October 2016
Dear Parents and Families,
It is an honor to introduce myself and tell you about a unique experiential learning
opportunity for Tufts students during spring break. Since 2009, I have taught a class
dedicated to Microfinance, or financial services for the poor, through the Tufts
Experimental College. The class is a byproduct of my time in the field in Sierra Leone,
Colombia and Mongolia, where I interacted directly with the participants and providers
of microfinance programs. I am thrilled to share this story about how we have made this
same transformational experience come alive for Tufts students.
Now entering its third year, the Global Engagement Trip (GET) is yet another way that
Tufts is working to bridge the gap between the classroom and the field. The GET
program was conceptualized in partnership with Human Connections, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by Tufts alumna, Elly Rohrer (A11). Human Connections is
built on the notion that seeing the world from diverse perspectives inspires vision,
innovation and action toward lasting social change. Their work starts with their clients low-income artisans, tradespeople and small business owners in Latin America. Tufts
students are then invited during the GETs to interact with their clients on a human level.
In March of 2015, we led our first-ever Tufts GET dedicated to microfinance to Bucerias,
Mexico with a small group of students. We met and interviewed participants in group and
individual lending programs in Bucerias. We documented the personal stories from
Moises the hammock-maker and Cristino the woodcarver, to Elvira the tamale-maker and
many others. We heard the challenges they face with respect to the financial service
programs in which they participate and the opportunities they conversely have afforded to
them and their families. The Tufts students came back inspired to share what they had
learned, joining my classroom to guest lecture the week after the trip and again the next
year.
After months of recruiting, information sessions and fundraising, I had the pleasure of
leading another group of 15 students to Ecuador for the 2016 GET. The itinerary was
shaped by a fellow Tufts student from Ecuador who interned with Human Connections
the previous summer. The itinerary was enhanced to include more direct interactions with
representatives from multiple microfinance institutions (the lenders) and an even more
diverse client base (the borrowers). Combining incredible sight-seeing with experiential
learning, we ventured from Quito to Salasaca to Banos. We stood with the clients, in their
homes or places of business, to soak in every word from their testimonials of what it
means to be a small business owner in their home land. Check out our amazing photo
gallery from the Ecuador trip!
Why would your son or daughter want to spend their spring break on a Global
Engagement Trip? Students are looking for thought-provoking, meaningful, fun travel
opportunities and the GET’s are a unique transformational experience that contributes to
personal growth. Similar to study abroad programs, immersing oneself in another culture
and language while observing non-traditional models of finance will have a lasting
professional and personal impact. Our GET students have also formed strong
relationships with one another that continue to enrich their college experience after
returning from Ecuador and Mexico.
We look forward to hearing from you and your son or daughter with interest in
participating in our 2017 GET to Ecuador! Thank you for this incredible opportunity to
share our story and spread the word. If you’d like to learn more or get involved, you can
reach me by email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Adam Grenier
Lecturer of Microfinance
Tufts Experimental College