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“The two semesters I spent studying and learning abroad were the most challenging, difficult, wonderful and incredible semesters of my life. I learned a great deal about myself and I also learned about the importance of giving of yourself and helping others. I saw that I could make a difference.”
--Julie, Rocky Mountain College (Mexico & Guayaquil programs)
Ecuador spans the equator on the northwest coast of South America. With its cultural diversity and wide range of environments—the Galapagos Islands, the coastal areas of the Pacific, the Andes mountain range, and the headwaters of the Amazon—Ecuador provides an ideal location for you to live in and learn about South America, encountering directly the issues and concerns of this great southern continent. In Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city and gateway to the Galapagos, you will enjoy a tropical climate with varied and abundant flora and fauna and a newly revitalized waterfront, or “Malecon.” You will also encounter dramatic contrasts of wealth and poverty, and the social issues generated through that disparity.
Two summer programs of one month each are offered; you may enroll in one or both sessions. In each session, you will study Spanish, live with an Ecuadorian family, and engage in volunteer service and a related study focused on a theme. The service theme of the June program is ecology; the theme in July is community health. (Individualized service placements that differ from these themes are possible by prior discussion.) Your volunteer service immerses you in the culture and deepens your understanding of Ecuadorian society in a way that goes beyond that experienced in traditional study abroad programs. It also facilitates your mastery of Spanish.
