IES Abroad - Study Abroad in Ecuador

No matter what academic background you may come from, whether it be Marine Science or Political Science, studying in Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands is a must! From the perspective of a biologist, I believe that the Galápagos Islands are the best place in the world to observe evidence of evolution by natural selection, a key part of numerous science disciplines and the basis of life in general. As a student in the Marine Ecology academic track, I participated in research conducted off the coast of mainland Ecuador, as well as in the waters of the Galápagos Marine Reserve and in the labs at the Galápagos Science Center on the island of San Cristóbal. After spending the first month of the program with my wonderful host mom in Cumbayá, San Cristóbal became my home for the next three months of my time abroad. I immediately felt at home with my host families and experienced a perfect balance of having them there for me as a support system but having the independence to explore on my own as well. I spent countless hours traveling around the island and enjoying all it has to offer; a typical day began with a hearty breakfast prepared by my host mom, followed by a beautiful walk to the university, which is located right across the street from a popular beach. After spending the morning in class, my friends and I would venture to the downtown “malecón” area for a bite to eat and then spend the rest of the day working on assignments at the university, spending time at the beach, or snorkeling at a beautiful nearby cove filled with several species of fish, numerous sea turtles, sea lions, marine iguanas and countless other marine organisms. My friends and I befriended many locals, and between sharing meals with them in addition to those spent with my host family, my conversational Spanish improved immensely and I now feel very confident in using my language skill back home. The culture of the island is incredibly rich for its size; there were events sponsored by the national park service and by the local government almost every week. These provided excellent opportunities to experience true “island life” and become a part of the environment and culture in Ecuador. It was incredibly hard for me to leave my new home as the semester came to a close, but I hope more than anything that I will be able to return in the future!

I truly can't recommend this program enough. As a double major in Latin American Studies and Environmental Policy, a chance to study environmental science while immersed in the vibrant, diverse culture of Ecuador was pretty much the perfect study abroad experience for me. Not only was I able to take interesting classes with knowledgeable professors from a wide range of backgrounds, I got to visit the largest Indigenous market in South America (Otavalo), spend a weekend in Cotopaxi National Park and hike to an altitude of 16,000 fasl, study and explore at the remote Tiputini Biodiversity Research Station in the Amazon rain forest, and spend three weeks in the Galapagos Islands. Not to mention the dear friends I got to study with, the host families who took care of me and treated me as a part of the family, and all of the day to day adventures that are par for the course when you spend an extended amount of time abroad. I am incredibly grateful for this program, and it has been one of the highlights of my life thus far. I can't recommend this program enough, or any of the other IES Abroad programs all over the world.

Going to Quito, Ecuador was a complete cultural immersion. Through IES, I took classes at the program center and at the local university, USFQ. All the while, I lived with an incredible host family whom I learned a lot from. Never did I ever think that my Spanish would improve so much after spending 4.5 months in Ecuador, but it sure did. I also traveled almost every weekend throughout Ecuador. One weekend my friends and I would be hiking an active volcano in the pouring hail and the next we were sunbathing on the coast. We had the amazing opportunities of visiting the Galapagos Islands and Amazon Rainforest, two of the most amazing places I have been to date. If you're seeking adventure, a cultural and linguistic immersion, and a step outside a comfort zone; Ecuador is the place for you.

I had an absolutely amazing experience during my semester abroad in Quito. It was such a wonderful opportunity to meet a diverse group of people from all walks of life, from Ecuador and as well as many other parts of the world. Through the IES Abroad field trips to the Amazon region and the Galapagos Islands, as well as weekend trips with my travel buddies to more local destinations like Baños and Quilatoa, I had the opportunity to see and do and live so many things I never would have been able to otherwise, like snorkeling face-to-face with sea lions in the Galapagos or climbing to the refugio on Cotopaxi, one of the tallest volcanoes in Ecuador (I actually thought that I might die on this trip, but I would still highly recommend the adventure, if just for the satisfaction of the accomplishment!). The community I became a part of was wonderfully supportive, from my host family to the IES staff, my professors, and the staff at my internship placement. The IES professors teach at the local university where you can take direct-enrollment classes, of which I would definitely recommend trying at least one, and they were all some of the best professors I've had. I already miss Quito and everyone I met so much, and I hope to go back and visit soon!

