Influential, fulfilling, eye-opening

This program will deepen you as a human, sharpen you as a scholar, and broaden your perspective on social justice, coloniality, and environmental politics. Faba, the academic director who has led this program for 20 years, is one of the wisest, kindest mentors I have ever had. He is deeply embedded in many communities in Ecuador. Sofia, the program coordinator, is incredibly warm, wonderful to talk and laugh with, and extremely capable. Together, they will make you feel welcome from the moment you arrive.

I loved my experience with my host families, all of our excursions--to the Galapagos, the Amazon, Intag--were impeccably planned and so much fun, with beautiful lodging and delicious food. Our group bonded well and had a blast on all of our trips and while exploring Quito and other locations independently. We were given a lot of autonomy over our choices and treated like adults, while having just the right amount of structure and guidance to make our free time safe and enjoyable.

The guest scholars and community activists that lecture in the class are well known throughout Ecuador and you will learn so much through conversations in class. The academics were less traditionally rigorous than at my home university but I learned so much through the experiential components and class material. The chance to develop my social science research skills while living alone and completing an independent project (ISP) was invaluable for my honors thesis and future research.

The chance to go from lush Amazon in Pastaza to the snow-capped peak of Volcan Cotopaxi in 24 hours captures the beauty of studying in Ecuador. The friends I made at local universities and my host families I am still in touch with capture another facet of what makes Ecuador so special. Choose this program; you won't regret it.