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There is always that feeling of excitement that comes with traveling to new places. I remember it very well the first time I stepped onto a plane and headed to Quito, Ecuador.

The foundation of the BUS began twenty years ago at Wheaton College in Illinois. Starting in 2001, we had the privilege of working together to encourage, equip, and challenge students to engage in global urban learning.

This June 2021, Living and Learning International hosted its first-ever Study Tour Vision Trip. Throughout a ten-day itinerary, faculty and study abroad directors got to experience in person the full breadth of what Ecuador has to offer.

Whether my therapist training or just my brain, I can’t help but look for patterns in behavior. I am endlessly curious about humans and how our similarities define us as humans.

As I reflect on this semester, I am reminded that it is good to celebrate “firsts” in the midst of this being my last semester as L&LI’s In-Country Director in Ecuador.

Don’t you love the smell of freshly baked bread coming out of the oven? And what about the wonderful aroma of crushed, fresh basil when you make pesto? In the middle of winter is enough to bring back memories of a warm and pleasant summer day!

Racial bias perceptions are not easy to evaluate as they involve both implicit thoughts and explicit actions (Oberhauser & Daniels, 2017). As a Christian, the teachings of Jesus Christ provide insight into perceptions of bias.

Airport pick-ups. You can ask anyone on our Ecuador team and you will hear a plethora of different opinions on these middle of the night airport runs.

COVID-19 has revealed and sharpened long-standing racial and socioeconomic inequities in the United States as the pandemic continues to rage on.

Planning travel for yourself can be quite an overwhelming task. Now multiply that by 15 or so 20-year olds and a few syllabi learning outcomes and you’ve found yourself with 10+ extra hours of work a week you didn’t begin with.

Chapel is one of my favorite parts of each week; it's a Wednesday night staple for our Living & Learning program in Ecuador! It starts with a family dinner where we all gather in the same space to eat Chicken Curry and Rice or the famous Burrito Bar.

We’re now more than seven months out from when the COVID-19 pandemic first disrupted our study abroad programs in Ecuador and Italy. As we look to the future, we’re thrilled to announce that we will be resuming our semester programs this Spring 2021.

The uncertainty of this semester makes our lives exponentially challenging. It is hard. And it is also going to be okay.

We welcome students with excitement and anticipation for the semester ahead and say goodbye to them 3 1/2 months later. With such a short time together, are the relationships really that impactful? My response is a resounding, Yes!

Sending students abroad is an important and valuable feature of quality colleges and universities. Partnering with an experienced provider can make all the difference for a crisis happens.

Right now, we are living through historic, unprecedented times. While pandemics are not new to human history, none of us have seen anything like this in our lifetimes. Study abroad can prepare people in unique ways to approach this current challenge.

Study abroad programming is a high-impact practice that undeniably affects each participant positively. Yet, how do you describe the transformative outcomes of study abroad when it seems to be immeasurable?

An inside look at the people and places of Ecuador.

Reflections from students as they start off the semester!!

A post from a Fall 2015 student on her reflections from Ecuador as she prepares for a new semester back home...

Mmmm I’ve always loved the beach. When we first stepped foot onto our place of lodging for the week, my breath nearly caught in my throat [...]

She was waving her hands, motioning for all the little kids to get in a line. They didn’t really understand [...]

They say life is like a rollercoaster. I see what they mean, but I never related much to this metaphor [...]

\There’s just something about the jungle. Yes, the jungle [...]