Our Global Community

Kalu Yala already exists. It is made up of millions of people who are demanding more authentic places, deeper experiences and a more ideal way of living. In many ways, the globalized world has disconnected us from each other and the places where we live, but the technology driving it also has the chance to bring us back together by connecting us to people through the interests we share with them. The internet will allow us to design Kalu Yala for the people who will live there, to connect them to the neighbors they will want to have and to give our small, locally owned businesses the strength to compete with global corporations.

Arbol de la Vida
First for some theory, then for some fun. In my last blog post, I raised the suggestion that as a community, it would be more valuable for us to be confused, and somewhat uncomfortable, by the connections between our data than interpret them according to a predetermined set of expected relationships. As scientists of the [...]  Read More
Kindergarten Kids!
My first two weeks teaching in San Miguel have been eye opening, amazing and absolutely crazy. I am teaching the kindergarten class with Hannah and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade class with Erin. Before I started teaching I planned out the topics that would be taught each week in class while I am here [...]  Read More
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March has been quite the eventful month. Since the 2nd day of March my level of stress and responsibility has gone up, and I am just starting to be able to look back on the last few weeks and feel rewarded for my efforts and time. March was the month to paint the mural in [...]  Read More
Reusable Bag
Sustainability has become the big buzz word of the 2000s; sustainable energy, sustainable agriculture, sustainable communities, etc. Lately sustainability has been lumped in with the “eco” and “green” movements. It has become associated with using “natural” products and eating “organic” in order to protect the planet. It means donating to “Save the Rainforest” causes and [...]  Read More
Spring 2012 business program
The Business Program had a semester pre wrap-up week last week. One month to go for this semester and now it’s important to sum up what has been achieved and re-examine the direction to be taken. Since working from Panama City, the Business Program folks (Victor, Sebastian and Aki) might be seen almost as a [...]  Read More
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When I first got to San Miguel Erin, Lillian, Hannah, and I walked around and asked the people in the community what issues/initiatives would benefit the community. One of the topics discussed was a health initiative. From here I immediately thought that I could benefit the community through my connection with dental health at home. [...]  Read More
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Monday morning at 8:30am I was standing in a room with 20 students and one teacher getting ready to give my first presentation completely in Spanish at La Chapa. La Chapa is a small school with only one classroom about a 30 minute ride from San Miguel. The community is surrounded by breathtaking views and [...]  Read More
Team Pick
Kalu Yala knows me as a Biology team intern, but I also moonlight as an Ultimate Frisbee addict. Before arriving in Panama, I joked about bringing some discs down with me, distributing them throughout my travels, and teaching locals about a new game called “Courtney.” Fortunately (or unfortunately, given my plans for inclusion in the [...]  Read More
My San Miguel Booklets
I have strived to make sure that this future mural in San Miguel not only represents the community, but is derived from within the community. Having this mural be born within the community and not an alien baby plastered on their community space is a huge goal of mine and also a large fear of [...]  Read More
Perspective
Things are interpreted relatively. If you’re traveling in a car at 100km/h and you throw an orange backward out your window at 25km/hr, the orange is traveling 75km/h, relative to the road. Your body is traveling 100km/h relative to the road, 0km/h relative to the car, and 25km/h relative to the orange. This analogy may [...]  Read More