2026 RFI Summer Fellowship
Description: In the upcoming summer of 2026, RFI will be hosting a small group of talented and passionate fellows from around the world to live and work together at Los Arboleros Farm (LAF) in coastal Ecuador. Fellows will complete a project or experience in a subject area of their choice which contributes to RFI’s mission. This is a chance to develop unique professional skills and experience that will distinguish fellows in their early careers while diving deep into the culture of Ecuador with a group of inspiring peers.
Eligibility: Anyone above the age of 18 is eligible to become an RFI fellow if they have the necessary experience and qualifications. Applicants must have: (1) Bachelor’s degree or higher, OR (2) currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree, OR (3) 2+ years of relevant experience in the subject area being applied for.
Subject Areas: (1) Design & Bamboo, (2) Agroforestry, (3) Wildlife, Ecology, & Conservation, (4) Organizational Development & Fundraising, (5) Digital Storytelling, (6) Social Entrepreneurship.
Applications: candidates must apply using the google form below. Each application must be for a single subject area. Candidates may apply for a fellowship in up to 2 subjects; candidates will be accepted for a single subject. Applications are due at midnight PST on March 1, 2026. Please submit applications through this form: https://forms.gle/VprHSN8SwirWcz2YA
Location: Los Arboleros Farm (Chone canton of Manabí, Ecuador).
Dates & Duration: fellows will stay for at least 1 month at LAF, from July 06 to August 06. Fellowships may begin remotely before the arrival to LAF, and certain fellows may arrive earlier than July 06 or depart later than August 06 from LAF with approval from the RFI staff.
Accommodations: fellows will be granted room and board at LAF. There are bunk beds with balconies in every room! There will be a cooking and cleaning staff at LAF for the duration of the fellowship and food will be provided.
Flights & Logistics: fellows are responsible for purchasing their own flights and transportation to/from LAF. Medical insurance is required for the duration of the stay.
Further details will be given after applications are processed.
Subject Areas
Design & Bamboo
The Design & Bamboo RFI Summer Fellowship will provide aspiring architects, designers, engineers, and builders with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience, skills, and portfolio building in sustainable construction and technologies.
Project Possibilities: designing modular housing systems using prefab bamboo panels, estimating budgets for prefab bamboo, Life Cycle Analysis of MassBu panels, bamboo furniture making, and more.
Availability: 2 slots
Requirements: portfolio of past work
Agroforestry
The Agroforestry RFI Summer Fellowship will provide aspiring farmers, land managers, and agriculture-adjacent professionals with an opportunity to gain knowledge and experience in land management and ecosystem restoration directly from the masters.
Format: daily farm work and maintenance (7am to 4pm) with our farm and agroforestry staff.
Availability: 2 slots
Requirements: excellent physical condition (farm work experience ideally), Spanish fluency
Wildlife, Ecology, & Conservation
The Wildlife-Conservation-Ecology RFI Summer Fellowship will provide aspiring ecosystem researchers and naturalists with an opportunity to gain skills and experience in biological research and documentation of the vibrant life at and around LAF.
Project Possibilities: collecting and categorizing botanical specimens, managing camera traps, creating a local field guide, studying plant growth rates, soil sampling, research data analysis, and more.
Availability: 2 spots
Requirements: demonstrated passion and knowledge
Org. Development & Fundraising
The Organizational Development & Fundraising RFI Summer Fellowship will provide aspiring leaders and decision makers with an opportunity to gain skills and experience in running a nonprofit by supporting RFI’s nonprofit branch Building Carbon.
Project Possibilities: nonprofit management shadowing, creating digital materials for fundraising, personal network fundraising, connecting with rotary and other support foundations, and more.
Availability: 3 spots
Skills: writing, communication, and research
Digital Storytelling
The Digital Storytelling RFI Summer Fellowship will provide aspiring artists, photographers, filmmakers, and GIS specialists with an opportunity to create beautiful and coherent stories documenting RFI’s work and impact through photography, filmmaking, and map making.
Project Possibilities: photography, documentary filmmaking, creating an interactive map of LAF using GIS, generating content for RFI’s social media, drawing agroforestry system diagrams, and more.
Availability: 1 spot
Requirements: portfolio of past work
Social Entrepreneurship
The Social Entrepreneurship RFI Summer Fellowship will provide aspiring entrepreneurs with an opportunity to help incubate startups at LAF which add value to raw materials and create pathways to reciprocal livelihoods for people and planet.
Project Possibilities: cacao fermentation process development, product development (fruit treats, or chocolate bombons), creative marketing, and more.
Availability: 1 spot
Requirements: multidisciplinary project experience