University programs
- AWAKEN YOUR MIND
- EMPOWER YOUR LIFE
- IGNITE YOUR DREAMS
Our Study Abroad programs last from 10 days up to the duration desired by the participant/university. The agenda will have academic, professional, cultural, touristic, and altruistic components. The program is designed so that students and professionals have the complete experience of both living and completing their professional program in Ecuador. We want our participants to constantly work and develop their soft skills. Participants will also have the opportunity to volunteer.
- Medicine Abroad
The Medicine Abroad program is dedicated to pre-medical, nursing, and medical students, as well as physicians, ophthalmologists, dentists, who wish to live one of the most amazing experiences one can undertake. Get out of the classroom and turn your theoretical knowledge into practical experience. Build strong soft skills and overcome cultural differences while finding yourself and growing into the person you are meant to be. Empower your life and share your passion for people with your colleagues. Take care of local communities and make a difference in people’s lives.
- Hold clinics for the community and heal their ailments
- Hands-on medical experience
- Learn how to communicate with patients who are different than you
- Explore your inner self and fall in love with your profession all over again
- Build character
- Recognize the value of teamwork in a medical setting
- Learn from your differences
- Share your passion
- Realize how small you are and yet how much of an impact you can make
- Make a difference in the lives of those you help
- Teachers Abroad
The Teachers Abroad program is made for you if you are looking for an adventurous and transformative journey that will forever change your life and perspective. Meet new people and learn how to navigate other cultures, adapt to new environments, and work independently by obtaining a broader view of your profession and our world. Improve your soft skills and learn to be flexible. Most importantly, get to know the youth you are working with and build a beneficial relationship in which you both learn from each other. Make a difference in these youths’ lives.
- Use your knowledge to prepare fun educational lesson plans and activities while working with children in Quito
- Work alongside professionals to help them achieve daily goals
- Grow in your cultural competence, learning how to effectively teach across different cultures and demographics
- Become more flexible, learning how to effectively deal with problems in the classroom, both internal and external
- Refine your leadership skills, garnering respect from students, their parents, and the community
- Explore Ecuador and fall in love with the country
- Inspire and change the lives of your students
- Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality Abroad
The Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality Abroad program allows participants to learn how to leave a low impact on the environment and local culture, while helping to generate employment and fair payment for local people. Meet locals and discover new cultures and places out of the mainstream path. Explore Ecuador’s biodiversity and learn how to enjoy what nature has to offer while protecting it. Visit amazing places and learn how to only leave a positive impact for everyone involved.
- Visit local ancestral communities
- Discover how tourism should respect the social and cultural beliefs of the local community
- Learn about the local economy and how community members lead their own enterprises as opposed to big corporations
- Discover and preserve local craftsmanship
- Learn how to respect the environment in the tourism industry
- Learn how to communicate and connect with people different than yourself
- Visit Ecuador as a local – away from the touristic paths, including visiting the jungle with a guide, learning how to use plants and nature around you to survive
- Explore and discover diverse ecosystems
- Make a difference in your field by bringing people together, encouraging cross-cultural understanding, increasing local development, and protecting the environment
- Social Work Abroad
The Social Work Abroad program was made for people that are inspired to change lives. Join Awaken and go beyond familiar ground to put yourself into situations that force you to rethink everything from your everyday encounters. Challenge yourself to learn something new every day and grow both as a person and as a professional. Understand the nuances of social policy and human rights as seen through the lenses of people with different experiences than your own. Think outside the box and acquire a greater sense of humility regarding what you know and what you can still learn. More importantly, strive to make this world a better place and to change the lives of the people you want to help.
- Learn about different social policies in another country
- Grow in cultural responsiveness, striving to approach clients who come from different racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds with respect and openness
- Cultivate empathy, understanding others emotionally, culturally, and intellectually
- Learn strategies to fortify your inner strength – as social work can be emotionally challenging, learn how to take steps to strengthen your personal capacities as well as how to take care of yourself emotionally and psychologically
- Open your mind to different ideas and think outside of the box
- Aim to constantly learn from people around you
- Go beyond what you thought you were capable of
- Change your perspective and your life
- Do your best to impact the lives of those you help
- Psychology
The Psychology program is created for two branches of psychology: those interested in psychotherapy with children and teenagers and those interested in organizational psychology. Psychotherapists strive to reduce symptoms, provide insight, and improve a child’s or adolescent’s functioning and quality of life. Organizational psychologists work for a company and strive to improve and manage the human resources of the organization. They determine the kind of workers the company should look for, as well as how to improve working conditions and keep employees satisfied. We have two different programs aimed at these areas of psychology.
- Learn how to help children and teenagers work through their problems and how to motivate them to turn their lives around
- Grow in empathy, truly understanding the decisions and feelings of a diverse variety of people
- Learn cultural differences through people’s behavior
- Help companies understand the kind of people they need
- Learn how to increase both employee efficiency and satisfaction
- Discover how to foster employee engagement, by encouraging an environment of open communication and an alignment with the company’s vision
- Recognize how to make work meaningful by driving workers’ passion and purpose
- Learn to adapt your theoretical knowledge to a new environment
- Whether helping those on an emotional and intellectual level or helping those find greater purpose and satisfaction in the workplace, use your career to make a difference
- Business Abroad
The Business Abroad program was created for participants who wish to improve their soft skills and who seek hands-on experience out of a traditional classroom. In such a competitive world, the added value of having an international experience is undeniable, as employers want people who eminently understand how business is carried out in principal markets around the world. Visit Ecuador to learn about entrepreneurship and how people who come from nothing climb up the ladder. Discover how to create a business while keeping a strong social component.
- Visit Otavalo and learn how they do business from their craftsmanship
- Learn from entrepreneurs – hear their stories, specifically how they overcame hardship and built successful careers
- Learn how to generate profit while maintaining social responsibility
- Discover how to collaborate across cultures and borders and build relationships
- Improve your communication skills, particularly focusing on how to communicate with those who are different than you
- Practice both conflict resolution techniques and stress management strategies
- Apply a broader world view to your career
- Do good business by doing good – cultivate a business community that addresses business values while simultaneously confronting social and environmental challenges
- Nature Centered Studies
The Nature-Centered Studies Abroad program is made for you if you love nature and science and are interested in learning more about Ecuador’s amazing biodiversity. Apply your theoretical knowledge during expeditions where you will have the opportunity to observe animals and plants in their natural environment. Collect samples and learn more about Ecuador and its diverse environments. Visit the Galapagos, a singular ecosystem composed of unique species and where Darwin came up with the theory of evolution. Marvel at nature’s beauty and get in touch with your inner self. Explore the different regions and become a better scientist by learning what the jungle, mountains, and volcanoes have to teach you.
- Dive into the rarity of Ecuador’s flora and fauna
- Visit the jungle and learn extensively about native animals
- Visit the Galapagos and learn about the evolution of species unique to the these islands
- Explore diverse ecosystems – both the jungle and the Galapagos and marvel at the unique biodiversity of Ecuador
- Visit indigenous communities to better comprehend the relationship between people and their environment
- Keep an open mind and learn from a new environment
- Grow into globally-engaged scientists, as diverse interdisciplinary approaches are vital to tackle today’s scientific problems and research inquiries
- Take back the lessons you have learned and use science to make an impact
