Our programs
Cultural Learning and Meaningful Service Projects
Two Ways Student Groups Can Engage
Cultural Learning Programs
Students spend time with Andean artisans, local educators, and Awamaki staff through hands-on activities, conversation, and guided discussion. Programs may include traditional weaving demonstrations, participation in a weaving activity, discussion around sustainability and community-based tourism, and learning about women-led entrepreneurship in the Sacred Valley.
This option works well for groups with limited time who want a structured educational experience that goes deeper than observation.
Meaningful Service Learning Projects
Awamaki also works with student and youth groups looking for meaningful service projects in Peru. Service learning opportunities are developed around current community and organizational needs.
Depending on timing, group size, project readiness, and partner priorities, students may contribute to work connected to artisan cooperatives, education, sustainable tourism, community spaces, infrastructure, or organizational support. These projects may take place in Ollantaytambo, nearby communities, or higher in the Sacred Valley depending on current needs.
We see service as a way for students to connect and contribute to the community, as a thank you for teaching and hosting them. Service work with our programs is useful, respectful, and supports ongoing local efforts.
What Students May Do
Learn about the cultural significance of Andean textiles.
Observe how spinning, dyeing, and weaving techniques are practiced and passed down across generations.
Participate in a hands-on weaving activity.
Engage in discussion around entrepreneurship, sustainability, and community-based tourism.
Spend time interacting directly with artisans and Awamaki staff.
Participate in a service project connected to current community or organizational needs.
Reflect on what responsible service and cultural exchange look like in practice.
Take part in additional activities such as language classes, cultural workshops, homestays, or Sacred Valley visits depending on the itinerary.
What Students Learn
Through the program, students gain a deeper understanding of how traditional Andean weaving connects to cultural identity, women-led entrepreneurship, sustainability, and daily life in the Sacred Valley.
They also explore how tourism and service work can either remain surface-level or become more meaningful when shaped by long-term relationships with local partners. Rather than treating culture or service as a short activity, Awamaki’s programs help students understand the people, systems, and choices behind responsible community engagement.
Students leave with a clearer understanding of how culture, identity, local economies, and global markets intersect in the Andes.
What Makes the Service Work Meaningful
Awamaki’s service learning projects are not designed as one-off volunteer activities. They are shaped by ongoing relationships with artisan cooperatives, local educators, community partners, and Awamaki staff.
Projects vary based on current needs, appropriate timing, and the capacity of the communities and programs involved. Students are not placed into communities as outsiders “helping” for a short visit. Instead, they participate in structured service learning that includes context, reflection, and respect for work already being led locally.
The work itself matters, but it is only one part of the experience. Students contribute to ongoing efforts while also learning from community members, practicing cultural humility, and reflecting on why meaningful service requires preparation, partnership, and long-term commitment. Service projects with Awamaki help students learn from community members and work alongside them, not simply complete a short-term project. This approach reflects Awamaki’s broader model of community-based tourism in the Sacred Valley.
Planning and Pricing
Because each group’s schedule, activities, size, and logistics are different, pricing is customized based on the program you build with Awamaki.
Send us your group size, travel dates, school or organization name, student age range, and whether you are interested in cultural learning, service learning, or both. From there, Awamaki can help outline program options that fit your goals and time in the Sacred Valley.
Why Awamaki
Awamaki offers student group programs rooted in long-term relationships, not staged experiences or short-term service projects.
Students engage with Andean artisans, local educators, and Awamaki staff through programs designed around participation, conversation, and context. The experience is structured enough for educational travel schedules while remaining grounded in real partnerships and ongoing community priorities.
Awamaki’s model connects traditional weaving, sustainable tourism, education, and women-led entrepreneurship. For student groups, this creates a practical way to learn from local partners while participating in work that remains connected to daily life in the Sacred Valley.
Your Group’s Visit Creates Real Impact
Student group programs support Awamaki’s long-term partnerships with more than 180 women artisans across 9 cooperatives in the Sacred Valley.
Depending on the program, your group’s visit may contribute to fair compensation for artisans and educators, support training and educational initiatives, strengthen women-led income opportunities, and help sustain traditional weaving practices through continued community participation.
The goal is not to separate service from daily life, but to support work already connected to local knowledge, community priorities, and long-term opportunity.