Marc Chavez was born and raised in Los Angeles County, California and is of Mexican-American Indian, (Nahua, Michoacán and New Mexican-Spanish descent). Chavez graduated from the University of California, San Diego with degrees in Communication, “Third World” Studies and post-graduate research in Community Educational Linkages. Chavez has over 25 years of experience in higher education, and community linkages.
Upon completing university Chavez spent 15 years through California, Mexico and Central America. Chavez led overland cultural tours from the Southwest US to Costa Rica before choosing to locate in Panama to begin volunteer work. He assisted with adult education, youth cultural and surf programs.
In 2000, out of San Diego California, Chavez Founded Young Native Scholars and InterTribal Youth, both based on developing a working model for community and institutional education. The program’s aim to “indigenize education” and has been nationally and internationally recognized as an “holistic approach to education”. Youth and mentors from across North America, Hawaii, Panama, Jamaica attend various national and international summer, spring programs. In its 22nd year, Chavez creates mentorship, vision, and healthy learning environments. The goal is to enhance knowledge of technology, culture, health, environmental science and self-sustainability. Programs also link young people to top universities and career paths.
In the past, Chavez also served years on the Board of Directors at the WorldBeat Cultural Center in world-famous Balboa Park, San Diego, working Media and International Relations in Afro-Indigenous cultural productions in Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica and the Caribbean. Early on, Chavez continues to work with major cultural exchange, exhibits, murals, and film in U.S.-Mexico relations, music, dance and his latest production, HAAGUA an Indigenous Surf Fillm premiering in North America for 2024-25
