Floating Classroom, Galapagos, Ecuador

Fundraising target: £2,100 +

Project: support for five-day ‘floating classroom’ experience for Galapagos children. This is one of 21 projects nominated for our 21 For 21 programme.

21 For 21 Project Partner: Naveducando Foundation

The Naveducando Foundation is a non-profit organisation committed to providing inspirational, transformative, and empowering educational experiences to learners who will safeguard the Galapagos Islands for future generations.

Find out more about Naveducando. Set up a 21 For 21 Fundraising Page.

About Naveducando Foundation

Naveducando envisions a Galapagos community that understands and values the unique ecosystem of the archipelago, passionately protecting and defending its conservation through sustainable living and mindful management and policy.

Through an educational programme it nurtures the young. Through the programme these thoughtful and caring individuals foster a deep love and respect for Galapagos and the environment and this helps to guide their choices as decision makers and guardians of this very special place.

The Galapagos Archipelago

Located in the Pacific, 1,000 km off the coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos Archipelago consists of thirteen main islands and over 120 volcanic islets surrounded by a marine reserve.  Both the islands and the ocean provide sanctuary to many endemic species.

A population of around 30,000 people are charged with stewardship of the islands, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Threats to island life include pollution, invasive species, climate change, over-fishing and development.

Galapagos Infinito

Educational programmes for Galapagos schoolchildren, encourage them to cultivate a caring attitude for the natural world. These active, immersive programmes prepare them for the opportunities and challenges they will face as the next generation of leaders charged with protecting the archipelago.  The team strive to make lessons about ecosystems, sustainability and conservation both personally relevant and actionable to encourage more thoughtful living every day.

Each of Naveducando’s programmes are aligned around the following objectives:

Increase students’ knowledge of the unique Galapagos ecosystem;

Encourage them to approach nature with a sense of wonder;

Help them understand their connection to nature and their interdependent relationship with it;

Raise awareness of the ecological/social impact of lifestyle choices;

Spur critical consciousness of the challenges facing Galapagos;

Foster thoughtful and ongoing discussion about conservation and sustainability;

Motivate and empower students to take action and encourage others to do the same.

The five-day ‘floating classroom’ experience offers Galapagos seventh-graders an active, educational journey into the awe-inspiring wild areas of the archipelago.  During their time ‘off the grid’ they are invited to become students of the world around them.

Naveducando immerses these young children in an outdoor environment, using a science-based curriculum to teach them about the natural world and ways to safeguard it.  They experience lessons about wildlife, ecology, geology, history, conservation, sustainability, and more.  Children are taught to keep a safe and respectful distance from endemic species while they learn about biodiversity and why it is important.

Naveducando’s students have several opportunities to explore and learn about the diverse marine ecosystem beneath the waves.  Under the watchful eye of our expert instructors, students can experience swimming, snorkelling, kayaking, paddle boarding, sailing, and diving.  Each of these water sports teach the children new ways to enjoy themselves outdoors, and challenge them to learn new skills and the importance of hard work and perseverance.

During each trip, children participate in an environmental clean-up activity. They work together to collect rubbish from the island beaches and learn lessons about personal responsibility and sustainable choices. They become citizen scientists, studying sand samples, uncovering tiny plastic pollutants that harm the ocean environment, and learning about the ways in which they can become better marine stewards.

Students learn directly from the boat’s captain, the crew, and the guides about their jobs and the skills and experience they need to accomplish their work. The captain shares his knowledge about the electronic devices that help navigate during a storm. The naturalist guide references facts he learned in his biology class during his presentations. The marine engineer demonstrates how the boat’s desalination system functions, and the chef might share his secret recipe chocolate cake as they all prepare it together in the ship’s galley. The lessons they will learn are many and varied. Any one of these experiences could be the spark that inspires ambitious plans for a student who wants to follow in their mentors’ footsteps.

Naveducando’s instructors build upon that knowledge as they more deeply explore a wide variety of subjects from scientific topics such as climate change and permaculture to methods for exploring personal growth and discovery like meditation and mindfulness.

21 For 21 Funding will provide support for Naveducando’s Infinito childrens’ programme.

Visit the Galapagos through our responsible travel network.

^{Images courtesy of Naveducando}