Volunteer and Leadership Ecuador

Breathtaking scenery, grassroots service learning and inspirational people await the adventurous spirits who travel to Ecuador! The most rugged and environmentally-oriented Leaders Today trip, Volunteer and Leadership Ecuador is a challenging expedition into mountainous regions and personal discovery.
                                  
Ecuador is a country with a wide range of indigenous cultures, climates, vegetation and wildlife—it’s considered by many a miniature version of the South American continent’s vast diversity. Overload your senses with the country’s natural beauty, from lush forests to the towering Andes Mountains. Learn about Ecuador’s rich human history, including indigenous cultures rooted in the ancient Inca civilization and shaped by harsh local environments. Explore the struggle of indigenous people striving to make their voice heard in the modern economic and political landscape.

You will arrive in Quito, Ecuador’s historic capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site. After an introduction to Spanish, you’ll get out into the city and volunteer at a school and youth rehabilitation center. Travelling south, your next stop is the rural Chimborazo province, where you’ll get settled in a small Andean village. This will be your home base for volunteering, cultural learning and outdoor adventures.

Living among the indigenous Puruhá, you will share the lives of a rural people historically ignored by mainstream Ecuadorian society. This intensive cultural experience also provides ample opportunity to hone your linguistic talents as you learn some Quichua, the language of the Inca.
 
In partnership with local non-governmental organizations, you will engage in activities that help communities directly. You’ll come to understand the meaning of the minga while schoolbuilding alongside community members, and you’ll learn enlightening lessons at every turn of the mountain road.

So come sit on the Equator, hike the base of a volcano and explore the diverse cloud forest. Ecuador’s natural landscapes are an ideal classroom for lessons on conservation, biodiversity and rural development issues. You’ll learn from the people who know it best—the communities that survive on the land itself.

Volunteer and Leadership Ecuador is a demanding adventure for people who want to learn firsthand about the need to help others adapt to a changing global environment.

Trip highlights

  • Community development: Meet community needs by helping to build a school
  • Leadership training: Get inspired with hands-on workshops
  • Issues education: Explore development and environmental issues
  • Wilderness adventures:Experience Ecuador’s unique ecosystem, one of the world’s most bio-diverse
  • Cultural education: Connect with new friends of a distinct culture

Volunteer & Leadership Ecuador is waiting for you!
Find out what trips are offered this year

Ecuador Trip Information package
2008 Application package
2009 Application package
Fundraising package

For more information please contact trips@leaderstoday.com