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Panama: Development and Conservation

Program Overview

In the Panama: Development and Conservation study abroad program, students explore and investigate the critical environmental and social issues affecting one of the world’s most diverse ecological systems. Against the backdrop of global climate change, students engage with indigenous community organizations working at the forefront of Panama's environmental movement and conduct field research with leading Panamanian scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and other institutions.

The program gives students a rare opportunity to study tropical ecology up close in one of the world’s most diverse wildlife and plant environments. Students interact with research and conservation experts, local organizations, and indigenous groups to gain an in-depth understanding of how issues related to development and conservation affect lives and livelihoods within local communities. Intensive language instruction and homestays with host families in both urban and rural settings give students a rare, personal experience of the country, its cultures and livelihoods.

The Crossroads of the World
Panama has long been known as "the crossroads of the world," linking not only North and South America but also the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The country has eight unique indigenous groups, a strong Afro-Caribbean cultural influence, a Caribbean archipelago comparable to the Galapagos Islands, more bird species than are found in all of North America, and the last great roadless wilderness in Central America.

Within this extraordinary landscape, government officials, businesses, subsistence farmers, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) struggle to balance development and conservation in the midst of rapid growth. Students explore these dynamics while learning from and working with organizations such as the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), the Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation, the University of Panama, and the Earth University of Costa Rica that are conducting research and developing initiatives for sustainable development and conservation.

Read a blog from a previous student on the Panama: Development and Conservation program.