February 2005 Newsletter

CEDEI

Our English Department is busy giving classes to almost 800 Ecuadorian students, many of whom study with us as part of a CEDEI scholarship. The interchange of language and culture that takes place in the classroom between students and teachers (all native English speakers) also continues our mission of promoting understanding between the Americas.

The Community Arts School continues classes in Black and White Photography (our own darkroom is now ready for use), jewelry making, music and song, and theater, painting, Latin American dance, animation, puppet-making and Asian breathing methods.


Intersession

After a whirlwind tour of the sights, sounds and smells of the famous Otavalo market and the Historic Center of Quito, during our short Intersession program, the St. Ambrose students flew home to Iowa, while Salisbury students got back on the bus and made the long but spectacular trip down the mountains, through the cloud forest to the coast.

At Canoa the 24 students, refugees from the snow and ice of Maryland, reckoned they had found paradise. Unfortunately it was short-lived. Two days later it was back on the bus and back to the blizzards at home.


Semester in the Andes

Our Semester in the Andes is under way, with students taking classes in Environmental Studies in the Andes, Political Economy of Latin America, Latin American Short Story and Health in Developing Countries, along with Spanish classes at various levels.

The students have already spent some time in the capital city Quito, enjoying the beauty of its Old Town and the buzz of the New Town. The group then traveled down to Cuenca along the "Avenue of the Volcanoes," passing the spectacular snow-capped peaks of Chimborazo and Cotopaxi, and spending a few nights in the village of Patate, which has stunning views of the smoking Volcán Tungurahua.

Since getting to Cuenca and nervously meeting their families, students have had a city tour of the colonial center and visited the Inca ruins at nearby Ingapirca. This weekend the adventure continues as they head for the heights of Cajas National Park. Located at heights of up to 13,000 feet, but boasting a bio-diversity that includes hundreds of plant and flower species, forests of the amazing "peeling" polylepis trees and over 400 lakes and lagoons. Students will camp out overnight to have more time to sample the wonders of Cajas.


Medical Spanish in Ecuador

Our exciting new Medical Spanish in Ecuador program, designed to meet the needs of the growing number of medical students, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and EMTs who need practical Spanish vocabulary to communicate effectively with patients, is due to commence on May 15th. The program is also aimed at satisfying the requirements of Continuing Education Units. For more information check out our website at http://www.cedei.org/medical/.


Race and Ethnicity in the Andes

This unique program, organized in partnership with the University of Lethbridge, makes full use of the ethnic diversity that exists in Ecuador to examine this important but complex issue. An exciting calendar of travel, culture and learning is a must for those with an inquisitive mind and a sense of adventure. Students will live with host families in the colonial city of Cuenca, stay in an indigenous Quichua community in Amazonian Ecuador, and visit Afro-Ecuadorian and highland Quichua communities in northern Ecuador. The course runs for 4 weeks, from the 17th of July to the 15th of August. For more information, check out our website at http://www.cedei.org/race_ethnicity/.


Summer TEFL Program

A recognized Certificate in Teaching of English as a Foreign Language is a ticket to travel the world. Graduates from our program have gone on to teach all over the world, from Chile to China, Mexico to Morocco. Our TEFL program, taught by highly qualified and respected instructors, has an added dimension: you are seeing a fascinating and beautiful part of the world while taking the course. The program includes travel in Ecuador, weekend excursions, cultural activities and 24-hour support from our staff. Another special element of this program is that it takes place in a working language school. Many of our graduates stay on to teach in Cuenca. This year's program runs from July 1st to August 7th. For more details, go to http://tefl.cedei.org/.