The Pulsera Project has operated student trips to Nicaragua since 2009 . In June of 2015 we will run our first trip exclusively for Spanish teachers. In past years most student trips included 10 – 12 students and these 10 day adventures were often life changing experiences for students who joined us, sometimes dramatically altering their understanding of the world and humanity.

 

Trips are always led by Pulsera Project co-founders who have traveled to Nicaragua many times. In July of 2015 we will also run our first-ever small group research trip for students interested in global citizenship and international development. Students will travel with Pulsera Project co-founders as they research new investment opportunities for Pulsera Project funds and the group will meet with organizations and new potential project partners while also visiting with many Pulsera Project artists. All trips are open to university students and graduating high school seniors.

On student trip adventures we often travel with the youths and adults who are part of our enormous Nicaraguan family - which consists of hundreds of people in towns across Nicaragua. We hike up mountains and through small pueblos, tour colorful marketplaces and visit volcano islands. We have visited an organic coffee plantation, a solar center, and female-led fair trade co-ops, all part of our passion for investigating fair trade.

 

Some of our Nicaraguan partners are non-profit organizations that focus on education, so we sometimes visit schools where they work. Many international service groups separate volunteer service time from relaxation time, but we often combine them. When we take surfing lessons and have an all-day fiesta on the beach, we do that together with our many Nicaraguan friends. This is how we build a sense of family and a sense that we are all working together.

Pulsera Project trips bring alive progressive ideas about international service and cultural exchange. Rich cultural exchange does not simply involve economically rich people giving money or things to the poor. That's a pretty outdated idea, but it’s one that is common in the minds of many.

 

Instead, progressive ideas about international service and cultural exchange focus on the whole range of human riches that can improve our lives and the lives of others - not just financial riches. Our focus is on sharing – rather than giving. Sharing implies an exchange with others who also give. The things others share are often not economic, but their knowledge and perspectives can influence and enrich our lives.

You do not have to speak Spanish to join a project trip, but there’s no question that speaking Spanish would enrich your experience and the experience of many others. We sometimes give preference to Spanish speakers or Spanish students who apply, but we ultimately value leadership qualities more than language skills. Pulsera Project trips are not for spectators or tourists!! Many of our activities involve travel that includes dozens of people, so we seek people who LOVE to lead. Leaders have many styles, from quiet to outgoing, but all share a willingness to give of themselves – and the ability to act for a larger cause.

Project trips include educational readings, talks, and discussions, which is to say that trips provide not only a profound cultural experience but also the knowledge necessary to understand the experience fully. The Pulsera Project works on the front-lines of fair trade and global development, and we work to advance the knowledge and philosophies that drive these fields.

 

At times, we explore related fields, like cognitive science, which help us investigate revolutionary ideas, instead of following conventional or prevailing views. Students who love to question and challenge conventional thinking will feel at home in our explorations of many topics. We love independent thinkers!!!

Pulsera Project trips are really fun !! If you haven’t seen the trip video from last summer, it's easy to find the video on our website.

A sense of fun is the numero uno requirement on a Pulsera trip. It usually only takes a day before our group becomes like a traveling family, and the more we travel together, the closer the group becomes.

The cost of a typical ten day trip is about $900 plus airfare. This covers basically everything - lodging, all food, transportation in a professionally driven micro-bus, and all activities.

If you, or you and a friend, have volunteered for the Pulsera Project and are thinking about joining us on a future trip, read some of the student trip stories on the Pulsera Project website and check out the video from our latest summer trip. That’'s the best way to get a sense of what you'’ll experience if you go. Then, send us an e-mail and we'll keep you posted on plans, dates, and details for upcoming trips !

 

Send an e-mail to pulseraproject@gmail.com and let us know that you may be interested in upcoming trips.

 

We'll put you on our list of people to contact when we have information about upcoming trips.