South America - Ecuador & Peru

South America changed me in more ways than I can articulate, or know. Everyday I think of it and notice the mark it left on me . . . . I do not think I could describe my gratitude in any amount of words.

Kelly Stewart, South America - Spring 2005



Orientation:

After arrival in Ecuador, we either head straight to the cloud forest or to the coast for orientation. Nestled in a secluded backpackers' retreat this is where you'll get your sea legs under you and hit the semester running. Learn more about Ecuador, Peru, the program and each other. During this time you work on communication skills, team-building activities, map out your movements and set your intentions for the semester. We'll have activities and scavenger hunts to get deeper into the local culture and start breaking out our rusty Spanish.

Language Study:

Spend 2 weeks studying Spanish in a one-on-one or small group setting. Each morning begins with 4 hours of language study while living with your own homestay family. Afternoons are free to spend perfecting your Spanish with your families, participate in cultural activities like traditional cooking or salsa lessons or explore the city's museums and cathedrals. Sneak away on the weekend to mountain bike the 5,900 meter Cotopaxi volcanic mountain or relax in the hot springs of Papallacta.

Community Development and Cultural Exchange:

Head north to the quaint town of Otavalo, home of the largest handicraft market in South America. Spend the weekend in and amongst the ethnic diversity of Ecuador's Andean peoples and watch the city come alive.

Just outside of Otavalo, we head to a rural school where our days may be spent teaching English, building a computer room, teaching computer basics or whatever needs the school and staff have expressed. This is a rich opportunity to see the agricultural and rural side of life that sustains much of Ecuador. Again this is another great opportunity to practice your Spanish while giving back to the community.

Carpe Diem Gap Year South America

Environmental Work:

After language school, descend into the Ecuador cloudforest or la selva (jungle) volunteering with an environmental conservation organization. The ecosystems and wildlife of Ecuador have been vastly impacted by the devastating effects of logging, mining,oil drilling and hunting. Your days will be spent reforesting, learning and teaching sustainable/low impact farming techniques, maintaining the botanical gardens.

You will also participate as a community member of Rio Muchacho, an organic farm located just outside of the coastal surfing town of Canoa and the port city of Bahia de Caraquez. Here you will spend a week learning the principles of sustainable farming and living practices-like utilizing alternative energy sources, such as solar and biogas (That's right! Putting methane to good use!) as well as the importance of ecotourism, zero waste, and fair trade. Learn the practices that have earned Bahia de Caraquez the bragging rights as Ecuador's first Ecocity. Being so close to Canoa, you can spend your weekend swimming, surfing, paragliding, horse riding, mountain biking or relaxing in a hammock under the coastal sun.

PERU

Language Study:

Peruvian Shopping on a Carpe Diem Gap Year We'll start our Peru study abroad adventure perfecting our Spanish with another 2 weeks of language school in the unique 'white city' of Arequipa, Peru. You will again have the opportunity to practice your Spanish skills with a homestay family. Afternoons can be spent exploring the unique geology in the foothills of the El Misti volcano or getting deeper into the lessons of politics, cultural studies or the ethnic diversity of Peru. On the weekend explore the spectacular Lago Titicaca and travel to the floating islands or raft the rapids of the magnificent Colca Canyon.

Free Travel:

The White City is a perfect jumping spot for our student directed free travel. Put your traveling skills to the test as you design and implement this great opportunity to explore the beauty of Peru. Work with each other and a budget to find your way to raft down Colca Canyon, explore Pisco, Ica and the Nazca Lines, head to the coast for world famous surfing or maybe your group will head to Cusco early and spend more time in the Sacred Valley.

Community Development and Cultural Exchange:

Ending our free travel in Cusco, we head into our last opportunity for our service learning. Our last volunteer project takes us to an orphanage in the Sacred Valley where we spend time with a community that has felt the impact that tourism has on the local communities and that has responded in a caring and empowering way. Feel welcomed into this family that has dedicated itself to nourishing the mind, body, and spirit of the children by instilling the importance of respecting self and others and managing interpersonal relationships.

Spiritual Retreat:

Appropriately named, we head to the Sacred Valley for our spiritual retreat. This is where we take a little downtime to integrate all that we have learned from each other, our travels and the communities we've been a part of. This is an opportunity to try some Yoga, pay attention to our bodies, minds and spirits, integrating it all in a breath-taking atmosphere.

Machu Picchu Trek:

For the grand finale of our semester, we spend 5 days trekking through the remote villages of the Sacred Valley and summiting the mountain passes of the Andes to the phenomenal ancient Incan city of the clouds. This is one of the most beautiful and sacred walks in South America leading to Machu Picchu, one of the new Wonders of the World. Take the day to explore the ruins, learn of this ancient civilization, and then rest your weary bones in the hot springs of Aguas Calientes.

Program Details

Program Dates:

Spring 2012: February 8 - May 2
Fall 2012: September 18 - December 11th

Group Size:

Machu Picchu

A maximum of 12 Students & 2 Adult Leaders

Eligibility:

Ages 17 and Up

University Credit & Federal Financial Aid:

FAFSA & Up to 18 credits available through Portland State University: www.pdx.edu

Language Requirement:

None

Admissions:

No deadline - applications accepted on a rolling basis until 2 weeks prior to start date.

Program Fee:

$9,900 program fee includes all food, accommodations and scheduled program activities for the duration of the program. International airfare, health insurance and spending money are extra. International airfare estimated at $1400; internal flight estimated at $350. For information on Financial Aid click here.

Program Policies:

For a detailed description of our Program Expectations and Rules, please click this link. These are the rules that we expect of all of our students for their overall safety and to provide the best possible program.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore a part of the world that is rich with history and tradition, and learn about yourself in the process. If you are interested in practicing your Spanish-language skills, Carpe Diem's South America study abroad program presents the perfect way to hone your skills. If you're just getting started learning Spanish this program will be the perfect opportunity to learn how to read and write and live it.

Carpe Diem offers exciting opportunities to travel, study and learn about the people of South America, all while making a difference in the communities in which you'll stay. By studying abroad in South America with us, you'll scale mountains, work on meaningful construction projects and experience the unparalleled beauty of Peru and Ecuador. Study abroad in South America and learn about a world you never knew existed.

During many of our semesters you can count on teaching being one of the many types of volunteering that takes place. This recent team that was on our South America program was teaching English to some of the local school kids using the old standby of "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes." For more videos please visit our You Tube page.