Quito, Ecuador

Why Ecuador?

This semester abroad opportunity is based in Quito, the nation's capital. Quito, Ecuador has amazing weather and is famous for its eternal springtime conditions. The city offers rich history, architecture, friendly people, and safe living conditions in which to grow and learn. Living and Learning International in Quito is part of a 25-year-old organization called Youth World. We offer an amazing mixture of adventure, academic excellence, culture, practical experience, language, mission, and integrated living as you participate in this semester abroad program.  

Along with receiving up to 18 units of college credit, students will live, learn, and grow academically, experientially, and spiritually. Students will enjoy rich interaction with teachers, faculty, and ministry site hosts in both a classroom setting and one-on-one meetings. Not only will students earn college credit, but they will also be able to participate in an internship related to their major. We believe this unique opportunity and community setting will lend itself to lifelong impact in all aspects of life.

What People Are Saying

  • “This program gives you the unique experience of being able to travel to Ecuador, build community, and do so many fun activities while you're there. Places that I never thought I would go…were a highlight but more than that was the community. Living and Learning does such a good job of fostering a rich Christian community so be prepared to be challenged spiritually and emotionally by those around you. But also prepare to be met by a super-loving community that will embrace you fully as you are.”

    Carlissa Bass
    Spanish Major & Psychology Minor
    Biola Student
    Fall 2022

  • “My time studying abroad with Living & Learning changed my life in many ways…I grew academically, socially, and spiritually [and it] was so healing. Not only was this a deeply transformational experience, but it was also so fun! We had the opportunity to zipline, go to the jungle, hike on mountains, canyon down waterfalls…live with an Ecuadorian family for a month, swim on the beautiful beaches of Esmeraldas and so much more! The people of this program and this country are marked by the virtue of hospitality, and I highly recommend you stop reading my review and just go see for yourself.”

    Lamont Aldridge
    Ministry and Nonprofit Administration Major
    Cornerstone University
    Fall 2022

  • “Over the past decade, we've had nearly 60 students participate in semester-long study abroad with Living and Learning, and our students consistently rave about their experience when they return to campus. They share about the academic quality of the coursework, the opportunities to engage in the local culture, the investment of the staff that leads to spiritual growth…and the great friends they have made. The Biola Study Abroad Office considers Living and Learning to be a trusted partner, and we are grateful for their impact on our students!”

    Austin Burns-Robertson
    Assistant Director of Specialized Advising
    Academic Advising
    Biola University

  • “I cannot recommend this program enough! I had such a great experience studying abroad in Quito! I was able to grow so much and was both challenged and supported by staff members who encouraged me in my faith and stood by my side…I was able to gain confidence in my Spanish-speaking ability…One of the highlights for me was being able to intern at a nonprofit organization…The weekend and week-long excursions were another highlight! You get to do once-in-a-lifetime activities…I made memories and friendships that I will treasure forever!”

    Nanette Steenstra
    Applied Mathematics & Spanish Majors
    Azusa Pacific University
    Fall 2020

 Cultural Activities & Engagement

Study abroad with us and be immersed in culture, ministry, and learning.

Class Trips

  • Tour one Neo-Gothic and one Baroque-style church in Colonial Quito (Experiential Outing)

  • Visit the Presidential Palace

Day Trips

  • Orientation Session(s) at a Retreat Facility and/or City Park

  • Equator Visit & Zip-lining in the Cloud Forest

  • Hike Rucu Volcano with a summit of 15,696 feet

  • Explore Otavalo Market (largest open-air market in South America)

  • Hike to the Refuge of the Cotopaxi Volcano (15,748 feet)

Multi-Day Excursions

  • 5-day service trip to the Amazon jungle of Ecuador

  • 2-day trip to the mountain adventure town of Baños (Swing at the End of the World)

  • 5-day trip to the Galápagos Islands (Santa Cruz)

  • 5-day trip to the Andean river-front city of Cuenca

  • 4-day trip to the Coast of Ecuador for Debrief

Course Offerings

Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 units to be considered full-time.

  • This course provides an overview of the history, art, and culture of Ecuador, along with the relationship between various factors. The course includes guest speakers from local organizations and visits to community groups, along with lectures and readings. The one-unit seminar is required for all students. Completing the course for three units is an elective.

