South America Semester: Andes & Amazon
- Peru
- Bolivia
About Program
From snow capped mountains to lush tropical rain forests and everything in between! The Andes and Amazon program guides you through the dizzying tapestry of cultures and landscapes of both Bolivia and Peru.
The diverse regions of these two countries provide an ideal backdrop for learning. Through extended homestays, intensive language classes, exposure to remote indigenous communities, and trekking through diverse ecosystems Andes and Amazon students will deeply connect with local cultures while venturing into the rich panorama of Andean and Amazonian realities.
Dragons students will also examine current social movements, political trends, and environmental conservation efforts in the jungles and mountains of Peru and Bolivia. Students will also participate in an independent study project of this choice with a local expert in topics like traditional weaving, Andean spirituality, traditional agriculture and conservation.
Scholarships and college credit is available.
Video and Photos
Diversity & Inclusion
BIPOC Support
LGBTQIA+ Support
In some cases, students may be advised not to speak about their sexual orientations and/or gender identities with local contacts (such as homestay families, ISP mentors, language teachers, and guest speakers) due to safety concerns. Likewise, transgender and non-binary students may have to choose to present outwardly as male or female in certain contexts during the program. In other cases, “coming out” to some or all host community members may be a safe choice.
Neurodivergent Support
Accessibility Support
Impact
Sustainability
Ethical Impact
Learning Service is a holistic experience that combines an intimate and authentic engagement with the local community, the study of effective development, and the contribution to an established community-driven project. It is the process of living, working alongside, and humbly absorbing the culture of those being served while coordinating closely with project managers to understand the trajectory of the project, from inception to completion and beyond. It is an acknowledgment that often it is the volunteer who stands to gain as much or more from the work. And it is a commitment to making contributions that create positive impacts in the communities coupled with the humility to always listen and learn first.
Program Highlights
- Engage with issues in resource management, modernization and globalization, indigenous movements and political representation, urbanization and rural poverty, environmental conservation, and community and sustainable development.
- Settle into the rhythm of life in an agricultural community, living with a family, deepening your language skills, and exploring an Independent Study topic of your choice.
- Four weeks of personalized language instruction with local teachers for 16-20 hours a week, in addition to opportunities for language immersion throughout. Quechua lessons also available.
- Participate in multi-day treks moving from the high Andes to the Amazon basin. Wilderness exploration also includes travel through remote rainforests of Bolivia and Peru, and a challenging trek in the Ausangate range in Peru.
- Explore land use and relationships, social and political activism, and indigenous identity and representation. The semester also delves into pre-Incan and Incan history and culture, the coca leaf, sustainable agriculture, and the arts.