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Why We Deleted Facebook
I’ve been looking for an excuse to #deletefacebook since day 1 of Sustainable Summer as an organization. Conventional wisdom among marketers is that Facebook is an essential platform for customer acquisition. As an organization that works with the high school demographic, this is perhaps doubly true for us. So, begrudgingly, one of the first things… Read More
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Environmental Leadership: Why It Isn’t Easy To Explain What It Is We Do
Environmental Leadership: A Students Perspective On Sustainable Summer and Why It Isn’t Easy To Explain What It Is We Do We recently published the 2017 issue of Amaranthus: The Journal of Youth Environmental Leadership. In it, one of our alumni, Layla, now a college student at Bucknell University, reflects on her experience in the Ecuadorian… Read More
Tagged with amazon rainforest ecuador global citizenship
The Importance of Reading for Environmental Leaders
Advancing Student Learning Outcomes Through Pre and Post-Program Readings Working as a Global Learning Program Facilitator for Sustainable Summer, I have been afforded the opportunity to engage with bright students from across the globe. Our programs focus on educating for sustainability by examining social, environmental, and economic forces that are topical to the destination. Our Global… Read More
Tagged with Charles Mann global learning pedagogy
In Search of Young Republican Environmentalists
As I write this, Donald Trump has been the 45th President of the United States for all of five hours. In a blog post the day after election day, I made no secret of my disappointment in his election and my concern for the future of our country and the planet. But I also expressed… Read More
An Open Letter to President-Elect Trump
Mr. Trump, I did not vote for you, and today like many progressives I am trying to come to grips with the unimaginable. I am filled with sadness and trepidation about the future of our country and planet for so many reasons, but no reason looms larger in my mind than the impending global crisis… Read More
Tagged with Donald Trump energy policy
Ecuador Earthquake: Why You Should Travel to Ecuador This Summer
We’ve been getting a lot of phone calls lately from people who are concerned about traveling to the Galapagos or the Ecuadorian Amazon following the devastating April 16th earthquake on Ecuador’s coast. Here are a few things we think families should know about Ecuador and why we think traveling there this summer is one of… Read More
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Is This the Summer to go to Cuba?
Cuba is at a pretty unique moment in time. Obama was there a few days ago. Travel restrictions have been and continue to be loosened. Private enterprise is blossoming and an influx of foreign investment will accelerate the shift towards a market economy. Everything is changing very rapidly. This is without question a good thing for the average Cuban…. Read More
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Why Is Cuba So Expensive For Travelers?
I received an email from a prospective family inquiring about our Cuba program, particularly about the unexpectedly high costs. This was a surprise to me too when I was initially researching a Sustainable Summer Cuba program a few years ago so I thought I would share my response publicly. Here is the relevant part of… Read More
Tagged with cuba education travel People-to-People putney student travel
Why It’s Important To Strengthen Your College Admissions Resume This Summer
Colleges aren’t looking for well-rounded students; they are looking to cultivate a well-rounded class of individually and uniquely talented students. Institutions of secondary education, on the other hand, are largely structured to “output” well-rounded students – a little math and science, some humanities and social sciences, a dash of the arts (if you’re lucky), and… Read More
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Ecuador & Galapagos Travel Health (Updated With Zika Virus Info)
[pl_alertbox type=”info” closable=”yes”] If you are looking for information on Costa Rica or Cuba travel health, please note that we provide location specific information for participants in our Program Preparation Guide. We’ve compiled this additional information about Ecuador travel health because of the additional nuances associated with our Ecuador itineraries, whereas the situation in our… Read More
Tagged with dengue fever ecuador malaria zika virus