April 2005 Newsletter

CEDEI

Our English Department has welcomed 14 new teachers in advance of the next cycle of classes, due to begin in the first week of April. On 18 April the Arts School also begins a new term, with courses in Classical Guitar and Handmade Jewelry slotting alongside more classes in theater, recycled paper and Latin dance. Our Training Center begins the second phase of its courses in English language teaching for elementary and high school teachers in Cuenca, while the Technical College starts new terms in International Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Television Production this month.


Semester in the Andes

The Semester in the Andes students' adventure continues. The month began with a mid-term trip to Vilcabamba, the lush and fabled "Valley of Longevity," where residents are rumored to have the longest life expectancy anywhere in Ecuador. There, students hiked in the cloud forest of Podocarpus National Park and up Mondango Mountain. But it was not all exertion--a lot of time was spent in the hammock and by the pool, too.

Back in Cuenca, the group took classes in Andean gastronomy, learning all about the vast array of fruits and vegetables in a local market, and cooking various local delicacies with a view to producing an Ecuadorian meal to wow their host families. The group also attended guest lectures on migration (a topic of huge interest in both Ecuador and the USA) and on the root causes of the guerrilla situation in Colombia.

In the coming month, participants will take daytrips to the neighboring villages of Gualaceo and Chordeleg, and hike to the waterfalls of Girón. They also begin a series of conferences on aspects of Peruvian culture in advance of their departure for Peru on 29 April.

For more news on what our Semester students are up to, including photos, visit the program blog.


Medical Spanish in Ecuador

We are still accepting registrations for Medical Spanish in Ecuador, which begins 15 May, but you need to act quickly! The program is designed to enable medical professionals and students to communicate effectively with patients, and it complements course work with field trips and visits to places of cultural and professional interest. After the program, students have the option of academic or travel options, including visits to the Galápagos or rainforest.


Ohio University Spring Quarter

Another group of students from Ohio University program arrived in Ecuador on 20 March. They spent a few days traveling, taking in the colonial buildings and churches of capital city Quito's old town and spent the Equinox at the Equator itself. The group then traveled down the length of the "Avenue of the Volcanoes" in the Central Valley of the Ecuadorian Andes, pausing in the village of Patate for spectacular views of Tungurahua Volcano before continuing on to Cuenca. In Cuenca, students met their host families, with whom they spent the Easter weekend before starting classes the following Monday.

The Ohio Spring Quarter's schedule for the next month is as exciting as it is packed. Travel includes daytrips to the Inca ruins of Ingapirca and waterfalls of Girón; an overnight trip to the typical Andean pueblo of Principal, where students will get to observe weavers of Panama hats at work; and finally, a weeklong journey along the coast of Ecuador, taking in the city of Guayaquil, mangrove swamps at Churute, various beaches, and Machalilla National Park (including the "poor man's Galápagos," Isla de la Plata).


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

Attention, educators: a great opportunity to experience the culture of South America, travel in the Andes, live with an Ecuadorian family, and sharpen your Spanish skills awaits you this summer! All of this is wrapped up in a teacher education workshop co-sponsored by the Taft School and CEDEI that will arm you with resources and knowledge that you can put to use in your classroom. This program commences on 1 July, so enroll now! At the end of the program, participants also have the opportunity to go to the amazing Galápagos Islands or the Amazon rainforest.


Race and Ethnicity in the Andes

Travel, adventure, culture, language--this anthropological program has it all. Race and Ethnicity in the Andes begins on 17 July and offers visits the three regions of mainland Ecuador--Sierra, Costa and Oriente--along with Spanish study in the beautiful colonial city of Cuenca, where participants will live with a local family to experience Ecuadorian culture firsthand.


Individual Students

Students participating in our Full Immersion Spanish and Spanish Immersion Volunteer programs continue to thrive during their time in Cuenca. Their days are busy with Spanish tutorials, extracurricular activities and volunteer placements. This month, we have had students from throughout the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

Several students are volunteering with local community organizations: one works in a center for disabled students, another at a center for street children, and several at daycare centers. Another student spends her afternoons assisting at a center for abused and endangered women. Volunteering is a rewarding way for students to practice their Spanish, learn more about life in Cuenca and give something back to the community.

Our Latin American film night continues to thrive, with recent screenings of films from Bolivia, Peru and Colombia. Our weekly social activity for international students has taken them to galleries, restaurants and a local symphony performance.

During the past few weekends, students have taken advantage of several eco-tourism sites in Azuay province, hiking, horseback riding, exploring small rural towns, learning about local flora and fauna, and supporting viable community development initiatives. Other students have spent weekends exploring the high altitude environment of Cajas National Park and the site of the most significant Inca ruins in Ecuador, Ingapirca.