Bolivia

Climate Change Education

A Professional Development Seminar for Educators

Bolivia Lake Where There Be Dragons Bolivia Educator

12 Days

An intercultural experiential education seminar for teachers of science, environmental studies, Spanish, and global studies, and for school administrators.

An experiential seminar for global studies educators.

Educators from all disciplines are invited to explore critical issues at the intersection of climate change, human ecology, and sustainable development—through the lens of Indigenous perspectives. Participants gain firsthand experience with the real-world impacts of these global challenges while developing effective classroom tools to bring these lessons to life. Set in the Central Andes—a region shaped by thousands of years of complex human society—our journey offers a unique opportunity to understand how Bolivia, with its 36 distinct ethnic groups, is responding to rapid environmental and social change.

Program activities include visits to local NGOs, conversations with renowned community leaders, scholars, and climate activists, and travel to remote areas directly experiencing the effects of climate disruption. Thanks to long-standing relationships with communities in the central valleys and years of experience in La Paz and Santa Cruz, educators are introduced to a diverse network of academics, farmers, scientists, spiritual guides, and activists from across Bolivian society.

dancers in bright pink dresses

Highlights & Outcomes

Community organizing and climate activism

Connect with grass roots organizations working at the community level to adapt to and combat adverse impacts of climate change and global environmental degradation.

Cultivate meaningful connections to local hosts

Through homestays, and local mentors, cultivate personally meaningful relationships with farmers, artists, and activists working on climate related initiatives.

Gain new skills and tools for effective global education

Deepen your skillset and return home with new perspectives for working with students on global education programming. Experiment with new facilitation tools and strategies.

Inspiration, vocation, and community

Become interconnected to an inspiring and passionate group of peer global educators dedicated to cutting edge progressive educational methodology and practice.

Bolivian city
line drawing of Bolivia

Our Journey

Bolivia Educator combines a focus on climate change education with authentic cross-cultural interaction. This course examines how environmental issues affect the everyday lives of Bolivians, as well as considering how traditional Andean relationships to the natural environment can contribute new perspectives to the discussion on climate change. Through meetings and site visits with grassroots NGOs, home-stays with local families, day hikes and urban exploration, independent study projects, and workshops on experiential and classroom pedagogy, participants are exposed to a wealth of content, as well as techniques for delivering that content to students in or out of the classroom.

Daily Itinerary

Bolivia Educator

Sample Itinerary
The following is a sample itinerary based on past courses; actual itineraries may vary.
  • Day 1: Arrival to Cochabamba

    Participants arrive at Cochabamba airport in the afternoon and transfer to El Poncho Eco-Lodge, twenty kilometers outside of Cochabamba. In this picturesque setting, nestled in the foothills at the base of Mount Tunari, we rest from traveling and begin group orientation.

  • Day 2: Cochabamba

    Group orientation continues, with introductions to Dragons’ core values and pedagogical philosophies, a regional background lesson, and group container-building, as well exploring the trails around the lodge. Participants begin to plan the independent study projects they will pursue on the trip.

  • Day 3: Cochabamba

    After breakfast, we leave the foothills and travel to Hotel Monserrat in the city center. After having some time to explore downtown Cochabamba, our group visits Fundación Abril, a local NGO that was born of Cochabamba’s “water wars” and continues to focus on water issues.

  • Day 4: Cochabamba

    In the morning, we visit the Center for Alternative Education, a national organization committed to education reform. After lunch, we meet with the Gaia Pacha organization to learn about environmental issues facing Bolivians today and their efforts to protect the environment. In the evening, we celebrate the close of our group orientation and prepare for the trip’s next phase: home-stays!

  • Days 5–7: Tiquipaya

    Leaving the city center, we travel by trufi to Tiquipaya, a rural suburb of Cochabamba where Dragons has its Program House. Home-stay families join us here for lunch, after which each participant goes home with their new Bolivian family! The next two days involve sharing in the daily rhythms of life with home-stay families, as well as group activities hiking in the nearby hills, meeting with another local environmental NGO, and learning more about historical and current environmental issues in Bolivia and South America. On the last day in Tiquipaya, we have a despedida farewell celebration with our host families and take an evening flight to La Paz.

  • Days 8–10: La Paz

    Over the next few days, after debriefing the home-stays and discussing ways to apply the experience to student learning, we delve into this bustling, high-altitude metropolis. As well as exploring the city, the group meets with government officials, local schools, and activist organizations to discuss climate issues, as well as makes a field trip outside the city to visit a sustainable farming community.

  • Day 11: Isla del Sol

    In the morning, we travel by boat to Isla del Sol, the legendary birthplace of the Incas. Walking across the length of the island, we visit ruins along the way and take in the views of glaciated peaks that surround the lake. We spend the night in a guesthouse on the island, each participant presenting their independent study project to the group.

  • Day 12: Isla del Sol & La Paz

    Beginning the day with a sunrise ceremony on the island, we then take the ferry back to the mainland and get on a bus to La Paz. After a final workshop to process all that we’ve learned and how to transfer those lessons back home, the rest of the day is open to explore the city and buy souvenirs before returning home the next day.

Featured Instructors

Our instructors are more than guides—they’re mentors, educators, and trusted companions on every journey. Each member of our team is thoroughly vetted, background-checked, and trained in our unique pedagogy and risk management practices. With an average of over four years living abroad and fluency in local languages, our instructors return to communities time and again, serving as meaningful cross-cultural liaisons.

Meet Our Instructors

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