Sustainability Program Structure and Approach

Goal: learn how to design and execute a sustainable community project, led by Future Scientist instructors

Approach: co-design program between local residents and visitors, where you design solutions based on the community's needs.

Each group will: 

1. Participate in an ongoing project and science lessons (implement project, train volunteers, establish workflow and data recording process).
2. Measure and survey impact of project
3. Perform needs assessments to identify problems (and their causes)
4. Brainstorm ideas for solutions to one of the identified needs/problems
5. Evaluate project options in the community and identify best one
6. Design education program (including key lesson plans) and hands-on project; estimate project cost, plan execution, establish metrics of project impact and success.  Future groups and local teams will implement approved projects.

Past project report: Clean water for 900 students

Results: Local and visiting participants are paired together to take part in project design from start to finish.  While getting experience working on an existing project, each group designs a new community-focused project and an education program to increase community awareness.  Participants, together with community members, identify the most important problems and work on solving them. The communities receive a direct benefit not only from the project directly but also through outreach education conducted by program participants.  Local workers will be hired to work on the project using program tuition and external grants.  The end result is communities with sustainable projects they own and participants who gain valuable experience in sustainable global development.

Program fee: $1,200 
The price of the program includes all lodging, meals, local transportation, activities, and project materials.  Participants are required to provide their own flights to/from Panama City, Panama (airport code PTY) as well as health and travel insurance for the duration of the trip.  A nonrefundable deposit of $200 is required to confirm a spot.  Full payment is required 1 month prior to the start of the program.

Participants are strongly encouraged to fundraise toward the cost of the program.  Future Scientist will provide a page for online contributions.

Participants must be at least 18 years old; a basic level of conversational Spanish skills is a plus.