  • An integrative cross-cultural experience is designed to help the student understand and form his or her Christian worldview, cross-cultural engagement, and understanding of diverse social and cultural contexts. A 1-hour per week course requires the attendance of all students. The goal and emphasis of this course are to provide students with a set of tools to utilize in interacting with people in work, community, or educational settings. Community development interventions in this course are understood as activities to facilitate, strengthen, and improve less-advantaged communities, empower residents to define and participate in the development process, and interact in larger social, political, and economic systems on behalf of the community. As part of this course, all students complete a local internship. This course can be taken for one or three credits. Students may request to take the course for more units if needed but must receive approval from L&LI.

  • See List

Required Courses

  • An introductory course designed to provide a broad survey of biological principles and is primarily designed to provide meaningful and adequate exposure to biology for the non-science major. It will also help to prepare students for further study in the biological sciences. Because Ecuador is rich in biodiversity, it is an ideal place to survey biological principles. These principles will include the nature of science, discussion of origins, ecology, cell biology, genetics, zoology, and human anatomy, as well as an overview of their effects on daily life. While there is no laboratory class required for this course, a hands-on lab component and field experience will be included.

  • This course is designed to examine the principles and practices of communicating from one culture to another. The focus for the course lies in differing perceptions, ways of thinking, values, non-verbal expressions, language expression, and subgroups within a culture as they relate to the media and the message. Furthermore, students will have the opportunity to discuss strategies for practical application that will address these issues and integrate Christian values.

  • This course will examine the dynamics of personal development in student'’ lives, focusing on spiritual growth. Biblical principles that govern the character and conduct of Christians will be addressed. Students will employ analytical tools and reflection skills to develop greater self-awareness. From this foundation, they will explore the process of spiritual formation and establish an initial life plan for the regular practice of spiritual disciplines.

  • The goal of this course is to understand the nature of a worldview and the function of faith and reason in developing a worldview. To define and analyze eight basic worldviews (Christian theism, deism, naturalism, nihilism, existentialism, Eastern pantheism, New Age spirituality and postmodernism). To explore and critique six major world religious traditions: Judaism, Christianity, Taoism & Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. To offer an internal critique of each worldview and an evaluation from the standpoint of historic Christianity.

  • Social Entrepreneurship is an emerging and rapidly changing business field that examines the practice of identifying, starting, and growing successful mission-driven for-profit or nonprofit ventures, that is, organizations that strive to advance social change through innovative solutions. This course is designed to provide a socially relevant academic experience in order to help students gain in-depth insights into economic and social value creation across sectors including social justice, poverty alleviation, energy, health, and sustainability. Through case studies, lectures, and classroom dialogue, students will learn to think strategically and act opportunistically with a socially-conscious business mindset. Topics will include problem/opportunity assessment, acquiring the necessary resources to grow a social enterprise, including leadership and management styles, and the tradeoffs between social and financial returns on investment. Students will also gain exposure to various social organizational models that are making tangible and potentially scalable progress in serving the poor.

General Studies

  • Students will begin to develop the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish while learning about Spanish-speaking cultures, in particular Ecuadorian culture. The focus in class will be the application of grammar principles in daily communicative situations. In other words, grammar explanations will not be the focus of class lessons. You are expected to read and study grammar explanations in the textbook prior to coming to class, pay close attention to the material presented in class, and then to review any unclear points on your own at home.

  • Students will begin to develop the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish while learning about Spanish-speaking cultures, in particular Ecuadorian culture, building on concepts that were mastered in Spanish 101.

  • Students will continue to develop the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish while learning about Spanish-speaking cultures, in particular Ecuadorian culture. Spanish 201 will be taught in a communicative manner. This approach to language instruction has proven to be highly successful for adult learners. Therefore, the class will be conducted in Spanish, using language in a communicative way through listening and speaking.

