Panama

Arrive in Panama City and travel by 4×4 vehicles into the Mamoní Valley Preserve, reaching a remote campus immersed in rainforest. Settle into eco-friendly accommodations and participate in an orientation focused on regenerative living and life in a biodiversity hotspot.

Explore bamboo architecture and sustainable design through a hands-on bamboo boat-building challenge, emphasizing collaboration and creative problem-solving.

Harvest ingredients from the campus gardens and participate in a farm-to-table cooking experience, preparing traditional Panamanian dishes. Evening reflection centers on food sovereignty and regenerative land use.

Spend the day immersed in the rainforest through a guided hike, learning about flora, fauna, and ecological connectivity within one of the world’s most important conservation corridors.

Later, engage with a nearby rural community, learning how education, agriculture, and conservation intersect in remote environments. End the day with a reflective gathering under the forest canopy.

Travel north to the Caribbean coast and cross by boat into the Guna Yala Comarca, an autonomous Indigenous region made up of coral islands.

Settle into island accommodations and participate in hands-on cultural workshops, such as hammock making and dugout canoe traditions, learning how daily life is shaped by ocean and community.

Visit a neighboring Guna island to meet with community leaders and learn about governance, education, and cultural preservation.

Participate in traditional arts workshops with local students and share a communal meal. The afternoon includes swimming, snorkeling, and time to observe reef ecosystems and island life.

Depart the islands and travel back to Panama City, marking the transition from remote Indigenous territories to an urban landscape.

Settle into Casco Viejo, the historic district, and participate in a guided walk exploring colonial history, architecture, and modern identity.

Begin with a walk up Ancon Hill, an urban nature reserve offering views of the city skyline, rainforest, and canal corridor.

Continue with deeper exploration of Casco Viejo’s streets, plazas, and public art, examining how cities preserve memory while evolving.

Visit the Biomuseo to explore how Panama’s land bridge reshaped life across the Americas.

Later, engage with the Panama Canal at the Miraflores Visitor Center, examining its history, engineering, and global impact. Observe ships passing through the locks and discuss trade, water use, and environmental trade-offs.

Conclude with a final group reflection connecting rainforest, reef, community, and infrastructure. Depart Panama carrying forward insights into stewardship, connection, and responsibility.