CARMEN PAMPA FUND

The UAC-CP was founded in 1993 as a response to the need for affordable opportunities for higher education for rural indigenous populations. Located in the rugged Cordillera Real Mountain Range northwest of Bolivia's capital city, the Unidad Académica Campesina-Carmen Pampa (UAC-CP or the College) addresses the need of providing young Bolivian men and women of impoverished and marginalized populations with equal access to higher education, technical skill training, and job preparedness. The founding mission and vision of the College, combined with an understanding and respect for local indigenous culture, is what makes the UAC-CP's approach unique in its ability to address the social and economic challenges by transferring knowledge and skills to the young people who come from that area and are dedicated to continue living in the rural area.

The mission of Carmen Pampa Fund is to look for and secure financial support and human resources to support the College's work.

With an average annual enrollment of approximately 650 regular students and 50 theses students each year, the College focuses on the development of local human capital to promote economic and social prosperity. The College attracts young people who hail from rural areas to study and learn the critical thinking and research skills needed to support and improve the quality of life not only for themselves but for their communities, country, and global world. The UAC-CP offers five degree-granting programs: Agronomy, Nursing, Education, Veterinary Science, and Ecotourism. The areas of study represent the most critical needs and challenges of Bolivia's rural sector and capture the most opportunity for economic growth and development. Within those five academic departments, the College offers a unique overarching curriculum that incorporates six core components: 1. Academics; 2. Social Service Extension; 3. Production; 4. Research; 5. Leadership; and 6. Entrepreneurship.

As of 2018, the College offers two master's degree programs and 11 advanced-degree certificate programs.

Carmen Pampa Fund's Board of Directors and part-time staff are responsible for securing funding and human resources for the College. CPF leadership and staff collaborate with the College on short-term and long-term programming strategies, as well as managing the international volunteer and visitor program and academic international partnerships.

José Luis Beltran serves as Director General of the UAC-CP. He is assisted by José Luis Mamani, Vice Director. Msgr. Juan Vargas, Bishop of the Diocese of Coroico, is president of the UAC-CP. The College is academically accredited by the Catholic University of Bolivia.

As of July 2021, 923 men and women have graduated from the College.

Notable data captured from the UAC-CP alumni survey include:

• 95% of UAC-CP graduates were employed.
• 91% work in jobs that support Bolivia's rural area.
• 89% are employed in the same field of their area of study.
• 72% found jobs they wanted after graduation.
• 53% of UAC-CP graduates are women.
• 42% of alumni have advanced degrees.
• 300% increase in income reported between UAC-CP graduates and their parents' generation.

In the 2020 academic year, the College launched a new undergraduate degree in Accounting.

During the 2018 academic year, the College introduced two new master's level programs: Climate Change and Coffee & Cacao. The College also offers an additional 11 advanced-degree certificate programs.

In January 2017, in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank, the College launched a new initiative focused on entrepreneurship, which includes the development of a Business Institute on campus and a plan to rejuvenate the College's on campus micro-businesses. The goal of the project is to promote small business development through academic and practical, hands-on experiences.