Mountain Mayhem: Aspen seventh graders building homes and hope in San Miguel, Mexico

The sun in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, hits differently when you’re hauling cinder blocks. For a group of seventh graders from Aspen, the weekend of Feb. 27 to March 2 wasn’t about the usual winter routine — skiing or going to the rec center or spending time with friends. Instead, they traded the comforts of home for a mission of transformation, discovering that while they were building a future for a family in Guanajuato, they were also changing themselves.

The trip was organized and chaperoned by moms Devon Karpowicz, Julia Pirrung, Ali Grosslight and Karina Marconi, with seventh-grade students Alexandra, James, Harper, Remy, Reed, Lilly and Havana. Before the group’s visit, the reality for one local family was a “home” held together by scavenged cardboard, rusted scrap metal and plastic sheets. When the rainy season arrived, their dirt floors turned to mud. There was no door to lock, no room of one’s own and very little safety.

Enter Casita Linda, an organization that has been turning “Pretty Little Houses” into foundations of hope since 2001. Their mission is simple but profound: to provide the “poorest of the poor” with dignity through a safe, permanent home.

For the Aspen crew, the building process felt surprisingly familiar. The cement cinder blocks fit together like giant Legos, and with their efforts, the framework of a house was built in just one weekend.

But this wasn’t just a gift; it was a partnership. The receiving family worked alongside the students, contributing sweat equity into the walls that would soon protect them. As the structure grew, so did the connection between the seventh-grade squad and the community they came to serve.

As the house took shape, the students helped design a special plaque to sit by the door. They chose a name that captured the soul of the project: “Amparo,” a Spanish word with multiple meanings. Protection from the elements, shelter for the weary, refuge for the vulnerable and ultimately a safe place.

While the walls are up, there is still more work to do to turn the house into a home. Solid concrete floors will be installed along with locking doors, windows, separate bedrooms for boys and girls, an indoor bathroom and a rainwater catchment system, paint and furniture.

As Julia Pirrung wrote to the Casita Linda organizers after the trip, “Seeing is truly believing.” For these students, the weekend was a lesson they couldn’t learn in a classroom: that while they were building a house, they were actually building a future.

As of press time, the seventh graders have raised $17,803 of their $22,000 goal. Every dollar brings them closer to fully sponsoring this brand-new start for a family in need. They welcome support in any amount to help them reach their goal. To contribute or learn more, visit their GoFundMe: bit.ly/7thgradebuilders.