What is Galápagos Infinito?
It is an experiential education program that seeks to take all 12-year-old students from the Galapagos Islands to get to know their islands, enjoy the sea and strengthen their island culture through a deep connection with their environment. Only in this way will they become the guardians that the archipelago needs!
Missions Accomplished
Testimonials
Galapagos Infinito gave me the opportunity to broaden my horizons and my aspirations.
After participating in the missions, I know that I want to be part of a ship’s crew and take care of my island and the sea that surrounds it. I felt very happy when I was able to ask the astronaut a question. I will never forget this opportunity!
Camila Yuquilema – 7th grade student at School XX
The Pilot Trip Naviducando
Watch the video of our first trip where 12 students from Isabela traveled to Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Plazas, Sombrero Chino, Bartolome, Puerto Egas, Rabida and North Seymour on a 4-day educational cruise.
They learned to swim, dive, snorkel, kayak and also about the most beautiful nature of the islands, their origin and everything we can do to take care of them.
About Galapagos Infinito
31
Missions
Participants
27 Participating Teachers
GENERAL EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE
Upon completing the trip, participants and students will be able to:
Understand that there is an interrelationship between everything that surrounds us and we have the responsibility to know it, connect in a healthy way and be inspired to go “against the current”.
SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
In order to meet the general objective, two specific objectives are established that would guide the activities of the three proposed axes:
– Know in a general way how the Islands, their ecosystems and the planet are connected.
– Recognize the interconnection between human actions and their direct consequences on the animal, plant and mineral kingdoms on the islands and the planet.
– Healthily enjoy the sea and the ecosystems of the islands as the basis of their own connections with them
Noémi d’Ozouville
Scientific expert, systemic and visual thinker, community leader, member of the Galapagos Agreement for Education, and mother of Moz. Currently President of the Naveducando Foundation.
Emiliano Rodríguez
Expert in unconventional communication and innovation. Director of PACIFICO. Consultant for the World Bank, IDB, JICA and the Rockefeller Foundation. Creator of a participatory design methodology applied with governments from more than 10 countries. His work was presented at the United Nations and awarded Gold at the Cannes Festival of Creativity.
Juliette Finzi Hart
Oceanographer working to help coastal communities understand and use the best available science in their coastal planning. She has a strong focus on developing innovative stakeholder engagement strategies, such as working with community science and developing virtual and augmented reality applications to help translate complex scientific information.
Nancy Nuñez
Communicator specializing in civil society organizations and public policy. She is part of the risk and gender communication team of Bomberos de Argentina.
Ana María Andrade
She grew up in Galapagos and graduated in law, she maintains a passion for experiential education topics and the promotion of a culture of peace. Mother of three children, very involved in school and started a career in tourism.
Maria Fernanda Hidalgo
Grown up in Galapagos and graduated as an Environmental Engineer, she has returned to Galapagos after working 10 years on the coast of Ecuador. Passionate about Environmental Education, she is an educator of the Program.
Roberto Pépolas (Roby)
Our light from the skies, Roby, diving instructor, naturalist guide and father of a family, is one of the creators of the Naveducando pilot project and co-founder of the Naveducando Foundation. He said goodbye on November 11, 2021.
And we are more: from the Naveducando Foundation, the Governing Council, PACIFICO and the community!
In March 2020, the entire world stopped in the face of the Coronavirus COVID-19. Adults and children were locked up, making it even more important to keep the dream alive so that 12-year-old boys and girls from the Galapagos have the opportunity to get to know their islands, develop their connection with nature and strengthen their island identity.
It is impossible to love, value and care for something you don’t know, or to defend what you don’t love.
The same happens with nature, and also nature in the Galapagos.
In 2018, the dream that we have long carried in our hearts began to become a reality. The results of a survey showed great disparities between students in terms of their experience and knowledge of the sea and the heritage islands and we knew that we had to do something to change that situation.
In November, it was possible to transform a tourist boat into a “school boat” and take 12 children from the 7th grade of elementary school from Isabela Island on a 5-day educational itinerary.
Galápagos Infinito has the dream of reaching 520 seventh grade boys and girls each year as an experiential education program.
The COVID-19 crisis led us to take virtual trips from our homes. We made a digital adaptation of the program and carried out educational missions with people from the community so that young people can discover sea trades and talk with scientists at a national and international level.
We invite you to be part of our next adventures!
In 2017 the Naveducando Team surveyed 98% of the 12-year-old kids in the Galapagos Islands about their knowledge of the islands, the ocean, and its ecosystems. The results showed that the kids do not know their islands, they don’t enjoy the islands as they could and they are unaware of the main environmental challenges.
How can we take care of something we don’t even know?
In 2018, Naveducando developed a curriculum for 5 days of an educational cruise to solve the problem. We presented the project to several organizations, companies and to the public sector. We received the generous support of the Smaba Yacht, this family company that gifted the first trip. Twelve students from Isabela went on the first educational cruise in November 2018.
In 2019 we pitched the project to tourism companies and more public agencies. Finally the Galapagos Government (Consejo de Gobierno in Spanish) decided to support our initiative and we started working together to take all the 12-year-old kids in the Galapagos to this experience.
COVID changed our plans and we adapted the curriculum and activities to a virtual mode.
The educational curriculum was adapted to a virtual mode keeping the three main axis /areas:
1. Connection with nature
2. Knowledge of the archipelago
3. Island Culture
The virtual missions provide a space for students to share with specialists in different areas of science and island life as well as exchanges with other students from other Pacific islands (e.g. New Zealand), we even got to connect with the International Space Station and ask some questions to the astronauts.
We invite you to be part of our adventures!
Norman Wray
Former Minister-President of the Governing Council of the Special Regime of Galapagos. Lawyer and father of a family. Defender of the rights of the family, of girls and boys and of women. Promoter of sustainable development, anchored in principles of conservation and above all investment in education and in people.
Alberto Andrade
Alberto Andrade is a charismatic community leader, environmental activist, fisherman, and radio host. In 2017, following the capture of the Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999 in Galapagos Marine Reserve, he mobilized thousands of the community to raise awareness of the threats to the Marine Reserve and support authorities to impose sanctions. As a result, the Frente Insular RMG movement was born, which carries out activities ranging from beach clean ups, to youth leadership and empowerment, urban gardens, informative talks and connection to the sea activities. The #GalapagosMiResponsabilidad Radio Program goes live every Thursday and keeps the community informed and engaged.
Lynn Fowler
Retired expedition leader with Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic after more than 40 years of career, Lynn shares her time between Galápagos and her farm in Georgia. She recently returned to Alcedo Volcano where she carried out her PhD research in the 1970s.
Godfrey Merlen
Scientist, author, artist and captain of the Galápagos. Godfrey’s passion for the Galápagos Islands dates back to the 1970s when he arrived as a young man. He has worked as a mechanic, naturalist guide, advisor to the Galápagos National Park Directorate and Director of several NGOs.
Thank you to Galapagos Infinito Sponsors
With the support of
