Corporation is to regenerate positive community among Indigenous Peoples through the stewardship of land and facilities for the educational, cultural and ceremonial practices and needs of Indigenous Peoples. This mission is accomplished through the strategic development of community facilities by targeting blighted commercial properties and converting these into thriving neighborhood centers of community. Thus far, Tzicatl CDC has managed a portfolio of community assets worth close to $5,000,000 since 2001. Through our organization’s support, Tzicatl CDC has supported the good work of Semillas Sociedad Civil (“Semillas” also doing business as “Semillas Community Schools), a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, which operates two charter schools: Academia Semillas del Pueblo Xinaxcalmecac, and Anahuacalmecac International University Preparatory High School of North America. Both charter schools were authorized by the Los Angeles Board of Education and the State of California as public charter schools under the Charter Schools Act of 1992. Tzicatl’s role has been to fill a crucial gap in the California charter school development work: the organization of resources and capacity to open well-designed and fully permitted charter school facilities. Tzicatl is a community-based, community development organization dedicated to supporting the appreciation of the cultural and intellectual heritage of Native American Peoples. Tzicatl promotes positive social awareness in urban Native communities through by helping to meet the unmet need of quality facilities for community-based educational and culture. In 2001, Tzicatl supported its first project school, Semillas which in turn founded its first charter school campus, Academia Semillas del Pueblo Charter School Xinaxcalmecac (“Academia”), a successful and highly innovative communitybased k - 8th grade public charter school for the children of East Los Angeles. Among other work, Academia is currently seeking to become the first World School in East Los Angeles, and is currently the only International Baccalaureate Candidate School in Los Angeles. Semillas aims to develop a network of community based charter schools from kinder through 12th grade that share an Indigenous and International Curriculum. After opening the first campus in 2002, Semillas has opened a charter high school in September 2008, Anahuacalmecac International University Preparatory High School of North America. As a whole, Semillas Community Schools cultivate the gifts and talents of all its students through multiple language education, differentiated curriculum and instruction, and culturally enriched visual and performing arts.