Office of Student Life
Leadership and Community Engagement

Uruguay: Rizoma Field School

La Vida Uruguaya: Developing Small, Sustainable, and Simple Livelihoods in Rural Latin America 

Community Partner: Rizoma Field School 

Trip Dates: May 3-11, 2024 (please note that this trip will depart from Columbus on Friday, May 3) 

Location: Colonia, Uruguay 

Number of Participants: 14 

Price: $2500 

Apply for a Buck-I-SERV Summer 2024 trip today! 

Included in participant fee: 

  • All logistical and travel expenses: All transportation costs (transportation to and from John Glenn Columbus International Airport), roundtrip flights to and from Uruguay, in-country transportation in Uruguay, and overnight lodging for the duration of the trip. 

  • Rizoma Field School program fees: Program fees cover transport/guide/translation services to and from airport in Montevideo, local transportation to all service sites, all meals, guides/translators from Rizoma Field School and partners on service days, connectivity (local team WiFi access), 24-hour emergency standby on-call access, tours and orientation on excursion days to Colonia del Sacramento and Montevideo 

  • GeoBlue Supplemental International Insurance enrollment and coverage for duration of trip/travel. 

  • Buck-I-SERV supplies/swag: Individual items (t-shirts, water bottles, pens, and reflection booklets for each group member) and group items (first aid kit, disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, deck of playing cards, and thank you card for community partner). 

  • Buck-I-SERV Events and Training: Summer Trip Kick-Off and Welcome Back events with catering and pre-trip education and training. 

  • All group meals and activities during the trip (please note that this does not include any individual expenses such as souvenirs – participants should plan to bring money for individual purchases) 

Travel and housing: 

  • Participants will fly roundtrip to and from Montevideo, Uruguay 

  • Upon arrival in Montevideo, the group will be picked up via shuttle and transported to Colonia. Shuttles will be arranged for transportation throughout the week. 

  • Housing is accommodated in Colonia Valdense. Additional details will be provided to participants upon placement. 

  • A packing list will be provided to participants and discussed during pre-trip meetings leading up to departure. 

What to expect: 

  • A small country wedged between Argentina and Brazil, Uruguay offers a unique mix of European, Latin and African-influenced cultures, beautiful rolling countryside, and some of the world’s most progressive policies supporting both human happiness and preserving the natural environment.  

  • Participants will work closely on projects with small-scale agroecological producers who do a mix of subsistence production and some agricultural production for sale. These small producers strive to use only organic principles, but they are being challenged in their ability to subsist on the land by the introduction of industrial agriculture to Uruguay in recent decades. We will support these farmers through various projects including: road repair, planting, harvesting, or preparing soil organically. Students will also be introduced to natural building methods, such as using bamboo, mud and straw to construct small outbuildings. These projects will help to support the continued resilience of these farmers in their challenge to live with minimal impact on the environment.  

  • The work will be physically challenging, but your volunteer work will make a significant impact on this small-scale farming community in Uruguay, and in the process you will learn about a resilient way of life that has been flourishing in this region for centuries. 

  • Please note: A valid passport is necessary at time of application for this INTERNATIONAL trip. Passports must have expiration date of at least 6 months after the return date of the trip (ex: November 2024).