ONGOING ACTIVITIES

Students in this course are actively involved in individual research projects and fundraising activities throughout the year. They are also involved, as a cohort, in the creation of a self-sustaining student organization which will oversee a micro-lending program jointly administered by Project Amazonas.

Individual Research Projects

Students are working on various projects the outcomes of which will help enhance health, economic development, and education among rural Amazonian communities. The manner they will do this will integrate traditional forms of healing, communication, music, arts, and crafts with modern approaches in the fields of art, science, business, and education. Click here to learn more about individual student projects.

Fundraising

Micro-lending Student Organization

The first cohort of students formed the Pathfinders a student-led organization to be housed at FIU, but affiliated with the Amazonian communities served by the course, as well as with Project Amazonas. The student organization will be responsible for managing entrepreneurial initiatives developed in the Amazonian communities. Such initiatives may include a micro-financing program for community initiatives that are economically and ecologically sustainable. Project Amazonas, as a non-profit, will administer the loans while students will evaluate and approve loan requests. Potentially funded activities include materials needed for sustainable agriculture, the international marketing of locally produced music, arts, crafts, and sustainably-harvested plant and animal products. Students will help to identify markets, develop business and shipping networks, and will return proceeds back to the communities and to the micro-financing program to support additional locally-based ventures.