Yale Alumni Travel to Brazil to Promote Global Sustainability
Yale alumni will travel to Rio De Janeiro October 30 – November 8 to collaborate with leading Brazilian social entrepreneurs working to preserve the degraded Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil. The Yale volunteers include business consultants, lawyers, medical doctors and other health professionals, as well as environmental consultants and engineers.
The alumni will work closely in partnership with Instituto Terra, an award-winning environmental NGO committed to spreading awareness and knowledge of biodiversity conservation, agro-forestry and sustainable development. The group will also meet with local Yale alumni, leading private sector organizations active in sustainable development, and governmental representatives in the Rio Claro region of Rio de Janeiro.
“This endeavor underscores Yale University’s commitment to service and to producing global citizens,” said Mark Dollhopf, Executive Director of the Association of Yale Alumni. “We are proud that our alumni are enthusiastically applying their knowledge and professional experience to address important global issues such as sustainability and public health.”
The service trip will focus on promoting sustainability, biodiversity and clean water in the Atlantic Rainforest by way of three distinct projects:
Project 1: Reforestation, Restoration and Agro-Forestry Activities
- Project participants will help Instituto Terra with their day-to-day sustainability efforts in the Atlantic Rainforest — identifying lessons learned and potential opportunities to introduce “best practices” for Instituto Terra to scale reforestation efforts.
Project 2: Business, Legal and Environmental Projects
- Project participants will help Instituto Terra identify potential partners and create appropriate marketing materials to attract international donors and to raise awareness and generate funds to support important initiatives to mitigate environmental degradation in the Atlantic Rainforest.
Project 3: Public Health Outreach
- Project participants will assist Instituto Terra in integrating a new sanitation system, the biodigestor, in one of Rio Claro’s Quilombola communities; collaborate with local Quilombola leaders and municipal health representatives to assess the status of health in the Quilombola community; and collaborate with local leaders to recommend solutions to improve the public health in the region, based on the initial findings.
The trip is being facilitated by Global Imprints, a company that customizes international service experiences for universities, corporations and philanthropists in various countries around the world.