Global Business Brigades
Ambassador Trips
Ambassador Trips
December 13-16, 2019
January 3-6, 2020
Join other esteemed business faculty experience our internationally recognized economic development programming in the Panama. Led by our local directors, faculty will visit partner communities to assess program impact, evaluate the professional experience volunteers receive, and see the logistical infrastructure that empowers thousands of students each year.
As an official partner of Deloitte, the United Nations, World Bank, Kiva, our university student volunteers and faculty have the unique opportunity to not just see global development work in action, but become a key actor in helping propel community’s economic objectives forward through our microenterprise consulting model.
Application Deadline is November 24, 2019.
Each Ambassador trip will be capped at 15 faculty participants, so please reserve your spot as soon as possible.
Business Brigade Ambassadors Trip 4 Day Sample Schedule
Ambassadors will arrive into Panama City and be greeted by Juan David Villegas, our International Director of Strategic Initiatives. Everyone will be transported together in a private bus to our lodging facility in Eastern Panama, for orientation, meals and time to settle in. On Day 2, Ambassadors will be in the communities seeing first hand how GB’s economic development model is being applied, meeting with leaders of our community-owned banks, and reviewing their financial performance. Day 3, Ambassadors will get an exclusive look into our newest initiatives, how Deloitte mentors participate on brigades, and how grants from the World Bank and Kiva is being incorporated into scaling programming. Day 4, Ambassadors will get an inside look at Panama City’s innovation centers and tour the infamous Panama Canal. Every evening will have plenty of time for reflection, networking and preparations for the day ahead.
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00am | Airport Pick up and Transport to Lodging Facility | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | |
| 8:00am | Intro to Panama and Holistic Model | Transport to Community | Transport to Panama City | ||
| 9:00am | Transport to Community | Theory Into Action: Microenterprise Consultation Assessment | Tour Panama City’s Financial & Innovation Centers and Panama Canal Visit | ||
| 10:00am | Intro to Business Brigades and GB’s Economic Development Model | ||||
| 11:00am | |||||
| 12:00pm | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | ||
| 1:00pm | Community Bank Meeting | Kiva Loans Portfolio Review and Impact Analysis | Transport to Airport & Airline Check In | ||
| 2:00pm | |||||
| 3:00pm | Financial Audit: Evaluating Financial Inclusion in Community Bank | World Bank Project Assessment | |||
| 4:00pm | Dinner | ||||
| 5:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility | Transport to Lodging Facility | |||
| 6:00pm | Dinner | Dinner | |||
| 7:00pm | Orientation, Cultural Sensitivity, and Lodging Rules Discussion | Networking | Networking |
| Day 1 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Airport Pick up and Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 8:00am | |
| 9:00am | |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | |
| 1:00pm | |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | Dinner |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | Orientation, Cultural Sensitivity, and Lodging Rules Discussion |
| Day 2 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Intro to Panama and Holistic Model |
| 9:00am | Transport to Community |
| 10:00am | Intro to Business Brigades and GB’s Economic Development Model |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Community Bank Meeting |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | Financial Audit: Evaluation Financial Inclusion in Community Bank |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 6:00pm | Dinner |
| 7:00pm | Networking |
| Day 3 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Theory Into Action: Microenterprise Consultation Assessment |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Kiva Loan Portfolio Review and Impact Analysis |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | World Bank Assessment |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 6:00pm | Dinner |
| 7:00pm | Networking |
| Day 4 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Panama City |
| 9:00am | Tour Panama City’s Financial & Innovation Centers and Panama Canal Visit |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Transport to Airport & Airline Check In |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | |
Volunteer Donation Goal
Ambassador Trips are a subsidized initiative of Global Brigades to encourage faculty to experience our programming first hand and lead a future brigade from their school. Once accepted, qualified faculty are provided a full in-country scholarship to participate which covers all meals, lodging, transport, insurance, and on-the-ground logistics. They also will receive a $300 flight voucher if booking through our travel team. The remainder of any airfare expense may be reimbursed after leading a successful brigade.
Business Brigades Chapters
Please click on the map below to see a list of active university chapters.
Safety
Volunteer safety will always be our absolute top priority. Global Brigades recently engaged Askari International Security, an industry leader in international risk assessment, to complete a comprehensive risk/safety assessment of all brigade operations. A full explanation of safety precautions and procedures can be found on our “Safety & Insurance” page.
