At the heart of Bolívar Garden, a vocational learning space in agricultural sciences led by Dr. Wojtek Waliszewski, a professor of Chemistry and Plant Sciences, a new initiative was born that combines passion, learning, and sustainability: the Café Club Don Simón.
This project, led by students from Colegio Bolívar, has managed to cultivate, process, and market high-quality coffee, gaining recognition both on and off-campus.
The Start of a Green Dream
The story of this club began in 2016 when an agroforestry coffee plot was established at Bolívar Garden with seeds from Dr. Waliszewski’s farm. Under his guidance, students from the Plant Sciences class took on the challenge of learning not only about coffee cultivation but also responsible soil management, biodiversity, and sustainable agricultural practices. Since then, the project has grown and diversified its activities.
In 2019, a group of entrepreneurial students with a strong affinity for innovation and market trends officially founded Café Club Don Simón with a clear goal: to bring the organic coffee produced at the school to the community.
The first official harvest of Don Simón organic coffee took place in August 2019, marking a milestone for the project. By February 2020, the plants were ready for their second harvest, consolidating a productive cycle that has continued successfully ever since. Today, the team consists of 52 people, including students, teachers, and staff from the school, who contribute to the care, harvesting, and marketing of the coffee.
A Gourmet Coffee with Impact
The coffee produced at Bolívar Garden stands out for its exceptional quality. Certified by expert coffee tasters, Don Simón has achieved a score of 83-84, placing it in the category of high-quality gourmet coffee. Being organic and grown without chemicals reinforces its sustainable focus.
Sales have demonstrated the product’s viability, and the business has remained profitable. Currently, sales are made both at the Bolívar Farmer’s Market and through direct orders from teachers and administrative staff. The profits generated are reinvested into Bolívar Garden, supporting projects such as the construction of a greenhouse, led by a group of students, as well as the implementation of a semi-automatic irrigation system, and soon, the installation of a weather station to study climate variables that could affect the crops.
A Model of Innovation and Community, with an Eye on the Future
Café Club Don Simón has been made possible thanks to an annual investment, based on past profits, of one hundred fifty thousand pesos, alongside the dedication of all those involved in the process. Agriculture students, under the guidance of some school employees, are responsible for caring for and harvesting the plants, while the club mainly focuses on marketing the product. This collaborative approach ensures the project continues to grow sustainably while maintaining its commitment to vocational education. The project not only teaches students about coffee and sustainability but also provides them with entrepreneurial skills and fosters a strong sense of community.
Additionally, the club is not satisfied with its current achievements. With each harvest, the club refines its methods and seeks new opportunities. On the horizon is the planting of 64 cacao trees, which will give life to the new Chocolate Don Simón, thus expanding the range to other high-value products. Alongside this, Bolívar Garden already produces corn, tomatoes, yucca, lettuce, carrots, and bananas, which are supplied to the school’s staff cafeteria, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and the integral use of resources.
Thus, Café Club Don Simón has become a model of how education can transcend the classroom to make an impact on society and the environment. Its success has been recognized regionally, as Bolívar Garden won the 2022 Tri-Association Community Service Award, presented by a nonprofit organization comprising 85 accredited private institutions that offer a U.S.-style education across Mexico, Colombia, Central America, and the Caribbean.