Chan Kahal-Mayan Dance Group

Our organization looks forward to keep growing and strengthening its bonds with the San Rafael community. We believe that the Mayan immigrants in Marin can make a difference on our surroundings if we keep building trust and engagement with the community. 

Target population:
Immigrant residents of the Canal community and residents of the wider community of Marin County.

Intervention:
Chan Kahal is an arts and cultural association that promotes the preservation and visibility of the Mayan culture and traditions as well as encourage community involvement among residents of the Canal neighborhood located in San Rafael, California. The association was created 7 years ago to promote and preserve the Mayan culture in California brought by the indigenous Mayan immigrants from many countries including Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and the five Mexican states of Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo.  The group is composed by approximate 36 members (children, youth and adults) of the Mayan community who preserve and promote the Mayan traditions in the community. The group meets regularly at the Canal Welcome Center to rehearse the traditional dance from the Yucatan peninsula “La Jarana”. During the last three years, the group has performed at street festivals and community events, schools, county fairs, churches, and state events

Outcomes: (Annual targets are in parenthesis after each outcome metric)
-Increased awareness of the Mayan traditions
N umber of performances per year (Target: 8)
Number of community residents that attended Chan Kahal performances (Target: 500)
Percentage of community residents with increased awareness of the Mayan traditions (Target: 20%)

-Increased community involvement in arts and culture
Number of dance rehearsals (Target: 40)
Number of community residents recruited to participate in the Chan Kahal performances (Target: 25)

Meetings and Rehearsals: Fridays 6:30 PM at CANAL WELCOME CENTER