Our Story
Who We Support
Pulseras
School Sales
Photo/Video
Student Trips
Lead a Pulsera Sale and Color Your School
The Pulsera Project is a non-profit organization that empowers Nicaraguan artisans, youths, students, and communities through the sale of their colorful handwoven bracelets, or "pulseras" in Spanish.
Pulsera sales brighten U.S. schools with art, language, and cultural education while engaging students in international service that is effective, enriching, and fun.
Please explore our site to discover why, in three years, student leaders and teachers have spread the Pulsera Project from a single Pennsylvania classroom to schools across thirty-six states, coloring their hallways, classrooms and campuses with beautiful Nicaraguan art. We hope you'll join us in coloring the world!
Watch "Color the World," a 10 minute film about The Pulsera Project.
News and updates from the pulsera world.
The Pulsera Project began in 2009 when a group of friends traveling in Nicaragua discovered the kids of Los Quinchos in the foothills of Managua. The kids were masters of weaving pulseras (Spanish for bracelets) but had little market for their artwork in Nicaragua.
Some of the friends returned home and enlisted students at two US schools to sell the kids' pulseras.
Now, three years later, students at more than 170 schools in thiry-six states support and empower not only the kids of Los Quinchos, but also young artists of the Sí a la Vida youth shelter, as well as an artisans' cooperative of Los Quinchos shelter "graduates" and many Nicaraguan artisan families.
A Fresh Philosophy
of Cultural Exchange:
The Pulsera Project empowers young North Americans and Nicaraguans to partner in creating a brighter future.
U.S. students bring enormous educational and economic advantages to the global exchange, and many students gladly share these advantages to help lift up young Nicaraguans, who live in the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
However, the global exchange is rich with ideas and values that have little to do with economics, yet everything to do with the quality of our lives.
In meaningful cultural exchange, we seek to discover the best of our partners, educate ourselves about their lives and values, and hopefully enrich each others lives with the best of who we are.
Powerful Impact
The Pulsera Project’s unique partnership between Nicaraguan artists and US students enriches many lives in the US and Nicaragua. Project volunteers have raised more than $300,000 to create sustainable jobs, empower Nicaraguan communities, and provide engaging educational programs both in the US and Nicaragua. Our projects bridge cultures, bring people together, and color the world with beauty and awareness. Here are just a few of the many projects supported and funded by US students and young Nicaraguan artists.
* Sustainable, fair-trade jobs
* 28 member Artisan Co-op
* Interest-free micro-loans
* Scholarships
* Computers and computer training
* Substantial support for the
“Si a la Vida” youth shelters
* Youth soccer programs
* Donate food, clothing, books.
* Support community development
programs in many towns
* Sponsor field trips.
* US student volunteer trips
* Educational Films
* Innovative Spanish language
curriculum
See the Projects Page
The Pulsera Project is a registered 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible and provide critical support for programs in Nicaragua.
Most of our Nicaraguan programs are guided by a philosophy of empowerment. Rather than just giving things to people, we empower people with skills, opportunities, and education that allow them to provide for themselves and their communities. We would be deeply grateful for your support of this philosophy and the many young Nicaraguans who will benefit through your generosity.
Color the World
