Location:

Puyo, Ecuador

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Term:

Academic Year, Fall Semester, Spring Semester

Program Overview

Program Description:

A semester-long, credit-bearing, community-based study abroad program in the Ecuadorian Amazon, carried out in partnership with the Universidad San Francisco de Quito. Like no other program in the world, we focus on the simultaneous, equitable education of local counterparts, meaning students work and study with community members. Facilitated by leading scholars and teaching artists, we combine challenging academics, Arts for Social Change methodology and experiential/service learning.

Theatre for Social Action & Innovation: Learning the process of creating social change, focusing on identifying and transforming conflicts. Storytelling: Language & Movement: Seeking to unleash the power of stories. Identity & Place: Examining who we are as related to the ever-changing environment in which we live. Design and Evaluation of Sustainable Community Projects: Learning the phases necessary for effective design and evaluation of a development project. Independent Study

Rehearsing Change is a groundbreaking program in international education. We practice Applied Study Abroad, meaning our work fulfills a key component of the host community’s development plan; a Fair Trade-Learning model, meaning it provides equal educational opportunity to local community members; and a Community Arts methodology, meaning we use the Arts for Social Change as our key methodology for linking education and development.

Setting Description:

The Ecuadorian Amazon is one of the most bio-diverse and culturally diverse areas in the entire world. At the same time, it is the setting for conflicts over natural resources. Rich with oil and minerals, diversity is at risk, as species must confine themselves to smaller spaces and cultures must alter their identities to adjust to the ever-changing realities. Our program is stationed in several small communities (usually around 200 inhabitants)of both indigenous and mestizo culture.

Cost:

$13,500. The comprehensive fee includes academic tuition, room and board (three meals per day), as well as regular academic advising. It includes all local transportation for program activities, orientation and the counterpart scholarship (an income off-set plan that allows the student’s counterpart to participate 4 hours per day for the entire semester). It also includes the following excursion costs: transportation to and from excursion sites, lodging and meals and activity fees for the intern