Even though Ecuador is about the size of Colorado, the country has it all: tropical rainforests, the Andes mountains, big cities, tiny villages, the coast, and of the course, the Galápagos Islands. I highly recommend this program for anyone interested in environmental science or policy – it doesn’t even have to be your major! The host families that IES placed us in were awesome – my Spanish improved greatly, and I still keep in touch with my Galápagos family. I also recommend taking advantage of as many classroom trips as possible (including diving in the marine classes on the islands), as well as planning your own out-of-class trips: the most amazing part of study abroad is engaging with the new environment and culture that surrounds you. The IES advisors and on-site staff were really wonderful: they helped immensely with my endless questions throughout both the application process and also the actual semester abroad.

My semester abroad with the IES Galapagos Island program was easily one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Ecuador is a beautiful country with an amazing culture and great people, and the Galapagos Islands are truly a wonder of the natural world. The IES Abroad program allowed me to experience what Ecuador has to offer with a lot of freedom while also ensuring my safety and well-being. The host families I was placed with were extremely friendly and helpful and all the of GAIAS and IES staff were amazing. The classes were engaging, fun and interesting, but also challenging enough that it still felt legitimate for a college level course. Including all of the fun things to do in Ecuador and Galapagos, IES also had different group activities that were fun and also kept me engaged with the community as well as the other students. Overall, I would recommend this program from anyone who is interested in biology, ecology, environmental science, or social science, who has a love for nature, and who would want to participate in a life changing experience.

Being from Ecuadorian heritage, I always wanted to experience what it would be like to really live the life there and be immersed in the culture. Well, IES Abroad Quito provided all that and more for me. The staff was welcoming and helpful from the day I flew in to Quito unti the sad day that I had to say good-bye. I had an advantage to the rest of the students, as I had already visited the country multiple times and am also a Spanish speaker, but even so, there was a lot for me to learn as an incoming student! The staff at IES made sure to give us a tour of the city and Universidad San Francisco de Quito, it was like having my parents take me to the firsts day of school, and making sure that I felt comfortable enough to stay by myself. Academically, the system at USFQ is something outside of what I had been familiar with in the states. To clarify, the treatment is "horizontal", the professors treat the students as peers not as anything inferior, there is a great degree of mutual degree and respect between professors and students. All of my professors were AMAZING, they were genuinely intrigued and interested in giving off every piece of knowledge they had to their students. IES also offers an internship/service learning class where we get to really get immersed into the ecuadorian culture by volunteering in a community or in some kind of organization. This truly gave me the opportunity to not only indulge in something that would later be beneficial for my career, but it put me smack dab in the middle of the cultural commotion. During my internship at a wildlife animal rescue at USFQ, I met many professors, activists, and students that taught me more than I could ever read in a book about Ecuador; the biodiversity, cultural contexts, the language (and slang). The program made sure to show us around the beautiful Andean country with trips to the Amazon, the Darwinian islands of Galápagos, and also supported trips through small towns and sceneries that deem unforgettable for me. All of this was available to me through IES and it was great to know that I had their full support all the way through my journey! There is a saying in Ecuador that has stuck, and it truly signifies what the country and the people have left in me: the desire to go back... Me fui a volver.

IES abroad in Quito, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands was the total study abroad experience. My parents called me a “nerd” for wanting to take summer classes, but my experience was not limited to the classroom. I explored the city, in my free time, just like a true Ecuadorian. Having almerzos for $3, going to free concerts in the parks, and trekking around the downtown city center, these experiences might sound unimportant details; however, these memories are the ones which you’ll never forget. Sure I did not know what was in my food or what the musicians were singing, but I do know that through these experiences my group was able to bond more. My group consisted of nine other collegiate students from all across the United States. At the beginning, we were just like awkward freshman during orientation. Not really knowing what to talk about or what should be our mannerism. It wasn’t until the end when I realized, all the pre-departure nervousness about meeting new people was just an imaginary monster continuously making me doubt myself. As time went on, we slowly became more comfortable with each other. It wasn’t until playing soccer at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station that we came to together finally as a program. Even though we resembled a peccary and even though I scarred my legs, this would be one of the highs on my trips. By the end of the trip, we did highs and lows. And the soccer game was one of my highs. In actuality, the whole trip was a high. Even the “bad” experiences could be laughed about and remembered fondly. Going to Ecuador with IES totally changed my perspective on life, you don’t just come back with souvenirs and pictures. IES allows you to come back with new memories and a new culture which can swirl together. No longer are you a regular American. I lived in Ecuador and I feel completely immersed with the student and local lifestyle. I plan in my future to return to Ecuador. I want to see how many more memories I can carry with me for the rest of my life. I want to be able to say to my kids, “yes, when I was 20 I traveled by myself to a foreign country without knowing the language.” I want to listen to the song by OneRepublic and agree that I have lived. Hopefully you can travel abroad and see, taste, smell, study, learn, and live. These small things will allow us to truly gain an experience, the same kind of experience which I have gained through IES Abroad. The program was well thought out, from the pre-departure packing list to the farewell dinner. I could not imagine using any other study abroad program than IES.

