SIT Study Abroad: Ecuador - Development, Politics and Languages
SIT Study Abroad
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(For American Students)
Study indigenous concepts of sustainability as it intersects with biological diversity, culture, and quality of life in Ecuador.Living in Ecuador, you will experience a multilingual and multiethnic nation that is also one of the America’s most bio... read more
All Reviews
I feel very confident in my ability to communicate in Spanish. I have made lifelong connections (program peers, local friends, and homestays). I have discovered different perspectives, alternative ways of living and knowing. Deepened intercultural and biophilic mindsets. Evamarie K - California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo View Entire Review
With a focus on the goals of the program, I learned from the ground-up topics affecting daily life in Ecuador and my own. My world-view was expanded immensely from the immersion and challenges to my own ways of thought. I made great friends and experienced amazing places at the same time. Hannah R - University of Nebraska - Lincoln View Entire Review
It was definitely worthwhile. I learned how important it is for me to engage in cultural exchange in order to complete work that is meaningful to me, Mel L - Middlebury College View Entire Review
Incredible. Margaret Hemp - Smith College View Entire Review
I learned more about what specifically interests me in my Latin American studies major. Worthwhile. A student - Wellesley College View Entire Review
I grew as a person and gained new perspective on the world, my place in it, what I want to do with my future, and what matters to me. I understand the complexities/nuances of another culture better and feel better equipped to adjust to new places in the future. I met amazing people. A student - Brandeis University View Entire Review
My experience was definitely worthwhile. I learned so many different things, but I'd say the most significant takeaway for me was bringing an intercultural perspective to the table whenever I consider economic, social, or political issues. Matthew S - Yale University View Entire Review
I learned so much. About myself, about the world, and about people in general. Was it worthwhile? Maybe the most worthwhile thing I've ever done. Matthew C - Claremont McKenna College View Entire Review
I gained so many great friendships and relationships with various people in my experience abroad that I hope to maintain for the rest of my life. I also feel like I learned a ton and as though I gained new perspectives on various social issues as well as a greater awareness of others and of myself. The experience was certainly m... Claire R - Whitman College View Entire Review
This program in particular challenges it's students to view the world through a new lens. It is fun, exciting, challenging and unforgettable. Rachel K - Pomona College View Entire Review
It was a very worthwhile experience. I cannot really put into words all that I gained or learned...but studying abroad is such a valuable experience, you learn every moment and a change of perspective and the realization that other ways of life are possible, is an amazing thing A student - Brandeis University View Entire Review
Every experience is both a window and a mirror A student - Middlebury College View Entire Review
I learned an incredible amount about living in another country, a lot about another culture, and a great deal about conducting scientific research. Jennifer B - Barnard College View Entire Review
This experience was very worthwhile. While some aspects (especially the ISP) were challenging, I learned so much, and made great friends along the way. The SIT community in-country was very supportive and they made the experience one that I would never regret. Reeve S - Colorado College View Entire Review
I gained knowledge about a place and culture that I had not known a lot about before, greatly improved my language skills, made meaningful connections, and grew as an individual. Emma F - Oberlin College View Entire Review
I learned so much about our world and Ecuador specifically. It changed a lot about how I view the world and development. It was definitely worthwhile. Darien - Lafayette College View Entire Review
I gained more confidence in my Spanish speaking skills and I had the chance to explore some really cool areas of Ecuador like the Amazon and the Galapagos. A student - Wellesley College View Entire Review
It was 100% worthwhile. I learned how small my world is, how different people and communities in Ecuador are from my own, yet also how similar in some respects we are too. It's an experience I cannot reduce to words. Wes Vanderburgh - Saint Anselm College View Entire Review
CONFIDENCE! Rebekah - Swarthmore College View Entire Review
I gained a much more global perspective on the world, lasting friendships, and complete cultural immersion. A student - Gettysburg College View Entire Review
I learned so much about the diversity of Ecuador--the culture, the languages, the people. I made lifelong friends, I practiced my Spanish daily, I picked up some new Kichwa phrases, and I learned new ways to think about things like sustainability and development. A student - University of Pennsylvania View Entire Review
I learned so much about the country which lead to self realizations about my own country. These are the types of things I would never learn in a classroom in the USA. It was definitely worthwhile, I cannot wait to venture back. Shannon N - Lehigh University View Entire Review
The biggest take-away was probably the ability to communicate and relate to others on a cross-cultural level. Independent Study Projects are a testament to this. It was extremely worthwhile, and while challenging at times and not without its flaws, this was an awesome program. A student - Whitman College View Entire Review
This program was definitely worthwhile. Besides gaining language skills, I was exposed to several ways of living, and word visions that I had never seen before, which challenged me to look at my own lifestyle. I also gained a very close relationship with my first host family that I foresee continuing in the future. Finally, the ... A student - Trinity University View Entire Review
It was absolutely worthwhile. I learned millions of things that I couldn't possibly summarize in this little box. For starters, I learned a lot of Spanish. I learned how to find my way around a foreign city. I learned a lot about poverty and development and how to think differently about these topics. I learned that laughter, lo... Lynnzie - Providence College View Entire Review
About
Living in Ecuador, you will experience a multilingual and multiethnic nation that is also one of the America’s most biologically diverse countries. Here, you’ll study development as well as alternatives grounded in indigenous worldviews that call for respect of natural resources. Two homestays will deepen your understanding of both urban and rural life and culture in Ecuador.
