Money Talks, Even in the Jungle

Kalu Yala sits within the Tres Brazos Valley of Panama. (Emma Sarappo/Medill)

Interns live in communal, open-air structures called ranchos, arranged in a circle around the town square. (Emma Sarappo/Medill)

The environment offers hands-on educational opportunities for interns, most of whom come from America and Europe. (Emma Sarappo/Medill)

Journalism students from Northwestern University interview Esteban Gast, president and dean of the Kalu Yala Institute, in March. Gast left his position soon after for a new job in Los Angeles. (Emma Sarappo/Medill)

A stray chicken walks near the communal dishwashing station. The chicken coop is one of the agricultural team’s projects and the chickens provide a protein source. (Emma Sarappo/Medill)

By Woojae Julia Song

Kalu Yala combines an aspiring sustainable town and an ecological study abroad site in Panama’s jungle. Programs for interns include designing and developing organic agriculture, low-carbon architecture, and plant-based menus. But the establishment confronts financial and cultural challenges in attracting Panamanian residents as it plans expansions in coming years.

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Tags:

Kalu Yala; study abroad; sustainability; international development

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Money talks, even in the jungle