Fundación Bolívar Education

I've studied with one of the school's teachers for 5 years. Martha is fantastic! My wife and I just traveled to Ecuador to meet her and her family and see some of the country. The school helped us tremendously with the logistics. They were super friendly and responsive and really made things easy. We're excited to visit again, see more of the country, and take classes in person.

I studied for two months with Professor Milton Romero Obando, who teaches Latin American literature at Universidad Técnica Cotopaxi. I had to prepare for a masters exam in Spanish and Latin American literature. We studied a breathtaking variety of literature and cinema, crossing a thousand years and two different continents. Long story short: I passed my masters exam with flying colors, and with Milton I took a fascinating, in-depth journey through history, language, literature and cinema. Honestly, I think Professor Romero was the most qualified person I could have found to guide me on this journey. We met online every day, Monday - Friday, for one to two hours. My language skills improved dramatically (speaking, comprehending, reading, writing), and I gained profound insights into more than 30 works of literature and 15 films.

I'm incredibly grateful for my experience with Fundación Bolívar Education. Not only did I significantly improve my Spanish but I had the opportunity to fully immerse myself in the Ecuadorian culture. The teachers are kind and patient. They meet you at your skill level and give you the knowledge and confidence you need to succeed. The experiences were life changing, and I will forever be grateful for my time in Ecuador.

Loved my three weeks studying with Monica. She tailored each class to me and was soooo patient and generous with her teaching. Always kind and focused. Couldn’t recommend the team at the foundation more. Thank you!

Martha Venegas es una profesora muy buena, ella es competente, paciente, tiene gran sentido del humor y prepara sus clases minuciosamente. Ella usa material adecuado a mi nivel de idioma. Trabaja muy organizada pero a la vez flexible con su horario.

I’m so glad I did a week of classes! It improved my spanish a lot more than I expected in just a short week, which made my time in south america more enjoyable. I was also so grateful to meet some really kind people. I loved trying their different snacks with coffee, going out for lunch (an extended spanish practice), and the cocktail making party.

The program is multi-pronged: Language, Volunteer opportunities, Cultural experiences. I did not volunteer because I am in my 70’s and no longer have the energy to volunteer 4 hours a day and take Spanish class every day. I took Spanish lessons for two weeks and the focus was on pronunciation. I know I am improving because the Uber drivers, and store clerks understand me now! My teacher was Sandrita. An accomplished, sweet, patient person. The cooking class that 4 of us took was excellent , a great way to practice Spanish, and lots of fun. When I return in two years I plan to contact the Fundación again.

hey everyone my name is paula and by the age of 19 i did attend the teaching program in quito ecuador. i stayed at monica’s house- the loveliest ecuadorian mum on earth!! she provided a warm house always and the kitchen lady paulita cooked fresh meals every day :) i had the best time with monica and the other volunteers at the house! i loved the program:) also i improved my spanish a lottt during the stay my absolute highlight was the weekend trip to the amazonas jungle, that was truly the best thing i’ve ever done :) i will tell my grandkids about that weekend one day! overall i did feel safe in quito but especially for young woman travelling alone like me, i would recommmed going together with a friend or being very neatly with the safety rules of the programm!! book the trip now& please hug monica for me if you are there! lots of love paula

It was the best experience ever, the school was cozy and the children really friendly. From the very first day they approached me on their own and wanted to know more things about me and my country. They also wanted to present their country to me, which was a great introduction for me to get to know Ecuador and the local culture. The host family was also wonderful, I always trusted their recommendations and they genuinely care about the volunteers. I really enjoyed getting in contact with the locals and trying to speak their language. The Simon Bolivar team was also amazing, the activities they planned and the weekend trips were so exciting and well organized. They really helped me on my first days, so that I get adapted to the new place, but also later they were willing to explain about their culture, have conversations, hang out, book the weekend trips for me and help me improve my Spanish. Overall, the experience is great for someone who is looking for cultural immersion and loves the beautiful landscapes and I would definitely recommend it.

After a month of in person one-on-one classes, I can say without a doubt my Spanish abilities have improved greatly. Their ability to explain complicated concepts in a understandable fashion sets this school/the teachers apart from the rest. As a great bonus, they offer weekly activities that are fun and interactive. Combined, great teachers and fun activities, I would highly recommend this school to anyone visiting Quito.

I arrived in Ecuador knowing nothing about the language and the country. The school organized todo, customized for me so I could learn quickly enough Spanish to be autonomous, always in a very kind manner, very adaptive to my constraints. They also organize every day activities to discover local culture.

This trip was an unforgettable experience that thought me the foundation on how to travel solo, while still being supported and accompanied throughout the whole project by the staff of the organization. They were always available to answer my questions and to help me prepare the tours I wanted to do on the weekends. This allowed me to enjoy to the max my trip and visit as much places in Ecuador as I could. They also organized activities with all the volunteers like salsa and bachata classes which was very funny and it is a great way to meet new people! I lived in Monika’s home with her family and I couldn’t have asked for a better host. She was super welcoming and It felt like home immediately. The food was delicious and the rooms were super comfortable. It was truly an amazing experience and i wished i could have stayed longer !

Everyone here was so warm and welcoming. I learned a lot taking spanish classes and also doing medical volunteering. My Spanish has improved a lot after taking classes here. I really enjoyed doing activities with the other volunteers and staff. I am going to miss everyone here. Thank you to the employees of this organization, my experience in Ecuador would not have been the same without you. I highly recommend them.