I had an amazing experience with IES Abroad Quito-Direct Enrollment. The on-site staff is incredibly caring, fun to be around, and has lots of advice to give. Although I did not ask them for much help and didn't have to resolve any problems at school, I felt comfortable knowing that they were available and able to help in case something came up. Having a "home-base" in Quito (the program building) definitely contributed to how much I enjoyed my experience. Although the direct enrollment program was quite small, the area studies program was there at the same time, and I could always count on someone being in the building if I wanted to hang out. We always met up at the building, studied together in the computer room, or once we even made empanadas with the entire program and the on-site staff there. I loved having a non-public place to go to in Quito other than my homestay, to get a change of scenery for studying, etc. Although I enjoyed only half of my classes at the local university (next time I would ask more students about the professors), I think the opportunity to direct enroll added another cultural level to my experience. Students at the university come from a much wealthier economic background than other Ecuadorians we usually encountered in the city. It was also interesting to observe the classroom atmosphere, how professors teach in varied styles, to see how the emphasis on certain assignments is different, and to see the students' perspective on school compared to its importance at my home university. A high level of Spanish is very helpful in classes with exclusively Ecuadorians. These classes are challenging but also helped me improve immensely, as the topics were new (such as the Ethnohistory of Ecuador) and there was also never an excuse to speak English. Living in a homestay, taking part in the Service Learning component of the program, and attending the local university, gave me a varied perspective on social and economic classes in Quito and helped me better contextualize the Ecuador's diversity, which we learned about in my Service Learning class. I also loved the field trips IES took us on and appreciated the freedom we had to travel on the weekends with friends. I especially enjoyed the last two months in Quito!! I had made amazing friends from the program that I knew incredibly well at that point, but had also gotten to know Ecuadorians well enough to spend time with them after school, which was great for practicing Spanish! I loved exploring Quito, and would definitely recommend this program to anyone! I didn't want to leave!!

In the spring of 2014, I had the incredible opportunity to study abroad through IES Abroad in Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands. After much hesitation about whether or not to go abroad, I took the plunge and decided to embark on a four-month journey of cultural-, environmental-, and self-awareness. IES welcomed students with an orientation and tour of Quito, the capitol city of Ecuador. We all were placed with appropriate host families, who were carefully handpicked based on our language skills and personal preferences. My Quito family made the transition into another culture as easy as possible, and I missed them when I traveled throughout Ecuador with my new best friends for class or for weekend sightseeing. After a month exploring Quito, we were flown to the Galápagos Islands, as excited as Darwin must have been when he first saw this unique location. Three months were spent on an island paradise, scuba diving for class, bonding with our host families, leaning how to salsa dance, taking surfing lessons, and seeing amazing animals everyday. If you’re looking for an experience where you’ll think everyday is the best day of your life, definitely look into IES Abroad Galápagos Direct Enrollment!

If I had to pick one experience that was truly amazing, it would be during our trip to the Galapagos Islands. We spent one afternoon exploring one of the uninhabited islands where we saw a ton of wildlife that only exist on there. The best part was when we snorkeled along the coast where the sea lions swim about freely. I was face to face with a baby sea lion, swimming back and forth as he played with me. It was an incredible experience I will never forget. I chose IES Abroad Quito because I wanted a challenging program that was direct enrollment so as to experience the full immersion of being a student in such a unique country (though the difficulty of the program truly depends on the courses selected, however, and is up to the student). The IES trips also drew me in, as traveling to the Amazon and Galapagos Islands are a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Lastly, the Spanish spoken in Quito is very clear and easy to understand and pick up, as opposed to other cities in Spain and Latin America. I lived in a homestay which consisted of a mother and four daughters, though only one lived in the home as the other three were older. The family I was placed with was more liberal than the average Ecuadorian family, which is known to be religious and conservative. This is a stereotype, though the country truly is very religious and, like many developing countries, still in the process of being open to modern ideas. My host family was supportive and made me feel part of their family from the moment I arrived. They were probably the number one reason I absolutely loved the time I spent in Quito and was devastated to have to leave at the end of the semester.