Explore the Tertulia Experience
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The Tertulia Project offers an ethical immersive learning experience in Colombia designed to bring participants into meaningful conversation and collaboration with local communities. Through community-based volunteering, daily dialogue, and cultural immersion, participants explore global issues while building relationships across cultures.
Program Overview
Location: Colombia (Eje Cafetero region)
Program Length: 7 days minimum
Group Size: 8 participants minimum.
Focus: Service-learning, dialogue, and cultural immersion, volunteerism, community impact.
Daily Structure: Volunteer engagement, Café Tertulia dialogue, and cultural exploration
Why Tertulia is Different
Not just voluntourism — community-led work
Activities are defined by local partners based on ongoing needs. Participants join work that already exists rather than creating short-term projects.Structured reflection (Café Tertulia)
Daily guided conversations create space to process experiences, question assumptions, and connect practice with broader social context. You'll gain as much as you give.Majority of funds stay in the local economy
Spending prioritizes local housing, food, transportation, and staff so that economic impact remains within the community.Designed and led by Colombian-rooted leadership
The program is shaped by people with direct ties to the region, ensuring cultural context, accountability, and long-term relationships.Accessible Pricing with Fundraising Support.
Programs are designed to be accessible, with most experiences ranging from $900–$2200 a week (excluding flights), and include lodging, meals, tourist activities, experiences, and local transportation.
A Typical Day with the Tertulia Project
Morning
Community-based volunteer engagement with local partner organizations
Midday
Shared lunch provided by local mom and pop shops with community organizations and constituents.
Afternoon
Café Tertulia dialogue and workshops where participants will develop cultural humility and cross-cultural communication skills, understand ethical volunteer engagement, recognize community strengths and assets, and reflect on tourism, inequality, and global responsibility
Evening
Free time or optional cultural activities such as music, dance lessons, cultural cooking demonstrations, or local events engagement.
Weekends
Experience why Colombia is called the Country of Beauty. Explore the Eje Cafetero through village hopping, thermal hot springs, local attractions, and unforgettable cultural experiences.
Sample 7-Day Experience
Day 1 — Arrival & Orientation
Day 1 — Arrival & Orientation
Arrival in Pereira or Armenia, airport pickup, and group welcome.
Evening orientation and opening Café Tertulia to set intentions for the week.
Days 2–5 — Service, Dialogue & Cultural Immersion
Days 2–5 — Service, Dialogue & Cultural Immersion
Each day follows a consistent rhythm:
Morning: Volunteer with local partner organizations
Afternoon: Shared lunch + Café Tertulia (guided dialogue & reflection)
Evening: Cultural activities or free time
Volunteer placements may include animal welfare, elder companionship, food insecurity, education, or other community-based initiatives.
Day 6 — Exploration & Closing Reflection
Day 6 — Exploration & Closing Reflection
Group excursion to explore the region (nature, towns, or cultural sites).
Closing Café Tertulia focused on reflection, integration, and next steps.
Final group dinner.
Day 7 — Departure
Day 7 — Departure
Breakfast, closing goodbyes, and airport transfers.
*Each trip is customizable and extendable. Contact us for more info.
A Flexible, Community-Based Model
A Flexible, Community-Based Model
Each cohort is shaped in collaboration with local partners and can be adapted to align with your group’s goals, interests, or area of study.
Trip Logistics
Where you'll stay:
Participants stay in locally owned Colombian fincas, or countryside homes, in the heart of the coffee region. Surrounded by green mountains and fresh air, fincas offer a peaceful and authentic stay with simple comforts, beautiful scenery, and a deeper connection to local culture and community life. Shared accommodations are likely, and bunk beds are common in many of the homes we use. If solo accommodations are required, we will do our best to honor that request based on availability.
How you'll get around:
Program transportation is coordinated through authorized local providers in Colombia. Many of the vans used for tourism and group transportation are white because Colombian regulations require that vehicles entering this special-service category be white; participants can therefore expect white vans with the appropriate markings, insurance, and legal registration.
Oh the places you'll see:
During downtime, participants can enjoy a range of optional local activities such as visiting coffee farms, relaxing in thermal hot springs, exploring nearby towns, spending time at amusement parks, and taking in the natural beauty of the region. These experiences offer a chance to unwind, have fun, and get to know the area in a more personal way.
Serving the communities:
Volunteers take part in meaningful, community-based work shaped by local partners and local priorities. Depending on the week, this may include supporting food distribution, spending time with older adults, assisting in educational spaces, or contributing to initiatives connected to disability inclusion and community wellbeing. The goal is not just to help, but to build relationships, learn from the community, and contribute in ways that are respectful and useful.
Café Tertulia: The Heart of the Experience
Café Tertulia is at the center of the experience—a daily space for reflection, dialogue, and shared learning. Rooted in the tradition of gathering over coffee, these sessions help participants process their experiences and explore questions around culture, identity, and global inequality.
Rather than treating volunteering as separate, Café Tertulia connects daily work with deeper understanding through guided conversation, listening, and exchange.
Interested in bringing Tertulia to your community or joining a cohort? Contact us to learn more.
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