Jack Anderson (EPM ’25) travelled to Colombia for the spring break global course offered by the Institute. Below is his experience on the trip.
Experiential Learning (EL): Describe the organization you worked for.
Jack Anderson (JA): I worked alongside Quinta Esencia Taller, a small nonprofit, working on grassroots solutions to problems that impact their community. Their three main pillars are education, technology, and eco-restoration.
EL: Describe your project/what you did in your internship/practicum (3-5 sentences).
JA: We worked on projects related to all three pillars. For education, we worked with a local school group on an invasive species abatement project, showing students the importance of stewardship. For technology, we used Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping software to show where invasive species were and the need for further projects. For eco-restoration, we worked on a variety of projects including invasive species removal, a tree incubation workshop, and an erosion control project.
EL: What was the challenge/issue at the heart of what you were working on?
JA: [To] help someone who isn’t familiar with this place, organization and the issues they work on to understand the context of your work. What we were focusing on was specifically trying to restore the natural ecosystems so that they work in the favor of the farmers. This polycultural [agriculture] model is in direct opposition to the normal practices of monocultures that degrade soils requiring nitrogen fixing agents that make farmers reliant on international markets.
EL: What was your biggest insight?
JA: My biggest insight was how much these farmers are exposed to international commodity market shocks and monetary shifts. Fertilizers and coffee are international markets that can oftentimes experience volatility which can make it difficult for the campesinos (farmers) to plan around. Additionally, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the USD has been good for them as coffee prices have been steadily rising but it has been sporadic leaving many farmers in positions that are hard to plan around.
EL: What was most eye-opening or surprising?
JA: What most surprised me was how well my Spanish improved in just 6 or 7 days of immersion. I felt like I was able to understand far, far more after a few days in the country than taking a whole semester of Spanish classes.
EL: What was your personal highlight of this experience?
JA: One of the personal highlights for me was how friendly and happy everyone was to see us in the country.
EL: How did you draw upon your education and experiences at MIIS?
JA: I drew upon what I’ve learned at the Middlebury Institute by applying some macro-economic stuff I learned in the context of the local environment and really applying the ecosystems approach to many of these problems.
EL: How were you able to contribute to this organization’s work?
JA: Currently, we are working on a website for the nonprofit to help them get better connected to outside organizations and partners.
EL: What skills did you develop? How will this experience help you professionally?
JA: I really felt like I developed my Spanish abilities quickly and intercultural competency, too.
EL: What tips do you have for other students?
JA: Start banking sleep a week or two before the trip because between the flights, long days, and rigorous schedule, I found myself needing to steal away any hours of sleep I could.
EL: How could other students connect to organizations or projects at this organization or in this location?
JA: I would say reach out directly to Quinta Escencia or to Jaime as they are very well connected to the community and could tell you anything you’d need to know.
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