JOVENES GUARDIANES: Environ. Ed. @ Rainforest Edge

Dear supporters,

2025 was a transitional year for our environmental education program. Due to national school strikes, we were only able to carry out 1–2 visits in our core communities. However, we adapted by expanding outreach to additional schools across the district, allowing us to build new relationships and broaden the program’s reach.

This year also marked the beginning of a promising partnership with Geoversity, through which we are formalizing the revival of the “Jóvenes Guardianes” program. Together with Geoversity’s curriculum experts, the district’s environmental coordinator, and a local teacher pursuing a master’s in curriculum design, we are co-developing a stronger, more structured educational model.

We are aligning this program with Panama’s updated national curriculum, which emphasizes interdisciplinary, project-based learning. This creates an opportunity to embed environmental education more deeply within schools—connecting students to their local landscapes, current environmental challenges, and cultural context.

At the same time, we are working to formalize the program at both the regional and national levels, in coordination with the environmental education authorities, to ensure long-term sustainability and institutional support.

For the upcoming school year, we have developed a program that includes four school visits and at least two field trips, including a culminating visit to Geoversity’s Centro Mamoní. We are also grateful to have secured a $5,000 matching donor, which will help us strengthen and expand the program’s implementation.

We look forward to launching this next phase as the new school year begins, building a program that connects young people more deeply to their environment and empowers them as stewards of their territory.

Thank you for your continued support.