Inspire the next generation to enjoy and protect our planet! Start the new year supporting environmental education with children in Nicaragua!

When we tour ecological hotspots such Ometepe Island in Nicaragua, we are swept away by the natural beauty. But it’s easy to miss that many locals, especially kids, are not able to visit their backyard natural wonders. Guias Unidos hopes to change that. We are sponsoring environmental education programs with local and international organizations in Nicaragua. We are partnering with Peace Corps Nicaragua, Si a la Vida (an after-school program for at-risk youth), and local tour guide organizations, inspiring our next generations to appreciate and protect the Earth. Our headlining video features volunteers from these organizations, plus some of the kids who want to go on a field trip.

Here’s what we pledge to accomplish at different funding levels, each with a challenge to us if the goal is achieved within our desired time frame:

$320--We've done it!
Our base funding level (10,000 Nicaraguan “Pesos” or Cordobas), will fund transportation for kids, allowing us to do at least three classroom-sized day excursions, more if we can.

Our promise was to produce the final scene of “Nature Libre” and post it to YouTube. Stay tuned for the video and watch the kids go on an excursion that you helped fund!

$2000
Our goal funding will be used for environmental education programs with children and their communities in Nicaragua. We’ll fund more excursions, youth activities, and we’ll purchase books and educational supplies for our library and classroom.

If we meet the $2000 challenge by the end of January, Jeff (“Nature Libre”) will attempt (or nearly die trying) to run at least a half-marathon distance (13.1 miles) on the cinderblock highways around Ometepe. Barefoot. He will post action cam footage of the run for you to enjoy. He has been training with sled dogs in Alaska (see it here), but at the time of writing has never yet run this distance, especially not in the heat of Nicaragua.

$100,000
If we were to reach this ridiculous amount by the end of January 2018, we will BUY a bus*, endow its fuel and maintenance, have the kids paint it, fund other Guias Unidos’ projects and partners, and be forever grateful! We're mostly joking, but we can dream, right?

$ Any amount
We appreciate any amount you donate, and it will always go to a good cause, whether we have a custom-painted bus or not. All donations are tax deductible by the generous work of our project incubator, Earth Island Institute.

*We would contract the purchase of a bus to a local partner, as our organization is not legally set up to purchase vehicles. Our partner(s) would be able to use the bus for other community and ecotourism purposes when not being used for kids, but we would maintain funding for continued children’s programs. The term “bus” would cover a range of possible transit vehicles, anywhere from a used, Bluebird-style school bus, to a 15 seat minibus or passenger van. We would make the vehicle decision based on consultation with local partners and experts to maximize utility and minimize maintenance costs. It will definitely be big and beautiful!