Leaders in Ecological Restoration

The PROGRAM

Lideres de Restauracion Ecologica (Leaders in Ecological Restoration, LER) is a program that works with grade 10-12 students in the Baccalaureate program of the local high school, Unidad Educativa Stella Maris.

IOI & LER

In conjunction with the local government, IOI has created a curriculum teaching a combination of science, personal development, and social entrepreneurship topics for the students of these school grades, satisfying Ecuador’s National Development Plan for 2021-2024.

Since 2021, IOI's Isabela Team has been heavily involved in the baccalaureate education at the school, designing and teaching a combination of science and personal development topics. Each grade has a different focus as follows:

  • 10th grade - biodiversity and ecology of Galapagos

  • 11th grade - socio-environmental interactions: sustainable agriculture and invasive species

  • 12th grade - governance: resource management and public private partnership

You can find the IOI Team teaching students 4 hours per week in each grade with the hours divided as follows:

  • 1 hour sciences

  • 1 hour personal development

  • 2 hours social entrepreneurship

Additionally, there is a one-week field trip per grade per year to match the curriculum and to introduce the students to the rest of the islands so that they get to know their archipelago and participate in public projects relevant to the year's curriculum. 

  • Year 1: Intern experience on Floreana Island with Project Floreana, an eco-restoration project.

  • Year 2: Volunteer opportunity with the ABG (Agency for the Regulation and Control of Biosafety and Quarantine for Galapagos) and the ministry of Agriculture, at their Santa Cruz Island headquarters, to learn about island-wide eradication efforts.

  • Year 3: Work with the San Cristobal Island state government and learn about public administration.

Last but not least, ehe entrepreneurship part of the curriculum is a profoundly important topic helping the next generation of young adults improve sustainability and quality of life in Isabela. Throughout the 3 years of the baccalaureate, students develop skills to design and operate a sustainable business that benefits people and planet alike. Each graduating class will receive a start-up grant from IOI to make the best business plan a reality.

January 2024 will see the 3-year curriculum completed, the first LER business plan prized and the first sustainable student-led business created. Participating students are highly motivated and their keen interest in learning give us great confidence in the future leaders of Galapagos.

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