The Amazon is a vast region where cultural and biological diversity intertwines with long-standing challenges in accessing education. In this context, the Amazon University Program (PUAM) is dedicated to designing and promoting intercultural educational methodologies rooted in territorial identity and a deep commitment to life and the peoples of the Amazon.
PUAM’s approach focuses on building bridges between ancestral knowledge and contemporary tools. As a program born from listening and being present in the territory, our mission is clear: to strengthen local capacities through inclusive, intercultural, and transformative educational processes.
On this journey, technology has become a strategic ally. Among the tools that have significantly enhanced our daily work, Kapwing stands out as a platform that has revolutionized how we design, produce, and share our multimedia educational resources.
Intercultural Education in Amazonian and Peripheral Contexts
PUAM was created to address the educational needs of Amazonian communities, many of which have been historically excluded from formal education systems. We work to establish Community Learning Centers in collaboration with Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and mestizo communities, developing programs that respect and promote linguistic, cultural, and territorial diversity.
Our courses cover areas such as community health, intercultural education, human rights, peacebuilding, and project management. For each of these areas, producing relevant educational materials is essential. However, creating content that is pedagogically sound, visually engaging, and culturally appropriate remains a constant challenge, especially in resource-limited settings.
Kapwing: An Ideal Platform for Social Projects and Organizations
It was in this context that we discovered Kapwing. From the start, its user-friendly interface and wide range of features allowed us to experiment with new ways of producing audiovisual educational resources. What once required specialized software, expensive licenses, or advanced technical skills is now accessible to our team with just an internet connection and a computer.
Kapwing enabled us to adapt content using dubbing and subtitling tools, allowing us to transform our first Peace Leadership course into an accessible and meaningful educational experience for 60 students across different parts of the Amazon. This course is being implemented in communities affected by armed and social conflict—remote areas where violence has shaped social dynamics and where higher education is otherwise unavailable. These courses offer a vital alternative and a glimpse of hope for the future.
The use of Kapwing has had a tangible impact on the design and quality of the resources we develop. Its intuitive platform and the time saved through translation and dubbing —especially for content originally available only in other languages— have been among its greatest advantages, allowing our team to focus on translation quality and cultural adaptation.
This is just one example of the transformative potential we’ve found in this tool, which we will continue to use as a key support in developing PUAM’s audiovisual and educational communication materials.
Technology with Purpose
At PUAM, we firmly believe that technology should contribute to social transformation. It’s not just about using digital tools but doing so with a clear purpose: to expand access to knowledge, amplify local voices, and build a more just and relevant education.
Kapwing embodies this vision. Its focus on accessibility, collaboration, and simplicity has helped reduce the workload involved in producing educational content, allowing our team to concentrate on delivering high-quality resources—both in theory and in technical execution. In a world where visual storytelling dominates educational spaces, Kapwing stands out as an innovative and timely tool for teams with limited resources and personnel.
Looking Ahead
As we continue to expand our courses, Kapwing will remain a strategic tool in our work. We are exploring new ways to integrate digital storytelling and participatory production into our educational processes, and we trust that platforms like Kapwing will continue to evolve to meet these challenges.
From PUAM, we are deeply grateful for the contribution Kapwing has made to our team and our communities. It has not only improved the quality of our materials but also strengthened our capacity to dream, create, and transform.