On excursions to the threatened Andean Chocó Biosphere Reserve and the Galápagos Islands you will observe the conflict between development and natural resource preservation. You will also visit the Upper Amazon, where you will experience direct exposure to political ecology and socio-linguistic issues regarding this highly diverse but threatened region.
Program Type(s):
Study AbroadProgram Length(s):
- Fall
- Spring
Instruction Language(s):
- Spanish
Language Requirement(s):
- Spanish
Relevant Study Subject(s):
- Latin American Studies
- Spanish Language, Literature
- Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literature
- Social Sciences
- Political Science and Government
- History
Minimum GPA:
2.5Website
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SIT Study Abroad Scholarships
Students who are Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) Scholars will receive a $2,000 award for SIT Study Abroad semester or summer programs.
$2,000
To recognize and support alumni of EIL summer high school programs who also participate in SIT Study Abroad programs. $1,000 for semester programs and $500 for summer. A $400 scholarship is also available to students who indicate that they have an immediate family member who has participated in an EIL or its College Semester Abroad program.
$400 - $1,000
For students enrolled at Hispanic-serving institutions, including member institutions of HACU who demonstrate financial need, SIT will award a $3,000 scholarship for participation in a semester program and $2,000 for a summer program.
$2,000 - $3,000
For students enrolled at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and who demonstrate financial need, SIT will award a $2,000 scholarship for participation in a semester program or $1,500 for a summer program.
$1,500 - $2,000
To recognize students participating in this community service program. Upon receipt of confirmation from a student’s Bonner mentor, SIT will award $2,500 for semester programs and $1,000 for summer programs.
$1,000 - $2,500
To recognize students participating in the National Security Education Program (NSEP) funded award, which focuses on study abroad in areas of the world that are critical to US interests and underrepresented in study abroad. Upon receipt of the student’s Boren confirmation letter, SIT will award a $1,000 scholarship.
$1,000
For students enrolled at Big 10 Academic Alliance universities. Eligible students demonstrating financial need will receive a $1,500 scholarship for semester programs and a $750 scholarship for summer programs.
$750 - $1,500
This is an automatic scholarship to recognize and support students who participate in two or more SIT Study Abroad programs, including alumni of short-term summer programs. The scholarship will be applied to a student’s second full term of study with SIT. The scholarship is $1,000 for a fall or spring semester program or $500 for a full-term, international summer program.
$500 - $1,000
An average of $4,500 (amount varies) is awarded to one female student, 22 years of age or younger, who demonstrates international awareness and a desire to create a more peaceful world through international exchange. This scholarship is available for summer programs only.
$4,500
These scholarships ($30,000 divided between several students annually, with an average award of $3,750 per student) are for students who wish to study in Latin America or East Africa and focus primarily on women’s reproductive health and/or other topics such as girls’ education, poverty, social justice, ecology, or regional integration. Preferred SIT East Africa programs are those based in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, or Tanzania.
$3,750
This $10,000 scholarship opportunity is for one student per year. The student must demonstrate extreme financial need, attend an HBCU (or other minority-serving institution), be a first-generation college student, and have never previously traveled abroad.
$10,000
SIT matches Federal Pell Grant funding up to $2,500 for semester students who use their Pell Grant to help pay the cost of their SIT program. Students utilizing their Federal Pell Grant for SIT Study Abroad summer terms receive up to a $1000 match.
$1,000 - $2,500
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