Aimed at beginning US farmers, farm interns, college students and graduates, “CITA Stewards” will have an unparalleled opportunity to contextualize and deepen their own US agricultural experiences. Expected to launch as a three-month pilot program in the coming year, MESA will offer CITA programs in Mexico, Ecuador, Peru and Tanzania to:
- Augment on-the-farm vocational training with weekly online curriculum taught by renowned agroecological professors and faculty;
- Provide host country orientation with two-week language study;
- Match CITA Stewards with international organic farms and agrarian communities for 10 week, hands-on training sessions in country-specific areas such as agritourism, urban agriculture, youth education, direct marketing, bio-dynamic production, value-added processing, etc.;
- Expand global connections and foster cross-cultural dialog between small-scale stakeholders;
- Increase reciprocity opportunities for MESA’s global Steward alumni and their community projects;
- Culminate in a Certificate of International Training in Agroecology, giving CITA Stewards an enviable edge for careers in organic agriculture, sustainable supply chains, and international development;
- Foster lifelong connections to MESA’s alumni resources and global network of sustainable advocates.
CITA Stewards seek to be a part of the solution in repairing our global food system with experience and understanding through meaningful work abroad. MESA’s enthusiastic team of alumni and training sites are eager to provide CITA Stewards with language study and immersion, cooperative learning, mentorship and hands-on work experience.
Interested? Check out the CITA Homepage.
Our vision is to make CITA an affordable and exceptional program! Fees will cover online curriculum, professor/faculty costs, host country orientation, two-week language study, room, board, local travel, insurance and training. International airfare is not included. MESA will offer limited scholarships based on need.
Applications now available online!