Kalu Yala
My summer in the Panamanian jungle (2015)
"Your ideas are brilliant. They are the future." -Andres Duany (Founder of New Urbansim)
"This isn't a project, this is a way of life."
"Your ideas are brilliant. They are the future." -Andres Duany (Founder of New Urbansim)
What is
Kalu Yala?
"Real towns deliver what real estate develmpents only claim to. Kalu Yala is a new town built to deliver a 21st century quality of life in a new global economy." Kalu Yala is a real estate company in the process of building the world's most sustainable town located in the Tres Brazos Region of Panama. In order to solidify the foundation of this town they offer internship opportunities year round for students to come and learn about this lifestyle. These intern programs include Outdoor Recreation, Biology, Agriculture, Design Thinking, Farm to Table, Education, Health and Wellness, and Business. Each intern is responsible for completing a personal project which is intended to further the potential for what this town will one day become. This is the opportunity of a lifetime in which I was able to spend three months in a Panamanian jungle growing the vision of some wonderful people to create the world's most sustainable modern town.
What did I do at
Kalu Yala?
For the months of May, June, and July of 2015 I worked as an Outdoor Recreation intern at Kalu Yala. Outdoor Rec interns are responsible for keeping up the morale in the community by maintaining recreation areas, promoting leisure activities, and planning the annual 5K event that is hosted by Kalu Yala.
The interns that choose the Outdoor Recreation Program ought to be avid outdoor enthusiasts. This program, like most at Kalu Yala, is very labor intensive and requires earnest workers. It is important that those considering this position show an interest in leisure activities and are enthusiastic about fostering their adventurous ideas into others. Interest in the history of wilderness and wilderness ethics is also a very crucial part to this role at Kala Yalu, as we are the ones that relay these ethics to the entire community.
What did I learn at
Kalu Yala?
This summer I learned so many practical skills that I never thought I'd have the opportunity to practice... This summer I learned:
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How to use a lawnmower and a weedwacker
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How to maintain a trail with a machete
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How to plan a 5K event
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How to be a trip leader
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About wilderness ethics
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How to give a brief Leave No Trace lesson
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How to sleep in a hammock for three months with ten snoring roommates
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How to journal everyday
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How to install a drainage system
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How to build a sand pathway
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How to use the resources around me
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The process of design thinking and how crucial innovation is to all of us
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How to wake up early everyday and do yoga
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How to work well with others and appreciate our diversity
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That blue collar work built our world
What are the benefits of interning at
Kalu Yala?
The benefits that come from this opportunity are truly endless. Friendships that take you around the world, travelling Central America, and living in a Panamanian jungle are just a few perks that made this experience an actual experience. There is a tuition to be paid to become an intern for Kalu Yala, but this cost includes a meal plan cooked by the Farm to Table team for the entire internship duration. Farm to Table are the culinary interns that take the products made on the farm to create beautiful, healthy, and efficient foods to sustain the community. Tuition also includes board, which consists of a roof made of the local Royal Palms and your choice of an air matress or BYOH (Bring Your Own Hammock), completed by the great outdoors. The networking that you will gain from a semester at Kalu Yala is amazing. Not only do you get to meet like-minded people from all over the globe, you also have the opportunity to obtain helpful business connections through the founder of this company, Jimmy Stice. Once a Kalu Yalan, always a Kalu Yalan. So, when the semester is over you get to connect with all the Kalu Yalu Alumni and start building your own success story via networking.
Discover Kalu Yala for yourself...
