Experiential education & community service in Bolivia

Name: Experiential education & community service in Bolivia
Brand: Operation Groundswell
SKU: 205563
Rating: 5 (2 reviews)

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Location

Bolivia
- La Paz
- Cochabamba
- Sucre

Project Types

Agriculture Community Development Service Learning Conservation Environmental Conservation Human Rights Business

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Program Details

Language

English

Age Min.

Timeframe

Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round

Housing

Guesthouse Host Family Hostel Tent

Groups

Small Group (1-15)

Pricing

Starting Price

2065

Price Details

Our program fee includes all on-the-ground costs including a comprehensive program itinerary and educational curriculum focused on the issues facing your specific region, accommodations, meals, transportation, excursions, and two experienced program leaders with you 24 hours a day.

The program fee does not include flights, insurance, or personal expenses such as souvenirs. We also ask team members for a community contribution that goes directly to support our local in-country partners.

As a registered non-profit, we're committed to financial accessibility. Our Financial Needs Grant can cover 15-25% of your five- or six-week program fee and is available for anyone experiencing financial strain, including individuals from low-income households, students, and recent graduates.

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Meals Transportation

What's Not Included

Airfare Travel Insurance Visa

Last Updated: Jun 07, 2018

Last Reviewed: Nov 28, 2017

Wish List

5 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Bolivia is a country of contradictions and extremes, boasting one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. Bolivia is home to a highly-elevated portion of the Andes, a chunk of the Amazon rainforest, tropical savannah, dry valleys, and the largest salt flat in the world. Culturally, Bolivia boasts 36 official languages besides Spanish, all of which belong to indigenous people of the Andes and the Amazon.

On Operation Groundswell’s Lands & Livelihoods program, we will try to understand how livelihoods are impacted by globalization’s push for rapid change and how one can resist this mass movement. We will examine how systemic pressures, food sustainability, and access to clean water all intersect with and affect climate change. And of course, we will also see the different forms of tourism and how it can impact a place and culture.

Get ready to think critically about the space we occupy as a traveler and deconstruct that power and harness it positively!

This program is no longer offered. View more programs from Operation Groundswell.

Video and Photos

Bolivia Programs | Operation Groundswell

Program Highlights

Discover diverse neighbourhoods, navigate the continent’s largest black market, and get your hands dirty with Fundacion Alternativas, an urban food sustainability project.
In the shadow of Bolivia’s snowy peaks, explore La Paz, the world’s highest capital city.
Hike to a remote community in the altiplano around Sucre to collaborate on a local development project while camping under the stars!
Immerse yourself in Bolivian culture and unpack the effects of climate change with local organizers and ecological producers in Central Bolivia.

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Program Reviews

5.00 Rating

based on 2 reviews

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Impact 5
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Value 4.5
Safety 4.5

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Working and traveling with OG was genuinely the most incredible experience of my life; so far. I experienced cultures beyond Bolivian city-life, stretching from rural communities that spoke Quechua in Bolivian communities to meals in the backyards of Peruvian mothers in Colca Canyon. Along the way, I was taught how to be respectful and analyze what I was learning with a group of passionate adventurers. Each organization worked with had a unique mission but a similar goal, to improve life for someone. This journey encompassed service and the mountains-climbed and salt flats-licked in between were the cherries on top. I would advise anyone to take a leap of faith and travel with Operation Groundswell time after time.
From working in schools, gardens, and communities to playing fútbol with local kiddos, climbing an 18,000 ft mountain, and taking in Southern Hemisphere stars while in a natural hot spring, the potential for growth is endless. Group time prepares you for the encounters along the way and ensures confidence in your independent travel time. Lesson learned, book bus tickets at the station, not online. However, four taxi rides to fix the problem was a fun way to improve my Spanish. Returning home after this trip is when the culture-shock hit me in the best and hardest of ways. I am now conscious of any waste I produce, yearn to work with my hands and have cut down on all of my possessions. This trip put into perspective how little you need to truly be happy. In my 40 South American-days, I learned more than could fit in my joyfully full 65L backpack.

What would you improve about this program?

More of the cost of the trip could be allocated to the NPOs worked with and less to organizational fees at headquarters.

What an incredible 40 days of experiencing new cultures, learning more about myself, and making friendships for life! I'm so very lucky to have gone on this amazing journey with Operation Groundswell throughout Bolivia, Chile, and Peru, with such courageous and like-minded people. I can only hope this is the beginning to a lifetime of adventure. The friendships that I have made on this trip are deep and profound. Even months after being back home, we message back and forth daily and are extremely supportive of each and everyone's endeavors. Truly an experience to make friends for lifetime.
-Ryann Van der Zwiep (Bolivia: Lands & Livelihoods, Summer 2017)

What would you improve about this program?

I loved the autonomy that this program allowed us, but I do wish there was time set out with our leaders to help prepare ourselves for the 10 days we traveled alone.

Questions & Answers

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Shay’s love for travel started in 2013 when she spent a winter break touring around France. Later that year, she discovered OG and decided to join the West Africa: Global Health program.

Post-program she knew she wanted to get more involved with OG, and hasn’t left since. She is now the Recruitment Assistant at OGHQ, but outside of work you can find her taking spontaneous weekend trips, reading books on self-discovery, and searching for the best brunch spots in the city!

What is your favorite travel memory?

Every adventure carries its distinct memories. As much as I've enjoyed traveling to Europe and Africa, I would say my favorite travel memories are the ones that are purely spontaneous like hopping on a plane and heading to New York for a weekend. Those are the kind of trips I absolutely love.

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How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Operation Groundswell is more than an organization. It's a community and even more than that, a family. Working with OG has taught me much. It's such a positive environment that encourages you to be your authentic self, while promoting experience through travel and ethical volunteering.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

The best story I've heard from a student was that their experience on an OG program not only met all their expectations, but served as the genesis for their current community involvement back home. It's always inspiring to hear how our impact has truly left an indelible imprint on our participants.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I'd easily choose the Middle East: Behind the Headlines program. Since Israel is not very big, I love the idea of being able to visit the entire region. There is so much history there, and not to mention - I'm a huge fan of Middle Eastern cuisine!

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

My company is unique for its values. We have a backpacktivist manifesto that informs all of our decisions. It includes adaptability, open-mindedness, understanding, respect, and solidarity to name a few.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

To me, the biggest factor in being successful is working with a team of people who share the same ideas and values. Our love for experience and human connection create room for us to make service-learning programs that resonate with people from around the world.

About Operation Groundswell

Operation Groundswell does backpacking with a purpose. With ethical travel at the crux of our philosophy, we design affordable programs that tell a story. Each trip addresses key challenges unique to each region and community we work with, told from diverse local perspectives. We blend solidarity-based community service, meaningful learning...