Carlos Irvine and his wife, author Jeanne Bender, are sparking change in southern Baja through bilingual education. Bender, best known for her Lindie Lou children’s book series, has transformed her passion for storytelling into an educational movement that is giving hundreds of children new opportunities, one English word at a time.
Children from low-income communities now have access to free English lessons through the couple’s pilot project, Super Bilingual Kids. The program, launched at the La Ballena Community Center in the Palmas neighborhood, combines Google technology with local teachers and volunteers to deliver accessible language education.
Currently, 80 students between ages 6 and 12 are enrolled, with plans to expand to more than 300 children in the coming year. “We offer an innovative program aimed at children from working-class neighborhoods so they can learn English from the ideal age, between 6 and 12,” said Irvine, who also funded construction of the center’s modern, air-conditioned classroom.
The program uses audiovisual lessons on the Google Classroom platform. “We are committed to ensuring that in two years these children will speak English fluently,” Irvine said. Four groups are already active, and organizers are seeking support from institutions, donors, and volunteers to scale up across Los Cabos.
The long-term vision is ambitious: to expand the program not only to other neighborhoods in Cabo San Lucas, but also to San José del Cabo and, eventually, to tourist hubs across Mexico.
Bender, who began visiting Los Cabos in 2022, quickly recognized the urgent need for English education in underserved areas. Inspired by the children she met, she began developing a fun and accessible ESL curriculum. To support the effort, she formed Team Lindie Lou, a group of teachers who help design lesson plans and activities that make learning imaginative and engaging.
Her nonprofit, Super Bilingual Kids, now aims to bring the curriculum to schools throughout Mexico. “Learning a new language is more than memorizing words. It’s about connecting with young people and expanding their world,” Bender said. “People who speak multiple languages have more options in life.”
Her classrooms are filled with laughter and curiosity as children discover how to express themselves in English. For Bender, the mission goes beyond language: it’s about building cultural bridges, empowering the next generation, and inspiring a lifelong love of learning.
For more information, or to support the initiative, visit superbilingualkids.org or follow @superbilingualkids on Instagram.
