Learning to stay: A case study on agroforestry education for the sustainability of rural youth in Darien, Republic of Panama
Item
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Title
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Learning to stay: A case study on agroforestry education for the sustainability of rural youth in Darien, Republic of Panama
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Identifier
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d_2009_2013:c1f2c869cc6f:11180
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identifier
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11547
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Creator
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Jordan, Fulvia,
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Contributor
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Joel Spring
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Date
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2012
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Agricultural education | Sustainability | Vocational education | Agroforestry Education | Darien | Panama | Place-based Education | Rural Education | Sustainable Development | Technical and Vocational Education
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Abstract
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Attending and completing upper secondary school in Darien, located on the eastern side of Panama, presents several challenges for the youth; these are largely attributed to: (1) lack of access to upper secondary schools, caused by geographic and socioeconomic factors; (2) poor regional education policies; and (3) inadequate infrastructure (e.g. transportation, potable water and electricity) that supports inconsistent school attendance.;The purpose of this dissertation was to learn about an alternative solution to the educational problems in Darien, offered by Colegio Agroforestal de Darien, a boarding school. The research question that guided this study was: in what ways does a school with an agroforestry curriculum contribute to the sustainable development of the youth in Darien? Sustainable development here refers to the prospects for students to improve their socioeconomic conditions as a result of their technical education, while acquiring competencies to support the preservation of their ecosystem (UNESCO, n.d.).;Darien is the most sparsely populated region of the country---3.7 inhabitants per square kilometer---and the region with the highest rate of extreme poverty; Darien accounts for 52.7% of the national poverty rate (Contraloria General, 2008). It is also home to a diverse population; 23% Afro-Latino, 30% Indigenous and 47% Colono-Latino (IADB, 2002).;Using a mixed methods approach informed by rural development and place-based education (Gruenewald, 2003) conceptual frameworks, the study focused on data from the 2007, 2008 and 2009 graduates and from the 2010 current students.;Findings in this study revealed that graduates assessed their training in agroforestry---agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry and land management---as significant in preparing them for employment and motivated many to pursue tertiary education. However, limitations to the continued accomplishments of the school were also found.;This study adds to the body of literature that links the practice of agroforestry systems in developing countries with poverty reduction (Garrity, 2004). Moreover, there is a paucity of empirical qualitative literature that speaks to the contribution of education, particularly in rural places, in the livelihood of youth in Panama.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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2009_2013.csv
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Urban Education
