Manna Project International

Profile last updated: Apr 05, 2024

Vitals

  • GYA Accredited Since: Unaccredited by the GYA. Please see the Standards for more information.
  • Enrolling: Yes
  • Mission Statement:

    To foster communities of talented young leaders to become the next generation of social change agents by engaging in collaborative, on-the-ground service with international communities in need.

  • Level of Independence/Supervision (mouse-over for definition):
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5

Program Locations


Typical Itinerary

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
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1
Pick up from airport and driven in private taxi to community house. Spend the day getting to know your cohort and other volunteers. Take a tour of the town and unpack. Enjoy a nice and early breakfast of porridge or eggs in the community house's kitchen and then get stuck into work. This is the first day of orientation! You'll get a meet and greet community tour to meet our neighbors, see our office, play some A day dedicated to understanding Manna, going over safety training + how to flourish personally. Professional training, learning about the different projects, meeting project leaders, team lunch at the local ecolodge. Observing different projects, guided reflections, 1-on-1 with mentor, helping at after school programming. Professional development training, travel to Tena to shop for groceries, learn more about community. Your first weekend! Go for a hike with your teammates, do yoga on our roof, play Ecua Volley with the community.
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
W
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2
Sleep in. Go to Tena for a nice brunch. Try new fruits from the market. Take a bike ride or read a book by the Napo River. Assistant teach your first class. Have your first official team meeting to decide schedules. Get to know community. Metrics and social media training. Take on your organizational tasks. Make dinner as a group. Assistant run computer lab. Contribute to your first rotational project to see where your fit is. Team lunch at lodge! Meet with mentor about your first week in your first track. Discuss what you want to learn, challenges of first week. Meet with Country Director. Training and reflections on cultural impact and your work. Play soccer at night with the community. Dedicate your morning to a community minga where you get to meet even more of the community and get your hands dirty with a community build project.

This is an example schedule. The first 2 weeks are devoted to training all gap year students and making sure that they are comfortable and excited. For the first month, gap year students will try a hand at different projects on things like water access, public health, youth development, and sustainability before they decide what they want to dedicate themselves to.


Program Outcomes

  • Become more socially engaged globally
  • Have a better idea of what types of tasks you like to do
  • Understand how to quantitatively and qualitatively develop social projects
  • Be more confident and independent
  • Improve Spanish
  • Build lasting relationships in the community
  • Learn basic Kichwa phrases

Program Details

  • Program Starts: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
  • Program Duration: Less than 2 months, Semester, Yearlong
  • Typical Program Cost: 3,600
  • Program Financial Aid: Yes
  • Other Financial Aid Details:

    We offer a scholarship for BIPOC students with demonstrated financial need on a rolling basis as well as dedicated assistance from our professional team to help find scholarships to fund experience.


Staff Training and Certification


Peer Reviews



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