  • Spanish 202/250 is a 3-credit reading, writing and intermediate to advanced grammar course. In order to increase fluency and grammar accuracy in Spanish, we will utilize authentic readings and student experience outside of the classroom as they interact with people and cultures in Quito. This course will teach reading strategies and provide advanced reading practice in a variety of genres which will introduce them to literature in Spanish, increase vocabulary to a more advanced level and prepare students for higher-level Spanish classes. Students will be assigned activities in all four modalities: reading, writing, listening, and speaking, with a focus on analyzing readings. Readings will be from different genres, which will then be the basis for writing and conversation tasks. We will review and learn new major grammar principles and build on those concepts to more advanced structures.

  • This course is a 3-credit conversation and advanced grammar course. In order to increase fluency and grammar accuracy in Spanish, we will utilize student experience outside of the classroom as they interact with people and cultures in Quito. Students will be assigned activities in all four language modalities: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Assignments will be both formal and informal. We will review major grammar principles and build on those concepts to more advanced structures.

  • This course is a 3-credit advanced composition course. In order to increase fluency and grammar accuracy in Spanish, we will utilize experience outside of the classroom as they interact with people and cultures in Quito. Students will be assigned activities in all four language modalities: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Readings will be from different genres, which will then be the basis for composition tasks. Assignments will be both formal and informal. We will review major grammar principles and build on those concepts to more advanced structures in both speaking and writing.

  • Este curso es de nivel avanzado y combina la investigación, la redacción, y el debate a través de temas importantes y complejas presentadas desde la perspectiva ecuatoriana tanto para desarrollar y mejorar el idioma y profundizar el conocimiento histórico y cultural del Ecuador. A la vez, el estudiante tiene el desafío de integrar la fe y la cosmovisión bíblica al considerar estos temas importantes.

  • El curso trata de forma general los aspectos literarios y culturales de américa latina. La literatura latinoamericana fue galardonada por cinco oportunidades con el premio Nobel de Literatura. Se conocerán los aspectos principales de las obras literarias de esos autores representativas de nuestra cultura y desarrollemos lecturas seleccionadas para trabajar con ellas. Este curso afirma conocimientos gramaticales avanzados del idioma español. Los estudiantes conocerán modismos y frases idiomáticas propias del idioma español. A través de los temas de cultural ecuatoriana los estudiantes podrán entender algunos aspectos de la variedad de la cultura y de esta forma relacionarse cómodamente con los ecuatorianos.

Spanish Courses

*Students are required to enroll in at least one Spanish class. After initial placement testing, students are placed in classes that will correspond to their level of proficiency. Courses will introduce the students to the sounds and structure of the Spanish language through listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Courses will provide the basis to understand and communicate Spanish effectively.

Social Work or Spanish Majors

We have specific offerings for you. Check them out!

Social Work Majors

A semester for students majoring in Social Work to do their Junior or Senior Field Placement in a variety of organizations while deepening their understanding of cross-cultural social work.

Spanish Majors

Immerse yourself in the Spanish language by living with host families for the full duration of the program and taking 12-18 credits of upper-division Spanish courses.

Host Families & Student Life

L&LI emphasizes growth and development in community. We are committed to providing a program that nurtures the integration of the whole person: intellectually, socially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The students' community will include peers, faculty, staff, homestay families, guests, visitors, and numerous other people.

Students will spend one month of the program living with an Ecuadorian homestay family. This time is one of the most rewarding aspects of the semester. We call them "homestay" because when you participate in this program, you are not only renting a room in somebody's house, you are being welcomed into their home as if you were a member of the family.

Internships

Our semester program includes a built-in internship opportunity where students will participate in 120-180 hours of internship work in the Quito community. The course accompanied by the internship provides a seminar-based model of learning for students to process and gain constructive learning through academic readings, seminar discussions, and reflective writing assignments to be applied to their individualized internship experiences.

  • Pan de Vida is a nonprofit that gathers the resources needed to help those who are less fortunate to fully live out their God-given potential.

  • Escuela Numa is a public K-12 school. Its mission is to provide an exceptional education to children from lower-income backgrounds.

  • Casa Mis Sueños is a foundation that seeks restoration, education, and empowerment for youth & women at risk in Quito, Ecuador

  • Casa Adalia Is an aftercare discipleship home for young  women ages 18-22 who have been rescued from desperate and vulnerable situations: sexual exploitation, abuse, domestic violence, and/or human trafficking. 

  • La Biblia Dice is a christian international Radio ministry/ and christian app developer that seeks to share the gospel in unique and creative ways.

