Rural Agriculture Educator - Volunteer Position - Onsite in Panama • North America - 2 years, plus 3 months training
People & HR
United States
Posted on Jul 1, 2026
About The Project
Ready to roll up your sleeves and strengthen sustainable agriculture in rural Panama? Support smallholder farming families as they work to improve resilient livelihoods.
Many Indigenous communities in Panama rely on subsistence farming as their primary livelihood. However, land degradation, high production costs, and low yields threaten sustainable income. These challenges persist due to the communities’ geographic isolation, limited technical support from agriculture authorities, and changing weather patterns. Strengthening agricultural systems is a national priority, yet Indigenous communities often lack the resources and extension services needed to adopt improved practices.
As a Rural Agriculture Educator, you will support local farmers to apply practical techniques to address agriculture production issues, such as soil conservation, integrated pest management, or post-harvest management. You will support cooperatives and farming groups to explore cash crops or the production of artisanal goods. You will develop the community’s marketing, budgeting, and organizational skills. Finally, you’ll encourage a nutritious diet by introducing families to underutilized crops and new recipes. Your support will equip farmers with new ideas, approaches, and skills to address common agricultural challenges. Your collective efforts will lead to more resilient livelihoods, improved food security, and sustainable agricultural systems that can support Indigenous communities for generations to come.
Activities
How you and the community will make an impact together:
Train farmers on sustainable soil and water conservation practices.
Facilitate farmer-to-farmer demonstrations on integrated pest management and other improved production techniques.
Support farmers to apply post-harvest handling, storage, and value-added practices.
Explore income-generating activities, such as coffee production or artisanal goods.
Coach farmers and farming groups on basic agricultural business skills, including budgeting and marketing.
Support farmers’ groups to strengthen leadership, communication, and planning.
Teach families how to prepare nutritious recipes using local crops.
You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as English conversation clubs and after-school sports.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
Associate degree in any field and at least two years of full-time, post-high school work experience (from any combination of roles).
OR
Bachelor's degree in any field.
OR
High school diploma or GED and 4 years of full-time post-high school work experience (from any combination of roles).
Language: Spanish
APPLY BY : November 15, 2026
KNOW BY : January 1, 2027
DEPART ON : June 19, 2027
DURATION : 2 years, plus 3 months training
Ready to roll up your sleeves and strengthen sustainable agriculture in rural Panama? Support smallholder farming families as they work to improve resilient livelihoods.
Many Indigenous communities in Panama rely on subsistence farming as their primary livelihood. However, land degradation, high production costs, and low yields threaten sustainable income. These challenges persist due to the communities’ geographic isolation, limited technical support from agriculture authorities, and changing weather patterns. Strengthening agricultural systems is a national priority, yet Indigenous communities often lack the resources and extension services needed to adopt improved practices.
As a Rural Agriculture Educator, you will support local farmers to apply practical techniques to address agriculture production issues, such as soil conservation, integrated pest management, or post-harvest management. You will support cooperatives and farming groups to explore cash crops or the production of artisanal goods. You will develop the community’s marketing, budgeting, and organizational skills. Finally, you’ll encourage a nutritious diet by introducing families to underutilized crops and new recipes. Your support will equip farmers with new ideas, approaches, and skills to address common agricultural challenges. Your collective efforts will lead to more resilient livelihoods, improved food security, and sustainable agricultural systems that can support Indigenous communities for generations to come.
Activities
How you and the community will make an impact together:
Train farmers on sustainable soil and water conservation practices.
Facilitate farmer-to-farmer demonstrations on integrated pest management and other improved production techniques.
Support farmers to apply post-harvest handling, storage, and value-added practices.
Explore income-generating activities, such as coffee production or artisanal goods.
Coach farmers and farming groups on basic agricultural business skills, including budgeting and marketing.
Support farmers’ groups to strengthen leadership, communication, and planning.
Teach families how to prepare nutritious recipes using local crops.
You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as English conversation clubs and after-school sports.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
Associate degree in any field and at least two years of full-time, post-high school work experience (from any combination of roles).
OR
Bachelor's degree in any field.
OR
High school diploma or GED and 4 years of full-time post-high school work experience (from any combination of roles).
Language: Spanish
- Completed 4 years of high school Spanish coursework in the past 8 years
- Completed college-level Elementary II Spanish semester (Elementary III in quarter system) within the past 6 years
- Score between 50-62 on the Spanish College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam in the past 6 years
- Score Novice-High or Intermediate-Low on official American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) in Spanish within the past 6 years
APPLY BY : November 15, 2026
KNOW BY : January 1, 2027
DEPART ON : June 19, 2027
DURATION : 2 years, plus 3 months training