The Context Foundation for Sustainable Travel supports and runs a wide range of projects around the world that are aimed at protecting cultural heritage and giving travel opportunities to youth. The following details all our projects over the years, with the most current and ongoing at the top.

Transforming Youth through Travel Scholarship (2008-present)

As part of our work to broaden the impact of travel, we run an annual travel scholarship for high achieving high school students in the St. Hope school system in Sacramento. St. Hope is an amazing partner for this innovative project, and runs a year-long preparatory class in art and history of Europe, from which the winners are selected. The scholarship runs 8-12 days, and brings the students to Europe for intensive on-site lessons at the great monuments of Rome, Paris, and other cities, led by scholars from local universities. So far, students have visited Rome, Florence, Naples, and Paris as part of this program. Read more about this project.

Apprenticeship Program for Oltrarno Artisans of Florence (2007-present)

Economic changes in Florence fueled by the tremendous rise of mass tourism have put serious pressure on the silversmiths, woodworkers, paper makers, and other traditional craftsmen who have defined the Oltrarno as a center of Italian artisanship for more than a century. In conversations with many of these artisans we discovered that the artisans are facing tremendous difficulties in keeping their businesses viable; and there is a very real threat that in a couple of years few traditional craftsmen will continue to practice in Florence. A major problem for these artisans is their ability to attract and retain apprentices who can learn these crafts and eventually become masters in their own right. The artisans simply can’t compete with global companies, including the tour companies, as employers in Florence. To mitigate this danger, we fund a scholarship and internship at the Arti e Orafi Jewelry School and Academy. The recipient of this annual prize is given the opportunity to study at a local artisan in Florence as part of his or her hands-on education.

Read more for a behind-the-scenes look at one of the artisans funded by this project.

Youth Center in Cartagena, Colombia (2015-present)

Barrio San Francisco lies outside of the city center of Cartagena, and reaps few of the rewards from the boom of tourism in the city in recent years. As a way of spreading these benefits to a wider population, the Foundation supports the Alex Rocha Youth Center, a local organization in Barrio San Francisco where youth can gather and learn occupational skills like English and computer literacy. Through its work with Context Travel, visitors to Cartagena are able to visit and volunteer at the center and get a deep dive into an authentic neighborhood of Cartagena.

Tours in the Public Interest (2010-2013)

In an effort to broaden and deepen understanding of the culture of cities, we funded a series of tours to off-beat places and other unique on-site educational experiences offered for low- or no-cost to the general public. This series of “Tours in the Public Interest” included such experiences as a walk of Public Art in Philadelphia or visits to the Jewish Catacombs in Rome.

Philadelphia: Get to Know Your City (2012)

In 2012 the Foundation received a grant from the Aramark Charitable Fund to run a series of Tours in the Public Interest in Philadelphia for a range of public schools and educational institutions. The focus of the program was “get to know your city,” and partner institutions included Neighborhood Bike Works and the Philadelphia Free School.

Tevereterno (2012-15)

The Foundation was a proud sponsor of Tevereterno in Rome. Founded by American artist Kristin Jones in 2004, Tevereterno began as a way to create cultural happenings that drew from the potential of Rome’s Tiber River. This project expanded to work with urban planners and architects to help renew the area, culminating in a major project by the artist William Kentridge in 2016.

Easel Paintings Conservation program, London (2011-12)

The Foundation underwrote a partial scholarship in the Easel Paintings Conservation program at the Courtauld Institute in London, recognizing the vital role that this institution plays in the continued viability of European cultural heritage. One of the most influential and effective conservation programs in the world, the Easel Paintings Conservation program sees many graduates go on to work in major museums in our cities. The winner of the scholarship was Kristina Mandy, a second year student at the Courtauld’s Postgraduate Program in the Conservation of Easel Paintings.

Preserving Flamenco Heritage, Madrid (2010-11)

In 2010 and 2011, the Foundation collaborated with Casa Patas, a local charity in Madrid that preserves Flamenco heritage through education, concerts, and a museum of photographic images. Through a series of site visits and lectures, visitors had the chance to enjoy the museum’s collections, sip a glass of Manzanilla (dry sherry, traditional Flamenco fare), and learn more about the heady interaction between singer, percussionist, guitarist, and dancer as they call and respond the interplay of Flamenco. Proceeds went to support Casa Patas and Flamenco culture.

British School “Sack of Rome” symposium, Rome (2010)

The Foundation provided support for a symposium on the “Sack of Rome” organized by the British School of Rome, which brought academics to the city for several days of lectures and discussion.

Ostia Antica research & promotion, Rome (2007-10)

The ancient Roman town of Ostia is often overshadowed by Pompeii. However, for travelers to Rome it really makes better sense to visit this equally important site instead of making such a long (and fossil-fuel consuming) trip to Naples. Working with the Rome-based American Institute for Roman Culture, we supported a series of projects in Ostia, including measured drawings of its buildings and promotion of it as a more sustainable destination for Rome travelers than Pompeii.

Stanton Street Shul Restoration, New York (2010)

Working with Context expert and conservator Beth Edelstein, the Foundation ran a series of fundraising events for this historical Jewish shul on New York’s Lower East Side in 2010.

Restoration of La Chapelle des Petits-Augustins, Paris (2010)

La Chapelle des Petits-Augustins at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris was a major source of inspiration and study for generations of French painters. It was here that they could find scale copies of the masterworks of Italian art, so critical to the development of French art. Overshadowed by the great monuments of France, and thus underfunded, the chapel stood in need of restoration in the early 2000s. Through a series of site visits the Foundation helped raise some funds for this purpose.

Conservation of Prints at the British Museum, London (2009)

In 2009 we raised money for the Prints and Drawing Department of the British Museum by arranging a number of exclusive visits to the British Museum’s Drawing Cabinet.

The Venice Report (2008-09)

As any traveler to Venice knows, tourism has a major impact here, both on the environment and on its social fabric. To the first point, wake from cruise ships, daunting garbage management issues, and pollution of various types have had a serious impact on a city that is already in a fragile state. To the second point, as tourists and tourism-focused enterprises crowd out the Venetian population, the city is losing population at a tremendous rate. Venice as we know it—as it’s been known for 1000 years—is facing serious challenges. Teaming up with the UK charity Venice in Peril, we helped finance a major study of the effect of tourism on Venice by noted ecologist, Venice resident, and Context expert Jane da Mosto, which brought into full relief the challenges facing this city and charted a roadmap for its preservation.

Support for the Explorer’s Club, New York (2009)

As part of a special event at the Explorer’s Club in 2009, the Foundation made a grant to the Club to help support its ongoing research.