Examples of internship placement include:

  • Kriptos: is a company that specializes in designing and developing security software for different companies and individuals.

  • World Vision International is an Evangelical Christian humanitarian aid, development, and advocacy organization.

  • Waykana strives to develop indigenous farming communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest through their business of exporting Guayusa leaf.

  • Camp Hope is a nonprofit that helps reach the needs of the economically, physically and mentally challenged children, teens, and young adults. They strive to enable them to attain the goals of independence and social integration. They provide education, medical services, spiritual discipleship, rehabilitation and  vocational training.

 Summer Internships

The eight-week summer internship exists so that students of any major can live and intern abroad. Whatever your major, join us this summer!

Calendar

  • Jan 9- Semester Starts

    Jan 10-14 - Orientation

    Jan 15 - Classes Begin

    Jan 20 - Mitad del Mundo

    Jan 22 - Internships Begin

    Feb 3-4 - Baños

    Feb 10 - Homestays Begin

    Feb 21-25 - The Amazon Jungle Excursion

    March 8 - Homestays End

    March 16 - Pichincha

    April 13-17 - Galápagos Islands Excursion

    April 20-24 - Cuenca Excursion

    April 27-30 - Beach Debrief

    May 3 - Semester Ends

  • Jan 7- Students Arrive

    Jan 8-12 - Orientation

    Jan 13 - Classes Begin

    Jan 18 - Mitad del Mundo

    Jan 20 - Internships Begin

    Feb 1-2 - Baños

    Feb 8 - Homestays Begin

    Feb 19-23 - The Amazon Jungle Excursion

    March 7 - Homestays End

    March 15 - Pichincha

    April 12-16 - Galápagos Islands Excursion

    April 19-23 - Cuenca Excursion

    April 26-29 - Beach Debrief

    May 2 - Semester Ends and Students Depart

  • Aug 20 - Students Arrive

    Aug 21 - Semester Starts

    Aug 21-25 - Orientation

    Aug 26 - Classes Begin

    Aug 31 - Mitad del Mundo

    Aug 28 - Internships Begin

    Sept 7 - Pichincha

    Sept 21 - Homestays Begin

    Oct 2-Oct 6 - The Amazon Jungle

    Oct 18 - Homestays End

    Nov 9 - Otavalo/Cotopaxi

    Nov 18-22 - Finals Week

    Nov 23-27 - Galápagos Islands

    Nov 30-Dec 4 - Baños

    Dec 7-10 - Beach Debrief

    Dec 13 - Semester Ends/Students Depart

Program Cost

Depending on the program you select, you will need to check with your college or university for exact costs. However, in most cases, if you are a student at one of our partner schools a semester in Ecuador will not cost you more than what you are currently paying for school! If you are not currently enrolled in a college or university and would still like to attend, contact us.

Pricing Breakdown for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025:

$12,000 - Tuition
$3,000 - Room and Board

$15,000 - Total Program Cost

Cost Includes: 

  • 12-18 semester credits

  • All Lodging and Transportation during program events

  • All meals during program events (about 40% of meals during semester)

  • Excursion to the Galapagos

  • Excursion to another region of Ecuador

  • Mission Trip to the Amazon Jungle

  • Final Debrief Trip to the Coast of Ecuador

  • Homestay with an Ecuadorian Family

  • Cultural Experiences and Student Activities

  • Internship Experience (for credit option)

  • Visa

  • International Travel Insurance (not primary medical insurance)

Does Not Include:

  • Airfare

  • Passport

  • Immunization

  • Meals when not with program (about 60%)

  • Personal expenses like shopping, personal needs or personal travel.

How It Works

  • Talk to your study abroad office and share that you’re interested in this Ecuador program. L&LI partners with many Christian colleges and universities.

  • Reach out to us and let us know you’re interested! We’ll advise you through the application process.

  • If accepted, we’ll walk you through the onboarding process, explain what forms are needed, and share what to expect during your semester.

  • You’ll spend an incredible semester learning, exploring, earning college credit, interning in a field related to your studies, and growing in your faith.

  • L&LI is an accredited program that can transfer college credit back to your university to be used on your transcript. Upon completion of the semester, we’ll send your grades to your university.