TSIKBALWho we are and what we believe in
Tsikbal in Mayan language means a word, to talk, to have a conversation. For Tsikbal, conversing is the basis of mutual learning and enrichment; it is the possibility of finding and valuing our differences and similarities among cultures and people. Tsikbal is a Mexican educational agency that offers international educational services. It was created in 1994 and since then has worked with various institutions of higher education developing study abroad programs and establishing academic links throughout the world.
MISSION & GOALSProvide opportunities through intercultural exchange
We foster mutual respect between individuals and communities sharing experiences and learning from each other building cultural bridges. We believe international academic programs develop skills that value and understand other cultures creating an interdependent vision of the world. Intercultural experiences like the ones we offer generate conditions for an international society, able to build equal and harmonic relations among cultures and people.
TSIKBALOur Team
Graciela Cortés Camarillo
FounderGraciela has a PhD in Education from the University of Yucatan and Ohio University. She is the co-founder of Tsikbal and has more than 20 years of experience teaching and developing intercultural programs for both, private and public sectors. She has facilitated programs focusing in indigenous populations, students and teachers. She has dedicated her life to making a better world through intercultural education.
Claudia Chapa Cortés
Co-founder & DirectorClaudia is the Director and co-founder of Tsikbal, earned her Master’s degree in international communication from ITESM in Monterrey, México, has a PhD in Education and her dissertation was about learnings in a local community participating in an International Service-Learning project. She has dedicated her professional life to intercultural education, exchange and study abroad programs in Mexico, France and Canada.
Anabel Flota Aguiar
Student Affairs CoordinatorAnabel is a visual arts specialist and has two master degrees, one in Business with a specialization in Marketing from Tecmilenio University and the other one in Administration of Cultural Policies and Projects by the University of Zaragoza and the Yucatan State University. At Tsikbal she is currently our Student Affairs Coordinator, which means that she works closely with students, homestay families and other collaborators. She is part of the Active Citizens network by the British Council & Makesense and also of the Kaanbal Suut program, oriented to strengthen internal capacities and leadership for organizations in the Yucatan Peninsula.
Madeline Beath
Academic CoordinatorMadeline grew up in Tennessee and has always had a passion for people. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Spanish before moving to Merida, whose version of southern charm captured her heart when she studied abroad here in 2012 with Tsikbal. For the last decade, Madeline has worked with teens and pre-teens in diverse settings in and around Merida, which inspired her to pursue her Master of Science in Social work from the University of Tennessee. Madeline loves working with youth and is dedicated to empowering communities and building bridges between cultures. She is currently part of our team at Tsikbal as our Academic Affairs Coordinator and she works closely with faculty and students.