About EARTH
We are a global university based in Costa Rica that prepares and empowers young leaders to ethically and sustainably transform food systems, protect and enhance the livelihoods of food producers, and regenerate our planet.
Our unique program offers students the opportunity to learn about agricultural sciences, food systems, ethical entrepreneurship, and social and environmental challenges through experiential student-centered learning, and by living together with peers from all over the world.
History
EARTH University is a global institution that offers a rigorous four-year undergraduate program in Agricultural Sciences, led by an international faculty that provides an education with solid scientific and technical foundations, with an emphasis on ethical values, entrepreneurship, and environmental and social commitment.
EARTH was established by Costa Rican law in 1986 as a private, non-profit, international university and created with the support of the Costa Rican government, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. It was created so that young people from developing regions can become ethical leaders and agents of social and environmental change. The University seeks students with high potential to transform the world.
Mission
Vision
Values
Human development
Academic excellence
The pursuit for knowledge
Ethical behavior
Social consciousness
Sustainable development
Biodiversity conservation
The EARTH University Foundation was created to support the institution’s educational vision through the capture of generous gifts from the global community and other programs and initiatives. It is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
EARTH Futures is the global solutions center of EARTH University. We work with academic institutions, rural communities, and other like-minded partners worldwide to transform rural areas. We structure our efforts around two primary pillars – Education for Leadership and Developing Solutions – focusing on Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Developing Solutions focuses on identifying, developing, and testing innovative solutions that can improve the quality of life and sustainability of rural communities in developing countries. Through a growing number of initiatives and projects in Costa Rica and Guatemala, the team has implemented models focused on different areas including sustainable agriculture and natural resource management, technological innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation, inclusion and social equity and climate change.
This pillar focuses on engaging more young people to take ownership of the agricultural world so that they can address major global issues such as climate change, poverty, and malnutrition.
In 2021, we launched the Mastercard Foundation – EARTH University Fellowship Program to facilitate recent graduates’ transition into their professional careers, focused on agriculture and rural development in Africa. The Program connects Fellows with different organizations for a 12-month period, to support their professional development by opening new employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
EARTH Ventures is the business division of EARTH University. It puts into practice the University’s values, such as sustainability and social awareness. The businesses under EARTH Ventures contribute financially to the University’s annual operating budget, while its products allow thousands of people in international markets to learn about the EARTH story.
The University’s Governance Structure includes four Boards: