• Community-Led Development in Peru

    Leveraging traditional agriculture knowledge to meet community needs

    What We Do

  • Virtual Experiential Learning Opportunities

    We bring Peru to you!

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  • Ecohuella Tours

    Offering day trips through TripAdvisor

    Learn More about EcohuellaGo to TripAdvisor

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Agriculture Initiatives

Our work with campesino communities includes greenhouse construction, capacity-building, and on-site workshops and trainings that focus on agroecological methodology. We collaborate with the Ecohuella Farm, a local multi-generational, organic farm, to host a variety of hands-on agriculture workshops and networking events for campesinos.

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Experiential Learning

 All of our programs foster cultural understanding and connections between participants and the communities we work with. Faculty-led and AASD-led programs provide valuable research that help support local development. Revenue from experiential learning programs helps fund our agriculture initiatives and day-to-day operations.

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Agriculture Initiatives

Sustainability. Collective Intelligence. Respect. Ownership.

Community Projects

All projects are identified and designed in conjunction with the communities, according to their needs and realities. Our current focus is greenhouse construction and training related to greenhouse cultivation for campesino families. In the harsh growing climates of the Andes, greenhouses allow campesino farmers to grow a wide variety of vegetables year-round, supplementing their diets and providing valuable income through sales.

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Ecohuella

The Ecohuella farm is an organic, self-sustaining demonstration farm focused on the exchange of campesino farmers’ experiences and knowledge. Founded and led by a campesino family, the farm provides hands-on trainings and workshops that respect the Quechua language, local learning styles, and traditions.

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Experiential Learning

Collective Intelligence. Relevance. Meaningful Exchange. Humility. Critical Reflection.

Service-Learning
Programs

The AASD partners with Ecohuella farm and campesino communities to facilitate service-learning projects, cultural activities, and reflections. While participants will be pushed outside of their comfort zones, the AASD is there to provide guidance and support. Participants leave Peru with new perspectives on Andean history and culture, meaningful service, and responsible development.

Faculty-led Programs

The AASD works with faculty to plan embedded or stand-alone programs that reflect academic themes and learning objectives. Any logistics and cultural activities can be personalized in the planning process and organized by the AASD. These programs tend to run between a week and three weeks, and can take place at any point in the year. Past courses have included communications, community development and engineering.

AASD-Led Program

Undergraduate and graduate students explore campesino community history, context and dynamics by implementing innovative qualitative research methodologies. Topics are dependent on community needs and realities, and have ranged from market access to greenhouse monitoring and evaluation. The AASD offers a J-term program in January and a Summer Development Practicum. These experiences also can be offered virtually.

GIS

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a revolutionary way to understand challenges that exist in the Andes. We partner with university programs that specialize in GIS to help communities address challenges related to climate change and water access. Students use GPS mapping, drone footage, and other data collection methods and analysis to create an engaging and informative story that can be used to spread awareness, raise funds and/or leverage community strengths.

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