Mexico

EnglishConnect in Mexico

Summary

September 18, 2017, updated September 9, 2019, and January 22, 2024¹

EnglishConnect 1, EnglishConnect 2, and Learn English Now

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico, Religious Association, a Mexican association (the “AR”), can carry out the EnglishConnect program in Mexico. The EnglishConnect program will be part of the Self-Reliance activities already taking place in Mexico. The AR is not subject to any regulations or licensing requirements, as long as the courses do not have any official accreditation. The AR is not subject to any tax consequences or reporting obligations if it administers the EnglishConnect program since it offers these courses free of charge. Administering the EnglishConnect program will not jeopardize the AR’s current tax exempt status and activities can take place in meetinghouses without jeopardizing their property tax exemptions. The AR may issue OGC-approved certificates of completion to participants who successfully complete EnglishConnect courses. We recommend that the AR provide a disclosure to each participant that EnglishConnect courses will contain religious content, that they will not carry accredited value, and outlining the cost (if any) of EnglishConnect course materials.

The EnglishConnect program in Mexico was reviewed by local counsel. Based on that review, there are no country-specific guidelines for Mexico. The program should be operated in Mexico according to the following general program guidelines:

• The program may be advertised through mass media (newspaper, radio, paid social media ads) or by handbills, posters, announcements in Church, or “pass-along” cards, provided the advertisements contain:
  
  • Prominent placement of the Church’s name;
  • A statement that there is no cost for EnglishConnect novice programs; and
  • A statement that EnglishConnect novice programs are not accredited.
• Obtain parental consent for each student 18 years old or under (using the parental consent form attached as Appendix A):
  
  • Obtain both parent signatures where possible;
  • If someone 18 or under is actually living on their own, parental consent is not needed.
• Provide every student a hard copy of the Church’s Privacy Notice (attached as Appendix B) and be sure they read it.²
• Do not charge any fees or costs to the participants for program participation:
  
  • Program materials can be provided for free (by on-line download where possible) or purchased through regular distribution channels by local units or directly by participants.
• At least one-third of all teaching must contain substantial religious content (i.e., religious content should take up 20 minutes of each hour of instruction or 30 minutes of each 90 minutes of instruction).
• Follow all local country standards for the vetting and calling of teachers of youth for any EnglishConnect teacher who will be teaching anyone under 21.
• Follow all program guidelines contained in the Leader and Teacher guides.
• Any mission that has never used English teaching as a contacting method must obtain specific OGC approval before beginning to use EnglishConnect materials, in order to avoid threats to missionary visas or the Church’s legal status.

EnglishConnect 3
BYU-Pathway Worldwide (“BYU-PW”) can offer EnglishConnect 3 in Mexico. Because BYUPW will offer EnglishConnect 3 through the Pathway program, it must operate under the same conditions as Pathway. For more information on EnglishConnect 3 and the Pathway program, please refer to the Pathway Program Report, under the Church Education key topic for Mexico on InfoGuide. (In the past, Brigham Young University – Idaho was the entity that offered Pathway programs, but it transferred its Pathway activities to BYU-PW in 2019.)

1. This EnglishConnect summary was drafted September 18, 2017, but updated on September 9, 2019 to include information about the EnglishConnect 3 program and to include the general program guidelines, which were developed after the summary was first drafted. The summary was further updated to permit broader advertising on January 22, 2024.
2. If a student has registered online for EnglishConnect using an LDS Account, he or she need not be provided a hard copy of the Privacy Notice.