A Quote from Askari International Security
“I was asked to review Global Brigades safety and security procedures for their operations in Central America. I always use a “litmus test” by assessing whether I’d be happy to send my own daughters (late teens early 20’s) on one of their events. The answer was a resounding yes. I hope I was able to help them improve their processes and procedures, but what was already in place was good, but better still was the culture of safety and security. All the staff were concerned with safety and security and keen to improve. Nothing can ever be 100% secure or safe, but with Global Brigades I can genuinely say they care and take things very seriously.”
– Bryan Hemmings, Managing Director, Askari International Security
Safety Highlights in Panama
- Global Brigades is an active member of OSAC (the Overseas Security Advisory Committee) and receives up-to-date security and safety briefings from the U.S. State Department;
- Established relationship with Senafront to provide security escorts to those groups working in the Darien region;
- Full-time local Global Brigades medical personnel on-call at all times;
- Adherence to the IVPA standards of international volunteering.
Lodging Facilities
Global Brigades does an annual safety review of all lodging facility partners each year. Lodging facilities provide pillows, bedsheets and towels. Facilities have showers, toilets and sinks with running water (no hot water) as well as filtered clean drinking water dispensers onsite. 24-hour security is provided at all facilities. Conditions are most similar to a comfortable summer camp, with dormitory-style sleeping and shared bathrooms.
The Ambassador Trip will be assigned a lodging facility based on number of attendees and communities being visited.
Asamblea de Dios
Campamento Asambleas De Dios, San Carlos, Panama is a large facility that sits only about 800 meters from the main road(Via Panamericana) approximately 2 hours from Panama City. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. Global Brigades Panama has been using the San Carlos facility since March 2015. Emergency medical care is available at the Health Center in the town of San Carlos, approximately 2 minutes from this facility.
El Palmar
The El Palmar hostel sits along the Pan-American highway, approximately 30 minutes after passing Lago Bayano and approximately 10 minutes before reaching the town of Torti. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of a landscape full of green mountains and farms’ pastures. Global Brigades Panama has used El Palmar for several years, and it has housed hundreds of brigaders. Emergency medical care is easily accessible in Torti.
Hotel Avicar
Hotel Avicar sits along the Pan-American highway, approximately 40 minutes after passing Lago Bayano and is in the center of the town of Torti. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of a landscape full of green mountains and farms’ pastures. Also, brigaders staying at Hotel Avicar get see how life plays out in a rural town in East Panama. Emergency medical care is available
in Torti.
Hotel Tonosi
It is located on the Pan-American Highway in the Meteti sector, it has cozy rooms, of four and five people, with color television and air conditioning. It has a covered terrace and countryside landscapes. He is known for his good food and great hospitality.
Pro Niños
Pro Ninos was one of the first lodges used by GB in its trajectory in the Darien area. It is a beautiful camp in which you can enjoy its variable flora and fauna. It has wooded areas and open spaces to recreate in contact with nature.
Iguana Eco Resort
It is a wide place that offers the experience to the volunteers of being in contact with nature. It offers various activities such as hiking. It has cozy rooms with air conditioning, 2 swimming pools and a meeting area. It is located near the city of Penonomé. It is the ideal place to rest after a long day of work in the brigade
Oasis de Bendición
As the name implies, it is the ideal place to relax after a hard day. It has beautiful landscapes, spacious bedrooms with cabins to encourage coexistence among volunteers. It has a terrace for meetings, multiple areas for indoor recreational activities. It is located a few meters from the main road which provides good access to it.
Hotel Vista Lago Eco Resort
This camp is the first on the GB expansion route to the Veraguas area. It has extensive landscapes, a beautiful lake on the side of the camp. Large areas for recreation. It has a restaurant specializing in typical Panamanian and international food. It has rooms on several floors from which you can see a beautiful view of the whole panorama.
Hotel Ojos del Rio
Hotel Ojos del Rio sits in the center of Panama City, about 40 minutes from Panama’s international airport. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of Panama City’s skyline. Global Brigades Panama began using this hotel in 2018 to accommodate any brigades that needed to stay in Panama City. Brigades do not typically stay in Panama City; Global Brigades Panama only uses this facility during emergencies and cases involving extenuating circumstances. Emergency medical care is available in several hospitals in the city.
