BCA in Quito, Ecuador

  Ecuador

• Quito: 
Quito

Term: Fall, Spring 
Dates: "Fall Semester: Late July through mid-December; "Spring Semester: Early January through late May

Description: The capital of Ecuador, Quito (full name San Francisco de Quito) lies at 9,000 feet above sea level in a high valley at the base of Mount Pichincha. With a climate referred to as "eternal spring," Quito is a city of sun and sky and is surrounded by mountains and three snow-capped volcanoes.

Life in Quito offers a mix of Spanish and Indigenous traditions with modern international influences providing a rich and multifaceted backdrop for the study of historical Ecuador. An ever-growing city of around 2 million people Quito's neighborhoods retains their small city atmosphere. One of the most cultural cities in the world, Quito has plenty to offer, including a beautiful historical center, dozens of museums, theater every week, symphonic concerts, multi-screen movie centers, state-of-the-art shopping centers, numerous parks and recreations centers, and food of all kinds.

Quito is also a city of contrasts, a product of numerous cultural influences and stratified economic conditions. Students will witness such diversity through the disparity between colonial and modern architecture and rich and poor neighborhoods.

BCA Quito students live with middle-class Ecuadorian families and are immersed in local life. Life with a host family enables students to improve their Spanish language skills while experiencing and learning about Ecuadorian culture.

Highlights:
Cultural Immersion
-Family life: Many students remark that living with a family is the most rewarding aspect of their study abroad experience.
-Quito: one of the most cultural cities in the world, rich with a unique history, colonial architecture and distinctive traditions.

Expert Resident Director
Quito's on-site, full-time Resident Director, Daniel Bryan, has lived in and around Quito for almost a decade. Serving as a Peace Corps volunteer, Daniel worked in health and education projects within some of Quito's most marginal neighborhoods. He later moved to the heritage-filled Historical Center where he founded the internationally renowned cultural educational program Eternal Quito ("Quito Eterno"), developed the Mestizo Theatre of Quito ("El Teatro Mestizo de Quito") with the Bolivar Theatre Foundation and lectured/researched under a Fulbright Scholar Grant. He taught and led workshops with numerous universities, including the Universidad San Francisco de Quito and is working on a book entitled El Mito de Nuestra Identidad, to be published in Ecuador in 2009.

The University of San Francisco Quito
-Located in the valley of Tumbaco, just outside Quito, the university's beautiful grounds are highlighted by its pagoda (which houses Oriental studies) and a charming pond.
-A private university that offers more than 40 degrees at the undergraduate and graduate levels.90% of classes are taught in Spanish.
-International students have access to all of the amenities that are available to full-degree students
-The International Programs office has agreements with universities throughout the world, meaning that each year students from over a dozen countries are on campus.
-The university has one of the best culinary schools in South America. As part of their coursework, students share their creations with the campus community in its many restaurants and cafés.

BCA Orientation
Learn about Ecuador's history, culture and current issues and receive intensive language training with BCA's three-credit, four-week pre-semester course "Ecuador - Language and Culture." (For fall and year-long students only.)

Excursions and Activities
-Fall and spring semester students go to the Galapagos Islands for four days.
-Fall and spring students will also go to the Amazon (four days) and the Indigenous town of Otavalo for a long weekend.
"Full year students travel to Cusco and Machu Picchu in Peru during their second semester.
-Each semester, several day trips are planned, which may include a Night Tour of the Historical Center, the Cloud Forest, and a Volcanic Lake, among others
"The resident director reimburses for much of your Quito cultural activities, including museums, plays, concerts, etc.
-At the end of each semester, there is a final dinner at the Papallacta Hot Springs, which are located high in the Andes.
Extra Educational Opportunities
Participate in internships or volunteer work, including working in orphanages, day care centers, and schools for disabled children; teaching English as a second language in local schools; and working in various non-profit Foundations. The BCA Quito director helps arrange interesting volunteer work experiences for students.

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to American Participants.

Scholarships are Available. There are hundreds of scholarships available. Please be aware of application deadlines as it may be necessary to apply for scholarships well in advance of when you intend to study abroad

Application Process Involves:

• Essay
• Letters of Reference
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Transcript
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Alumni Network

BCA Study Abroad's Mission Statement: BCA is one of the nation's oldest independent organizations committed to promoting international understanding and academic excellence through college study abroad programs for U.S. students.

Year Founded: 1962