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In order to
have a rich, meaningful experience [in Ecuador], one has
to be able to communicate with the people and connect
with them...you can’t feel like you are living like
an Ecuadorian without the language.
-Nicole Gallaher
Occidental College |
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Studying the
traditional music of Ecuador proved to be a successful
vehicle to involve myself more intimately in the culture
and to learn about specific elements of Ecuadorian society
such as the effects of tourism and relationships between
different racial and social groups. Conducting such research
was a welcome challenge that resulted in a profound appreciation
for the people and culture of Ecuador, as well as the
maturation of my perspective as a member of our global
community.
-Megan Bartges
Pitzer College |
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Location
Ecuador is the smallest of the Andean nations, roughly the size of Arizona, yet it is known for its ecological and cultural diversity. From the Andean highland region to the Amazon basin, Ecuador supports a population of 13 million people, with 10 distinct indigenous groups. Pitzer in Ecuador takes advantage of this diversity with a program base in Quito, study trips to each of these regions, a rural stay in an indigenous highland community and a curriculum that focuses on contemporary cultural, economic and indigenous issues.
Intensive Spanish Language
Intensive Spanish is offered at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels through the Academia Latinoamericana, one of Quito's premier language learning institutes. Becoming fluent in Spanish, however, is not just a classroom exercise. Language learning is part of your everyday life through interactions with your host family, program staff and field exercises that immerse you in the community. The competence you develop in Spanish will be crucial to realizing your educational goals in Ecuador, and a vital component of this will be the commitment you make to creating a Spanish speaking environment both in and out of class.
The Core Course
Ecuadorian Studies
The core course combines lectures, readings, discussions, and the writing assignments of the Fieldbook with the more experiential program components of family stays, study trips, field assignments, and community service projects. Lectures are given by university professors as well as scholars and specialists from government and private organizations. Through the course you will become acquainted with some of the main historical, social, cultural and political issues fundamental to Ecuador's modern identity. Assignments require you to use your Spanish language skills and integrate your personal experience in the culture with classroom learning.
Directed Independent Study Project
The program provides several options for study. Guided by local scholars, specialists and program staff, projects require a significant analytical component in the form of a written report as well as other documentation of learning. Students must select a project that involves field research, oral interviews, ethnography and other techniques that facilitate cultural immersion. Topic selection may be limited by available resources and local conditions.
Study Trips
To deepen your understanding of topics covered in the core course, you will travel to various locations in Ecuador and Peru. Destinations may change from semester to semester, but past trips have included:
Amazon Jungle
Tiputini Biodiversity Station
The Ecuadorian Amazon Region has the highest concentration of species diversity on the planet. Visit the Tiputini Biodiversity Station (TBS) and its 1,500 acres of undisturbed rainforest, which operates to promote an understanding of rainforest ecosystems through education, research and ecotourism.
Machu Picchu, Peru
Referred to as the Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu rests at 2,350 meters above sea level on the eastern slopes of the Andes. You will learn about the Inca civilization and history while visiting ruins in Cuzco and hiking the Inca Trail.
Cotacachi
During the third month of the program, you will live and study in the small rural community of Cotacachi, in the Andean province of Imbabura. Cotacachi is surrounded by numerous farming communities, volcanoes, lakes and valleys. The region is the home of Ecuador’s modern indigenous political movement and a number of community-based development projects.
Family Stays
Host families provide a window into the culture as they include you in their daily lives and introduce you to relatives and friends from a variety of age groups and backgrounds. As your Spanish improves, you begin to give a human face to important issues and ideas covered in your core course lectures and readings. Often, relationships developed with host family members turn into friendships that last long past the end of the program.
You will have two main family stays. The first and longest will be in Quito with a middle-class or professional family. Your second homestay will be with an indigenous highland family in the rural community of Cotacachi, a few hours north of Quito near the market town of Otavalo. Families here continue to be deeply involved in agriculture and village life. Homes are usually smaller with fewer amenities and less chance for privacy. |
