March 2005 Newsletter

CEDEI

Our new building (we moved in last August, but it still seems new) continues to develop, with a studio and darkroom now available for photography students in our Community School of Arts. The offerings of the Arts School are fascinating, with both Ecuadorians and gringos coming together to shake their things in the popular Latin dance class, and new courses in handmade jewelry, pyrography and animation. What?s more, they are relevant: in a country where deforestation has taken a toll on the environment, a course on the artistic possibilities of recycled paper is not just interesting but necessary.


Semester in the Andes

The Semester in the Andes is fast approaching the half-way mark and the students are settling into their lives in Ecuador. In the past month, they have been exposed to many aspects of this diverse country. The month began with a demonstration of Panama hat weaving by a cooperative from the village of Principal, continued with a conference on Shamanism--one lucky student volunteering to be beaten with herbs as part of the cleansing ritual--and ended with a small concert of traditional music that included the charango (an Andean instrument made from an armadillo).

Amid all that, the group still found time to visit the mangroves swamps and tropical dry forests of Manglares Churute. The trip there took the students down out of the mountains for the first time and onto the coastal plain. There, they took a canoe ride through the mangroves, hiked in the dry forest, both saw and heard a troop of howler monkeys, and spent a lot of time sweating and swatting mosquitoes.

The mid-term trip comes up soon, with the group heading south to Vilcabamba, the Valley of Longevity. There, students can ride horses, visit Podocarpus National Park, or just relax in a hammock and enjoy the stunning views.

For more news on what our Semester students are up to, as well as photos of the group, visit the Semester Blog.


Medical Spanish in Ecuador

We are still accepting applications for the Medical Spanish in Ecuador program, which begins 15 May. This program combines medical and cultural elements in field trips to artisan villages and Incan ruins, visits to conventional and traditional health practitioners and specialized classroom study, to get medical professionals the skills they need to communicate effectively with patients. At the end of the program, participants have a number of academic and travel options, including the rain forest and the amazing Galápagos Islands, at excellent rates. For more information check out http://www.cedei.org/medical/.


Ohio University Spring Quarter in Ecuador

This month, we will welcome back some old friends, and we look forward to making some new ones when our long-standing program with Ohio University arrives in Ecuador on March 20th. Students will arrive into capital city, Quito, where they will tour the beautiful colonial Old Town and enjoy the comforts of the New Town. The group then ventures south, stopping off at the village of Patate to observe Tungurahua Volcano and hike to the Mundug Waterfalls. The bus will pull into Cuenca on March 25th and students will have some free time over Easter to get to know their new Ecuadorian families.


Ecuador! Latin American History and Culture for Today's Spanish Classroom

This exciting new teacher workshop was developed by long-time CEDEI collaborator Don Morley in partnership with the Taft Educational Center (Don also directs the Berkshire School in Ecuador program, which CEDEI co-sponsors). The workshop, which begins on July 1st, is designed to acquaint educators with the realities of South American life and provide them with the tools they need to translate their experiences to the classroom. Participants will partake in cultural classes and activities in the mornings and participate in workshops in the afternoons that will put what they learn in a teaching context. The program also includes travel in Quito and Guayaquil, a day trip to the Incan ruins at Ingapirca, and ends with travel options to the rain forest or Galápagos Islands. For more information, visit http://www.cedei.org/taft/.


Race and Ethnicity in the Andes

Calling all anthropologists! Race and Ethnicity in the Andes, which begins 17 July, is a must for all those with itchy feet and inquisitive minds. Established in partnership with the University of Lethbridge, the program includes plenty of travel throughout Ecuador as students examine this complex issue. For more information, visit http://www.cedei.org/race_ethnicity/.


Individual Students

Our individual Spanish immersion students--enrolled in the Full Immersion Spanish Program (FISP) and Spanish Immersion Volunteer Program (SIVP)--have been busy. With 2-4 hours of one-on-one Spanish instruction every day, volunteer work, life with local families, and afternoon and weekend activities, they are always on the move!

In addition to our music, salsa and cooking classes, we have introduced a weekly social gathering for individual students along with a Latin American film night. The evening social activity has been a lively opportunity for exploration, with visits to a Colombian restaurant, local markets, traditional food venues, and a trip to Turi, the mirador that offers a stunning view of the picturesque valley of Cuenca.

Recent weekend trips have included visits to Cajas National Park, for hiking amidst high alpine lakes, mountainous grasslands and forests, and the historic Cañari and Incan ruins at Ingapirca. Some students will soon be visiting eco-tourism sites in the surrounding area and a few will even venture down into the Ecuadorian jungle.

Currently, several students are involved in SIVP and are volunteering in local schools and community organizations. One student is helping with English and Science classes at an elementary school and another is working at a social service organization that works to rescue street children and support children living in abusive homes. Next week, another student will begin working with an organization that provides a range of social services for women in the surrounding communities.

And finally, we are all anticipating the Cuencan musical debut of one student, Dan Doty, who has been playing guitar and writing with a local band and for a concert in March.