Bethany Battafarano is a doctoral student in Ethnomusicology at the University of Chicago and is undertaking research in Ecuador on the role of Kichwa music in preserving and transmitting ecological knowledge in the Amazon rainforest. Her project, Music for the Amazon Rainforest: Ecuadorian Kichwa Musicians Conserve Ecological Knowledge, explores how traditional music carries knowledge about the
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Andrew Davies is a doctoral student in Plant Biology and Conservation at Northwestern University and is undertaking research in Ecuador focused on the conservation and reforestation of endangered Magnolia trees. His project, Advancing the Reforestation of Endangered Ecuadorian Magnolia Trees, uses population genetics to better understand genetic diversity among endangered Magnolia species and to inform more
Marielle Buxbaum’s Theatre for Youth Futures: Engaging Ecuadorian Urban Teens explores the social concerns of Ecuadorian youth. Marielle’s playwriting-for-social-change program looks to address difficult experiences of youth from Loja, including bullying, suicide, intra-family violence and drug abuse through plays written and performed by participating teens. Her theatre program engages with the therapeutic value of working
Derek graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree in Architecture, and is undertaking architectural design research in Ecuador. His project, Cañ & Ara: Mending Climates with Vernacular Cosmovisions, aims to convene a 2-day Plurinational Craft Council that would include artisans and craftspeople from various indigenous nations to
Laura Chang won the 2024 Project Support Award for Ecuador. She will use the Award to support her project on the Integration of Kichwa and Western Medicines. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Biology with a minor in Latin American Studies and Spanish from Cornell University. Her career goal is to become a
Emily Kuhn will use this award to support her project, Understanding Kichwa Agroecology as an Intergenerational Pedagogy. She will work with linguists, Kichwa ethno-scientists, sound engineers and graphic designers to create audiovisual materials for students and educators to promote the transfer of ancestral ecological knowledge to support sustainable agricultural practices. She earned her BA in