Ecuador Study Abroad and Intern – Environmental Science and Conservation Track

What is the Ecuador Study Abroad and Intern – Environmental Science and Conservation Track all about?

Spend a semester studying abroad and interning through the Universidad de Cuenca in Ecuador. Improve your Spanish by living with a homestay family and taking a language course based on your current skill level. In addition to that, take 3 classes taught in English so you can earn credits towards your degree and progress your education, all while exploring and enriching your knowledge of another culture.

The Environmental and Conservation Track combines study in Cuenca for approximately 4 months with a 1 month internship at a rescue and conservation center in the Amazon. There, you will discover Ecuador’s amazing wildlife!

Combine study abroad with real-world experience and complement your studies in a different kind of way! 

If your degree is focused on Latin American Studies, please check out our Latin American Studies track here!

Why Choose This Ecuador Study Abroad and Intern Program?

By studying abroad through Kaya, you can earn credits towards your degree, progress your studies, and immerse yourself in a new culture. The Study and Intern Abroad program in Ecuador will take you further in your language-learning journey and add another dimension to your resume. This experience combines living and studying abroad with an internship abroad, allowing you to grow both as a student and a global citizen. Plus, why not explore and enrich your knowledge in your own way, rather than following your home university curriculum!

Study Abroad Details

While you take 4 courses and earn up to 12 credits at one of Ecuador’s universities, you will live in Cuenca. During the current pandemic, you will arrive in Quito and quarantine just outside the city for 5 days. There, you will start your classes and attend a virtual orientation and a series of cultural sessions, so you can expect the time to fly by during this short isolation period! If fellow volunteers and interns join you at the same time, you will quarantine as part of a pod.

What classes can you take? Natural Heritage of Ecuador + World Agriculture and Food Problems + Structure and Functions of Plants, Forestry and Society + Spanish Class (based on your language level).

On the fifth day, you will take a PCR test in-country, and once you receive a negative result, you will be driven to Cuenca and meet your host family. You will be given a city tour of Cuenca so that you can get to know your new home. During your time in Cuenca, you will have the chance to participate in two social activities each month and two excursions in order to help you explore the area.

Intern Abroad Details

After 4 months of studying abroad in Cuenca, you will be transferred to a Wildlife Rescue Center near Puyo where you will have the opportunity to intern and interact with amazing and diverse species rescued from animal trafficking or abuse cases. Whenever possible, the center works on rehabilitating the animals rescued and releasing them back into the wild. You will have the opportunity to learn about Ecuador’s biodiversity and help care for the animals at the center. You will be on the front lines at the wildlife center, feeding, cleaning, repairing enclosures, or creating enrichment activities. If you are interested in veterinary science, let us know, because you may be able to learn from the resident veterinarian on-site as well.

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