Learning Journeys are organized outings to projects in rural communities around Puerto Rico. They are offered as part of our membership program to build capacity and awareness of the work that community leaders and organizations are doing to eradicate inequity across the island. 

As an organization focused on serving and expanding philanthropy, we want our members to be able to connect with emergent social efforts. Our aim is for them to get a closer look at community needs and the organizational capacity these groups invest in social change on a daily basis. We intentionally co-design each visit with the local leaders to create a unique experience that offers an alternate and peculiar look at how they build equity.

Rural communities have suffered from a lack of attention and understanding from governments and philanthropy. We aim to change this dynamic by engaging our members to invest more resources in rural populations that have often been unseen and unheard. 

This initiative started in 2022, when we visited multiple Centros de Apoyo Mutuo (Mutual Aid Centers) throughout the archipelago. As part of this initiative, our Executive Director Glenisse Pagán participates in the Rural Equity Working Group, a community of practice sustained by the United Philanthropy Forum. Our work is inspired by a set of principles drafted by the rural equity subgroup that you can explore here.