Program Description | Host Family & Community | Community Service Placement | Travel | Orientations & Activities | Eligibility
Program Description
Ecuador is one of the most fascinating destinations in South America with a wide array of vibrant cultures, historical colonial architecture, volcanic landscapes, and dense rainforest – all in a nation no bigger than Nevada! Ecuador’s traditional arts, textiles, and ceramics are based in a culture that dates from around 3200 B.C. The country is comprised of four distinct regions – the highlands, coastal areas, rainforest, and the famous Galapagos Islands – all making Ecuador an exciting country for you to discover.
Spend a semester performing community service with a national or international non-governmental organization (NGO). Projects can include working with children, the elderly, or in an orphanage in areas such as teaching, arts, crafts, sports, or language development.
For one week during your stay, there is a short-term exchange with another family in another part of the country and a chance to visit NGO projects similar to yours. Toward the end, there is an optional five-day, four-night trip to the Galápagos Islands at an additional cost.
Accommodations will be either in housing provided by the community-based organization or with a host family.
Language
Spanish is spoken as the first language by more than 90% of the population, and as a first or second language by more than 98%. Part of Ecuador's population can speak Amerindian languages, but only around two percent.
Upon arrival, you’ll spend a week at an orientation to learn about Ecuadorian culture and complete a 40-hour Spanish course.
While the ability to speak Spanish is not a pre-requisite for the program, we do suggest that you learn as much as possible prior to departure.
Host Family & Community
Most placements (approx. 60%) are in sub-urban areas. Participants are often placed in the mountain city of Quito, while others may be placed in coastal areas or in small towns throughout the country.
Host families in Ecuador, like all AFS host families worldwide, are volunteers and not paid. They open their homes to participants in order to share their community and culture as well as to enrich their own family lives.
Ecuadorians
The Ecuadorian people of the cities are elegant, intelligent, and amicable. Rural Ecuadorians are hospitable even when they live very modestly. People of the coastal region are more free and easy going, while in the Sierra they are somewhat ceremonious but hearty at the same time. As is only natural, Ecuadorians love their country, but they do so without showing off as patriots. They are also mainly Catholics, but with a healthy amount of liberalism and tolerance.
Meals
A typical Ecuadorian diet calls for some kind of meat (beef, pork, poultry, fish or other seafood, cold cuts) twice a day, at lunch and dinner. Meat portions are not necessarily large, and are always accompanied by rice and some cooked vegetable or salad. Many times, meat is cooked as a stew, which will also be accompanied of rice.
Besides rice, other main staples are potatoes, noodles, and on the coast, beans, yucca and plantains. Carbohydrates constitute a major intake, and it’s not unusual to have two or three (rice, potatoes, and noodles) on a same meal. In any case, vegetables are never at the center of a meal.
Strict vegetarians are difficult to place, but they will be accepted by AFS Ecuador. It is their responsibility to insure they have enough protein and nutrition in their diet, as the Ecuadorian diet is not plentiful in vegetables.
Community Service Placement
AFS’s Community Service program gives you the opportunity to share in and contribute to the life of a community in Ecuador by living and working alongside its members in a community-based service organization.
You will be performing your community service with a national or international non-governmental organization (NGO). Projects can include working with children, the elderly, or in an orphanage in areas such as teaching, arts, crafts, sports, or language development. At the organization, you will be asked to pitch in and offer assistance in whatever capacity might be needed and to share the knowledge and experience you have gained from your home culture in the process.
No one expects you to be an expert with all the answers to local problems or the ability to change local conditions. Rather, you are expected to be a willing participant in a process of mutual discovery. This experience will present you with innumerable learning opportunities both personally and professionally.
Accommodations will be either in housing provided by the community-based organization or with a host family.
Travel
You will receive a Travel Notification email about 6 weeks prior to international departure with your international flight itinerary and detailed instructions for when to arrive at the Gateway Orientation site in Miami. At that point, you may arrange your domestic travel. In Miami, you will join other AFS-USA participants for an overnight Gateway Orientation before you travel together to Quito.
International airfare is included as part of the tuition, but it is your responsibility to arrange your travel from your hometown to the Gateway City.
Your Arrival
After the Gateway Orientation in Miami, you and other fellow AFSers will travel together to Quito, where AFS staff and volunteers will be waiting for you at the airport. Your group will then be taken to a two day welcome orientation, where you will get a chance to meet other international AFSers and learn important safety tips and cultural etiquette. After the orientation, you will travel to your host community. If your host family lives far away, you will travel by bus or train to your host community.
Your Return
Before your departure, there will be a final AFS orientation to prepare you for the return home. This will be a great opportunity to reflect on your time in Ecuador and share your experience with your AFS friends.
Orientations & Activities
In addition to the orientations that you will participate in domestically (the locally held Pre-Departure Orientation, the Culture Trek online orientation, and the national Gateway Orientation), you and your fellow AFSers will have several orientations while abroad.
These required orientations are intended to help you maximize your AFS experience, prevent culture shock and to gain knowledge, skills and a global understanding.
Arrival Orientation
The first orientation will take place upon your arrival in Ecuador. This will be a two day orientation that is intended to prepare you for your first weeks abroad. This will be an international orientation and your opportunity to meet participants from around the world. In addition to covering the rules and safety tips, there will be an emphasis on approaching your experience from an intercultural learning perspective.
Mid-Stay Orientation
About 2.5 months into your stay, you will have a mid-stay orientation at the local level. This will last for two days and will focus on cultural adjustment. You will also meet with AFS staff and volunteers to evaluate the first half of the program and be offered guidance to make the remaining months as productive as possible.
End-of-Stay Orientation
Finally, there will be an evaluation camp in the weeks prior to departure. This is your chance to reflect on your experience and to share with other AFSers. You will also prepare for the cultural readjustment that is a part of returning home.
Optional Activities
For one week during your stay, there is a short-term exchange with another family in another part of the country and a chance to visit NGO projects similar to yours. Toward the end, there is an optional five-day, four-night trip to the Galápagos Islands at an additional cost.
In addition to the orientations, many local chapters organize activities for participants throughout the year. These will vary from chapter to chapter but may include parties or excursions to other cities or regions in Ecuador. Unlike the orientations, these activities are optional and are at the student’s expense.
Eligibility
To participate in this program, you must:
- Be within the age range upon departure (located in the ‘read more’ drop-down)
- Be mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy in accordance with AFS Medical Evaluation Policies
- Have a U.S. passport at the time of application. Passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the program end date
- Have an open mind, willingness to be flexible, and the ability to adapt to new a culture, school, and environment
