Description

Where will I stay?

Participants live with an Ecuadorian host family. Life with a host family provides students with a rich intercultural experience, language practice, and 3 meals a day.

What will I study?

Students take up to 6 credits: 3 credits of Spanish language, and 3 credits for the service learning placement. The academic component of the placement includes a weekly journal, attendance at a weekly Cultural Seminar, and a final reflection paper. Students are issued with an international transcript in English at the end of the program.

Where will I serve?

Students are placed in a variety of community organizations that work at addressing the pressing social needs in Guayaquil, such as health, nutrition, education, shelter and housing, and environmental protection, or working with the physically and mentally disabled, street children, and other marginalized members of society. Students are placed according to their skill sets and Spanish language level.

What about travel arrangements?

We can assist with further travel, such as trips to the Galápagos Islands and Amazon rain forest, along with hotel reservations in Quito before the program begins.

Highlights

Where is the program located?

The program is based at the Universidad Espiritu Santo in the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Possibly the most diverse and undoubtedly one of the most beautiful countries in the world, Ecuador offers unspoiled coastline, snow-capped mountains, indigenous cultures, colonial architecture, and the planet's two greatest natural wonders: the Amazon rainforest and the Galapagos Islands.

Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city with a population of 2.5 million and the commercial hub. However, like other Latin American mega-cities, it suffers from social problems that provide opportunities for students interested in service and in learning about the realities of urban life in the tropics.

The Universidad Espiritu Santo located in the district of Samborondón is ranked as one of the country's top universities. UEES' modern campus has a sports complex and pool, fleet of buses, doctor's surgery, music studio, and student-run restaurant. We also have iguanas wandering around the main plaza.

Qualifications

This short-term study abroad program combines intensive Spanish language instruction, travel and intercultural learning with service placements in community-based organizations in the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The Serve and Learn Programs are 4 weeks in length, during the months of June and July.

Intern Types

Languages

• English
• Spanish

Cost in US$:

USD 2,900

Cost Includes:

• Excursions
• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Language instruction
• Registration fees
• Travel while in host country
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

- Orientation Tour: 4 days of travel beginning in capital city Quito, and including the famous Otavalo crafts market, visits to Andean communities, and to the Equatorial Line.
- Field Trips: A weekend trip to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Cuenca, Cajas National Park, and the Ingapirca Inca ruins; and a chance to experience the coastal ecology of Ecuador.
- Cultural Seminar: Weekly debrief and guest lecture gives students a chance to deepen their knowledge and understanding of Ecuador.
- Other: Cultural activity such as Latin dance or cooking/volunteer project.
- Homestay with an Ecuadorian family.
- Full use of the university's facilities, including sports complex, buses and doctor's surgery.
- 6 Credits of Spanish and Service Learning.

Credit Available

yes

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Age Range

18 - 30

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Dormitory
• Home-stays
• Other

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups

Application Process Involves

• Disciplinary Clearance Form
• In-Person Interview when Feasible
• Letters of Reference
• Other
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Transcript
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

45 days

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad

Universidad Espiritu Santo's Mission Statement

To be a center of education and research dedicated to seeking solutions and alternatives for national and international problems of great importance; and to be a valid point of reference for guiding public opinion. To serve society by means by preparing bilingual, socially concerned, and enterprising professionals in scientific and technical aspects of their chosen career and in the humanistic aspects of life. This task entails enabling persons to become conscious of and committed to their civic, ethical and moral responsibilities, to become leaders in their field of action, and to live in harmony with the environment.

Year Founded

1993