Education

Workshops: Sample Course List Below

Introduction to English:

This course provides groundwork for students to learn the basics of English and begin to understand and communicate to tourists. The focus of the class will be to introduce simple phrases, vocabulary and verb conjugation most relevant for the students’ real life situations with tourists. These will include: dining, giving directions, establishing basic relationships and important phrases for water sports. In addition, the course will improve the self-confidence of the student to interact with international tourists.

Introduction to Organic Agriculture:

This workshop will provide basic background to develop, maintain and expand a local, productive organic garden, including greenhouse. Theory will be given as a foundation and the overall focus on the course will be practical to provide the students with all the tools needed to: build healthy soils, germinate save and seeds, select, place and maintain plants, use of natural pesticides and compost. This course will be geared to the climates of Northern Patagonia, Chile.

First Aid and Rescue:

Students will learn basic CPR. The goal of this course is to have all students capable of delivering basic life saving techniques and to raise the overall knowledge and preparedness of the community as a whole. In addition to CPR, this course will introduce some aspects of wilderness and water rescue which are deemed essential given both the importance of tourism and the remoteness of the place. This course will focus on practical action in moments of emergency and building the self-confidence of the students to deliver in times of need. This course is only an introduction. DM intends to offer more advanced rescue workshops.

Introduction to Fly Fishing:

With its growth in popularity in North America and Europe, Fly Fishing has become one of the primary sports tourists seek out in Patagonia. Local people who are not yet familiar with the sport can be introduced to; the gear, choosing a spot to fish, casting, tying flys and etiquette. In addition to the sporting aspect of pesca con mosca, local people will find this method of fishing to have great practical significance in their own lives.

Introduction to Reforestation and Land Use:

This region is rich in temperate rainforest. The forest is central to much of what the area has to offer for maintaining the ecosystem, animals, locals and tourists. Over the years, locals and a variety of businesses have burned or performed some form of extraction in parts of these forests. Most families who live on significant parcels of land need to develop a practical strategy for land management and use. At the heart of this plan for most will be understanding and reforesting areas of the forest that have been damaged. Basic ecology, forest health and land management planning and practices will be taught in this workshop.

Basics of Great Customer Service:

Delighting customers is key to a thriving, profitable business. In this workshop students will work with practical scenarios and examples of real customer challenges and be introduced to cultural biases and standards that will enable them to meet the challenges of a growing influx of international tourists with a balanced blend of professionalism and local culture and charm.