Adelante Abroad

Adelante Abroad- Ecuador

Submitted by kam12345 - NYU | July 26, 2017

The program staff was extremely supportive and involved prior to departure and throughout the duration of the program. My host family was amazing, and my internship could not have been better. The one-on-one Spanish courses for two weeks prior to beginning my internship were extremely helpful as well. The program director/contact in Ecuador works with other organizations all over the world, so I was able to meet volunteers from this program as well as many others.

Program: Internships in Ecuador - Adelante Abroad

Human Rights Internship

Submitted by Roger Dogood - University of Denver | July 24, 2017

I was placed in an NGO that specializes in carrying out human rights projects with a focus in gender issues. Everyone with whom I worked was wonderful. I was placed in 'Corporacion de Estudios DECIDE,' where I was part of a small, intimate, highly competent team. I felt like my opinion was highly valued and had a real impact on project decisions. The experience illuminated what a career in international human rights might look like, especially from an NGO's perspective in Latin America. The only drawback to this approach to trying to self-actualize through civil society is a lack of funds. Most of my work consisted of writing grants in the hope of obtaining money to later carry out projects. It was rewarding to write a grant that received $25,000 in funding from the US Dept of State. Also, having studied political science in college, this experience was like political science applied, which I liked. Finally, I was given sufficient autonomy to help shape what the project looked like instead of simply translating and following instructions. Luckily I was volunteering and not dependent on an income of any sort, otherwise I would not have been able to afford doing such work; in other words, NGO work is not a lucrative career path, but it was morally fulfilling.

Quito is not a city I would live in. Surrounding areas are beautiful, but the city itself is dense, filled with smog, unorganized, and not all together safe. However, the people are fantastic. Albeit a little too religious, they are nevertheless excellent hosts, incredibly nice, and will be some of my best friends for life.

Food is not great. Food is bland and there is not a lot of meat.

Imported products are exorbitantly priced due to protectionist tax measures. Services, such as taxis and laundry, are dirt cheap.

Despite any negative comments above, I would completely recommend this experience to anyone. It is up to the individual to take from an experience what he or she may. And any negative experience can be turned into a positive one with the right thought process. And I imagine those of you looking into this program are not the type looking to spend a week at a beach resort in Cancun, Mexico; this is not that. This allows you to get a feel for how another group of people live, where you can live and breath a different language, learn new history, observe distinct social processes, and grow significantly as a person.

Program: Internships in Ecuador - Adelante Abroad

An amazing summer in Barcelona

Submitted by Cassidy - Barcelona | July 24, 2017

Wow, this truly was an experience of a lifetime! My program in Barcelona was for two months (June and July). After a difficult first week (cultural transitions can be tough), I adjusted quickly and began falling in love with the city. My favorite part of this experience were the 2 weeks of Spanish classes that you take at the beginning. Improving my Spanish was a priority for me, and these classes were the single most important thing that helped me this summer. On top of learning Spanish, I made many friends from the classes, giving me near instant friendships.

Because my internship was in the language school, I was able to continue to take classes for 6 weeks rather than just 2. If you have the chance to continue with classes, I HIGHLY suggest it. The professors at Kingsbrook Idiomas are fantastic! I hold a psychology degree and am interested in human resources so my internship at Kingsbrook was to collect and analyze feedback from their English professors. I enjoyed the work, but at times I didn't have enough work to do. It was only in these moments that I struggled with the internship.

I quickly began to build a life in Barcelona, and now at the end of my experience, I am very sad to leave. If you are debating whether to go to Madrid, Seville, or Barcelona, just choose Barcelona. You won't regret it! I was able to take a trip to Madrid with 2 other girls from the Adelante program in Barcelona, and while Madrid is beautiful (and worth a visit), I knew Barcelona was better (really the beach just takes it to a whole new level!) I'm so satisfied with my experience here. I did everything I hoped to do and more!

Program: Internships in Barcelona - Adelante Abroad

I had an amazing two months...

Submitted by barcelonalove2017 - California State University of San Marcos | July 24, 2017

I was with Adelante for their two-month program in Barcelona under Business Marketing. I would say I had a really fun overall experience. I met so many people all over. Most of them are from the U.S. I'm from California and everyone else was from the east coast. Those friends that I've met were my family in Barcelona for all two-months I was here. We all went out together and traveled together.

The two-week language school, Kingsbrook, is intense, but i learned a great deal and I had to start my internship right when I got to Barcelona so my schedule was jammed pack. It was my decision, not Adelante. However, I don't know the difference between Adelante program and Kingsbrook. I had more connections through Kingsbrook than I did with Adelante. I'm not quite sure. Overall, I'm thankful for the program that took the effort to find my internship. Overall, I had an amazing time.

Program: Internships in Barcelona - Adelante Abroad

Seize your summer!

Submitted by Gwen - New York University (Graduate School of Professional Studies) | July 20, 2017

My Madrid summer with Adelante was amazing. As a graduate student, I was worried that this program wouldn't be rigorous enough for me but I am happy to say I was wrong. My internship was so practical and, unlike in the US, I was given responsibility on projects and trusted with complex tasks that were presented to clients. My Spanish also improved more than I expected it to and now I feel comfortable talking to any Spanish speaker! Part of the draw of Adelante is all the planning they do for you before you even set foot in the country and it was such a relief to not have to try to find housing or get an interview for the job I worked for. If you want to go abroad, experience a new culture and get seriously good experience, Adelante is for you.

Program: Internships in Madrid, Spain - Adelante Abroad