SWAP expands the horizons of underserved college-aged young adults by providing them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Shape Lives
Through our efforts we help shape the lives of each participant by exposing them to diverse ecological regions and cultures.
Change the WORLD
While we know we can't change the world, we have faith that those lives we touch can, in fact, CHANGE THE WORLD.
SWAP: What is it?
SWAP provides natural sciences students with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to expand their horizons by providing instructor-led access to some of the United State’s most unique and amazing ecological regions. The entire learning experience is coordinated and facilitated by wildlife and ecology professionals who immerse students in field-based education, affording them new ways to think about nature, conservation, wildlife, and ecology in hopes of expanding their future career ambitions. Our AWARD WINNING program has even had great organizations like The Wildlife Society have even written some articles about Walking in Aldo Leopold's footsteps
SWAP is a non-profit organization with one goal: change lives by providing direction and inspiration for a career in natural or cultural resource protection. Experiences often change lives. SWAP is that positive life experience that can completely change the course of a student who may be struggling to find their direction in life. By not only showing students what a career in natural resource management is all about, SWAP students often build relationships with like-minded individuals as well as potential employers.
We wish to thank each and every one of our sponsors - without you, we couldn't do what we do. Below are some of our premium-level (or promotional advertising) sponsors. Check out our "About Us and Money Matters" page for more information our levels of sponsorship or, if you're interested, feel free to donate whatever fits in your budget. All donations are tax deductible!
Students
Chastity Gonzales
Who knew a weeklong journey was going to end up with lifelong friendships!? This has been one of the best experiences of my life and I definitely plan on coming back out east for my graduate studies!
2018
Charlene Juanico
Meeting new people, environments, wildlife, national parks, waters, opportunities and great mentors has made the trip a huge success! Knowing I have created friendships with those who want to do similar things makes it even better.
2018
Dali Miranda
Best summer of my life so far! Thanks to this trip I learned many career pathways I can pursue with my degree.
2018
Jennifer Lamb
This trip has really opened up my eyes on what I want to do in my career!
2019
Jessica Manion
This trip has taught me many things, importantly one being that you’ll find your place when you surround yourself with BOTH people who love the things you do and people who think differently than you.
2019
Laramie Mahan-Petty
This week has been nothing short of absolutely amazing. A bunch of people came as strangers and they turned out to be some of the coolest, kindest people I know.
2018
Leeroy Gonzales
This was such an amazing experience overall and I am proud to call myself a SWAP member and now a liaison. I want to give a huge thanks to everyone who was a part of putting this trip together.
2018
Mariela Estrada
I had the chance to experience a different ecosystem with a plethora of water and diversity. It gave me a whole new perspective on wildlife and Natural Resource Management that I hadn’t explored.
2018
Leeanna Trippett
I don't have words to express how grateful I am to have been a part of this truly life changing trip. It was much harder than I expected and I’ve gained so much insight on my surrounding environment and myself.
2019
Student Resources
Application Acceptance Criteria:
- Must be 18 years or older
- Natural resources major or aspiring career/education in natural resources
- Focus is on minorities, rural residents, and underserved or under-privledged applicants
Requirements for Application Qualification:
- Application must be complete (no partial applications)
- Well-crafted or thoughtful responses to “essay” questions demonstrating how and why you meet criteria and should be selected