Peru | Community Service

Overview

We fly to Lima and transfer immediately by air and bus to Ollantaytambo, a town in the Sacred Valley, surrounded by Inca ruins and the towering peaks of the Andes. Spend three days adapting to the altitude (about 9000 feet) and joining in a detailed orientation to Peru and to the program.  Bond with your leaders and the rest of the group on an exciting half-day whitewater rafting trip on the Urubamba River. Our time in Ollantaytambo coincides with the annual Ollantay Raymi Festival, during which hundreds of costumed local people use the town’s Inca ruins as a backdrop to tell the story of the founding of the Inca nation.

Then travel to our host village, in a more remote part of the Sacred Valley, where we complete meaningful community service while getting to know the people,  history, and culture of the area.  In close partnership with the local elementary school, we help to organize construction and education projects, and work on them each day alongside our local friends.  Specific projects are decided in the spring  based on community need; in the past they have included building a classroom, painting a mural, constructing a community center, and creating and teaching language lessons for young students.  In addition to group projects, you also complete an independent project based on your own interests: learn a traditional Quechua song, practice weaving, photograph local children and display their portraits at the school, volunteer at the village clinic, learn to cook a traditional recipe, or spend a day herding sheep with a local shepherd.  In the afternoon, after the work day is finished, spend time playing soccer with local friends, hike remnants of ancient Inca footpaths into the surrounding mountains, or relax and play music with your Peruvian peers.  Upon successful completion of the program, you can expect to receive a certificate for 80-100 community service hours.

Accommodations in our host village are simple, but safe and comfortable.  We stay in a dormitory building adjacent to the school with separate quarters for boys and girls.  Basic bunks and simple bathroom facilities are provided.  We form crews for cooking and cleaning, and help local cocineras to shop and prepare for meals of traditional Peruvian fare and more familiar favorites.

On weekend excursions, we trek past a dramatic high mountain lake to the Lares hot springs or an Inca quarry used as a burial ground. Explore the salineras - Inca salt mines – and visit the impressive ruins at Chinchero.

During the final days of our program, we travel to the provincial capital of Cusco, a UNESCO world heritage site and the historic capital of the Inca Empire.  Explore the ruins of the sacred temple, Coricancha, and the terraced walls of Sacsayhuamán, first inhabited a millennium ago.

The culmination of the program arrives as we travel by train deep into the Andes to explore the most famous archeological site in the Americas—the mysterious mountaintop Inca stronghold of Machu Picchu.

Highlights

• Help local workers make improvements to the elementary school.
• Practice Spanish or Quechua as you play fútbol with Peruvian friends.
• Hike ancient Inca trails through the mountains to remote Andean villages.
• Join in the celebrations at the vibrant Ollantay Raymi Festival
• Ascend to the mysterious, mountaintop citadel of Machu Picchu.

What to Expect

For most of each weekday, we are actively involved in community service work.  This work, as well as afternoon and weekend activities, can be strenuous, and you can expect to spend most of each day outside.  If you have experienced difficulty adapting to  locations at high altitude, you should consider choosing another destination. Everyone participates in all of the group’s projects on a rotating basis, and everyone lends a hand in meal preparation and cleanup.   Since we live in our village as the local people do, accommodations are very simple with separate space for boys and girls, and basic bathroom facilities.  You should come to the program with an open-mind, eager to participate in new experiences, and interested in exploring another culture and way of life.

At Putney we take pride in our 60 year reputation for careful, thorough planning and attention to detail in implementing our special programs. This description is based on our experiences in previous years and our plans for this year. However, it is inevitable when working in a developing community that everything described here will not happen exactly this way. To enjoy the experience participants need to be flexible in responding to situations that come up, and creative in taking advantage of unexpected opportunities that present themselves. Students must be prepared to actively share responsibility for the success of their programs.

Fees

Tuition: $5,690

Itinerary

Click here to read last year’s trip blog.

This program begins and ends at Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida.

Departure • Join your group  to begin a month of village-based community service in Peru’s Sacred Valley of the Inca.  The group flight departs from Miami International Airport where you meet one of your leaders who travels with the group to Lima, Peru.

Lima to Cusco • Fly from Lima to Cusco, and travel by charter bus to Ollantaytambo. 

Ollantaytambo • We spend our first three days in Ollantaytambo, getting to know each other, acclimating to the high altitude of the Andes, joining in a detailed program orientation, and enjoying the colorful Ollantay Raymi festival.

Our Host Village • Take a short bus ride from Ollantaytambo to our host village, tucked in to the Andes of  Urubamba Province.  Here, immerse yourself in rural village life and complete meaningful service projects through our partnership with the local elementary school.

Weekend Excursions • On weekend excursions, visit the Inca ruins at Moray and Pisac, learn about traditional dyeing and weaving as the invited guest of a women’s textile collective, and explore the salt historic salt mines of Salineras.

Hiking in the Andes • Trek over ancient Inca footpaths into a more remote area of the Andes.  See astonishing vistas of snow-capped mountains and tiny villages, camp overnight under the stars, enjoy the Lares hot springs, or visit a quarry that was used as an Inca burial ground.

Cusco • During the final days of our program, travel to the the provincial capital of Cusco, a UNESCO world heritage site and the historic capital of the Inca Empire.  Explore the city’s picturesque colonial center, wander through the ruins of the a sacred temple, and marvel at the precise Inca stonework.

Machu Picchu • Board a train for Machu Picchu and explore this well-preserved Inca stronghold, world-renowned for its remote, mountaintop location.

Return • Fly with the group and a leader from Cusco to Lima, and then on to Miami International Airport.  Say goodbye to your group and continue on to your final destination.

This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule.  However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.

Destination

Background • Peru is known for its welcoming people, rich colonial and Incan history, awe-inspiring ancient ruins, and colorful music, arts, and crafts. Although rapid modernization in recent years has improved the economic situation of some Peruvian families, many still face chronic poverty, unemployment, and limited access to basic services. The highland villages of the Sacred Valley are home to many families who face serious challenges accessing education, health care, jobs, and diverse sources of nutrition.

Population  • Peru is a multi-ethnic nation with a population of roughly 30 million.  Indigenous groups make up 45 percent of the population, with most of the remainder being mestizos — people of mixed race.  Our host villages are largely made up of indigenous people and have populations of less than 1,000.

Language  • Peru is a multilingual nation.  Though Spanish is an official language throughout the country, indigenous languages like Quechua and Aymara are widely spoken.  Residents of our host village are native Quechua speakers who begin learning Spanish when they enter school, so most adults are proficient in Spanish.

Climate • The climate throughout the Sacred Valley is temperate throughout the year with daytime lows in the 50s and highs in the 70s.  Our host village as well as other places that we visit are at high elevation — 10000 feet or more — so after dark temperatures can dip sharply, into the 30s and 40s.

Cuisine • Peruvian cooking blends Spanish influence and indigenous ingredients, the most common being corn, potatoes, and beans.  These ingredients are combined with chicken, guinea pig, fish, cheeses, grains, eggs, and fresh fruits and vegetables to produce the delicious local cuisine.

Currency • The currency of Peru is the Nuevo Sol (PEN).  An ATM card is the most convenient way to access cash during the program.

Voltage • Voltage in Peru is 220 V, so U.S. electronic appliances will require a voltage converter and plug adapter.  Access to electricity in our host village is limited, so we share outlets for charging digital cameras and other electronic devices.

How To Apply

Step 1: Log On.

If you are new to Putney Student Travel, visit our Online Application. 
If you are a Putney Student Travel alumni family, use your existing account information to Log In.

Step 2: Hold A Space In The Program.

You can hold a space in a program by completing the Online Application Form and providing the $700 Application Deposit by Mastercard, Visa, or Discover Card through our secure online system or by sending a check to our office. Our admissions staff is also available to take credit card information over the phone.  We will hold a space in a program for a reasonable time, pending completion of the full application process. See Step 3.

After March 15, to hold a space in a program an application must be accompanied by full payment made by check or wire transfer and the signed Agreement Form.

Step 3: Complete the Application Process.

Before we can make a final admissions decision, an application must be complete.  In addition to the Application Form and Application Deposit described above, a complete application includes:

• Applicant Statement
• Two Teacher References
• Signed Agreement Form

These documents are available as part of our Online Application.  We review a completed application within a few days, and notify families of our admissions decision by e-mail.

For a full description of eligibility, admissions policies, and terms of payment, please visit our Terms & Conditions.