Community Engagement and Service Projects

Andean Discovery is dedicated to fostering mutually beneficial partnerships between local communities in Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, and North American school groups. Through carefully planned service projects and other activities, participants develop authentic relationships, empathy, and gain a deeper understanding around local and global issues, including economic equity and sustainability.

Service Projects

• Service projects allow visitors to participate alongside community members to directly understand and contribute to community initiates that improve living conditions and support environmental conservation efforts.
• Whether you are building clean burning stoves in the Sacred Valley of Peru, reforesting the Galapagos with endemic plants, or upgrading an Amazon animal rescue center, the impact of your project will go far beyond the tangible task at hand.  The downtime moments are just as valuable.  You will be fully immersed in a local community, which provides an authentic setting for making new friends, practicing your Spanish, and learning some Quechua as well.
• Projects typically range in length from 1 to 6 days and can be incorporated into one of our Featured Programs.

Local Approach

• Our dedicated South American field staff work year-round to sustain long-term relationships with communities, monitor the impact of ongoing projects, and develop new projects. We meet regularly with community leaders and families, to ensure that their interests, goals, ideas and concerns are taken into account, first and foremost, as we collectively develop projects.
• Our “in-country” relationships allow us to collaborate with North American educators and leaders of local communities in the Andes, Amazon, and Galapagos to develop projects that meet the expectations and goals of both groups.
• Below are samples of some of our past and ongoing service projects.

Please contact us to start planning!