Princeton in Latin America (PiLA) is a non-profit organization that provides year-long service work and non-profit sector fellowships in Latin America to current undergraduates and recent alumni. Non-Princeton students are also welcome to apply.

PiLA opens the doors to career paths, personal enrichment, and understanding service as an effective way to address social needs. A year devoted to service work offers students an extraordinary opportunity to become familiar with a region experiencing significant development. PiLA fellowships enable students to extend the benefits of a Princeton education beyond the classroom and join a group of motivated citizens with a lifelong commitment to Latin America.

In the spirit of Princeton’s informal motto “In the Nation’s service and the service of all Nations,” the work of these graduates supports efforts to overcome the region’s educational, economic, and environmental barriers to development.

Interest in the study of Latin America at Princeton has risen steadily since the founding of the Program in Latin American studies in 1966. With over 80 students participating in the program today – making it the largest certificate program on campus – the Program in Latin American Studies and Princeton as a whole are educating students to actively engage themselves in Latin America.

The demand by Princeton students for fulfilling and challenging work in the public interest of Latin American communities has never been greater – and the objective of Princeton in Latin America (PiLA) is to answer this need. International experience has become essential in the education of today’s students and PiLA offers the chance to gain such experience through public service work in that region.