Southside nonprofit educating farmworkers celebrates 57 years

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — As he opened the door of a large teal school bus called the Tortuga in their museum, John Arnold, had a rush of memories come back to him. Starting 57 years ago, he used the school bus to go around Southern Arizona to educate farmworkers.

“Started going to farm labor camps, the brazier migrant camps, and that became our school,” Arnold described.

He named his non-profit and high school after the bus, calling it Portable Practical Educational Preparation. Their museum and high school are both located on the Southside.

“Education creates opportunities and today some of those people and their children are leaders in legislature,” he said. “They’re working as directors of libraries, working in hospitals…all because of this bus gave them an opportunity.”

Those opportunities took a group effort and it’s what allowed him to expand from a simple school bus to the high school.

“Over the years, all the staff, all of our 40 board members that have made a difference. We’re a team here. There’s no individuals,” Arnold said.

The non-profit is celebrating 57 years this week. They have been recognized by prestigious awards including from Mexico, Arnold saying one of them is likened to the Nobel Peace Prize of humanitarian work.

Their Farmworker Hall of Fame Museum is also recognized by the Smithsonian. It includes artifacts from Caesar Chavez, a farmworker activist, who Arnold worked with. Arnold has multiple pictures of him with Chavez in the museum.

“People have to trust you. They have to be able to touch you, be able to talk to you about their needs, and he was one that was certainly open to all of that,” he said.

For their anniversary, the Caesar Chavez Committee of Las Vegas loaned a bust of Chavez to them for an indefinite period of time.

The organization also painted a new mural outside their building that is dedicated to their work and includes parts of Latino history and Arnold in the bus himself.

Chavez’s bust is a reminder for Arnold to continue opening more doors for others in the same way he opened his bus 57 years ago.

“Seeing people succeed because of the small things that we’ve been able to do to help them succeed,” he said.