Gap Latin America provides - adventurescrosscountry.com...Days 31 – 34: Quito, Cotopaxi national...

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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS • Delve into Latin American Culture and Language During a Homestay on Costa Rica’s Tropical Shores • Surf the Waves on Costa Rica’s Stunning Pacific Coast • Help Protect Turtles Coming Ashore to Lay their Eggs • Discover the Meaning of “Pura Vida” Living on a Costa Rican Ranch • Live and Work in a Rural Peruvian Orphanage • Explore the Effects Gold Mining is having on the Amazon and Its People • Walk in the Footsteps of the Incas and Explore the Ancient Ruins of Machu Picchu • Build Clean Stoves for Quechua Families in the Peruvian Andes • Facilitate Nutrition Education to Communities During a Homestay on the Shores of Lake Titicaca ARCC Programs | Latin America Gap Semester www.arccgap.com | [email protected] | 415.332.5075 Gap Latin America provides unparalleled access to some of the most incred- ible people, places and experiences the world has to offer. Our contacts and relationships abroad allow us to immerse ourselves in the cultures we visit through homestays, service work, teaching and exchange. Going beyond the weekend visit, we take the time to plant our feet in each location, becoming part of the commu- nity at large. Eating, sleeping and living amongst the local people, we are welcomed as friends. Working in partnership with area leaders, we pinpoint worthwhile service projects and collaborate with community mem- bers to achieve a common goal. Refurbishing a school, building a community center or working with orphans, our hard work supplements our education which is organized around five major themes. COSTA RICA | ECUADOR PERU

Transcript of Gap Latin America provides - adventurescrosscountry.com...Days 31 – 34: Quito, Cotopaxi national...

Page 1: Gap Latin America provides - adventurescrosscountry.com...Days 31 – 34: Quito, Cotopaxi national Park and Mindo Ziplining Ecuador is a gem of diverse geography, rich cultural history

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS• DelveintoLatinAmericanCultureandLanguageDuringaHomestayon

CostaRica’sTropicalShores

• SurftheWavesonCostaRica’sStunningPacificCoast

• HelpProtectTurtlesComingAshoretoLaytheirEggs

• DiscovertheMeaningof“PuraVida”LivingonaCostaRicanRanch

• LiveandWorkinaRuralPeruvianOrphanage

• ExploretheEffectsGoldMiningishavingontheAmazonandItsPeople

• WalkintheFootstepsoftheIncasandExploretheAncientRuinsof

MachuPicchu

• BuildCleanStovesforQuechuaFamiliesinthePeruvianAndes

• FacilitateNutritionEducationtoCommunitiesDuringaHomestayon

theShoresofLakeTiticaca

ARCCPrograms|LatinAmericaGapSemesterwww.arccgap.com|[email protected]|415.332.5075

Gap Latin Americaprovidesunparalleledaccesstosomeofthemostincred-

iblepeople,placesandexperiencestheworldhastooffer.Ourcontactsandrelationshipsabroadallowusto

immerseourselvesinthecultureswevisitthroughhomestays,servicework,teachingandexchange.Going

beyondtheweekendvisit,wetakethetimetoplantourfeetineachlocation,becomingpartofthecommu-

nityatlarge.Eating,sleepingandlivingamongstthelocalpeople,wearewelcomedasfriends.Workingin

partnershipwitharealeaders,wepinpointworthwhileserviceprojectsandcollaboratewithcommunitymem-

berstoachieveacommongoal.Refurbishingaschool,buildingacommunitycenterorworkingwithorphans,

ourhardworksupplementsoureducationwhichisorganizedaroundfivemajorthemes.

COSTA RICA | ECUADOR PERU

Page 2: Gap Latin America provides - adventurescrosscountry.com...Days 31 – 34: Quito, Cotopaxi national Park and Mindo Ziplining Ecuador is a gem of diverse geography, rich cultural history

Days 14 – 19: Sea Turtle Conservation ProjectFromSamarawetravelsouthalongtheNicoyaPeninsulatoSanMiguel

wherewedelveintotheEnvironmentandConservationthemewithasea

turtleconservationproject.Workingalongsidealocalgrassrootsorga-

nization,wehelpmonitorthenestingactivityoftheOliveRidleyturtles.

Since1998,volunteershaveprotected2,618nestsandreleased129,529

babyturtlesandwecanonlyhopetodoourpartintheprotectionef-

forts. Inadditiontopatrollingthebeachesatnightandlearningabout

turtleconservationduringtheday,weparticipateincommunityoutreach

educatingthelocalyouthonprotectioneffortsandwhytheseeffortsare

important.

ARCCPrograms|LatinAmericaGapSemesterwww.arccgap.com|[email protected]|415.332.5075

Days 1 – 3: Gap Orientation in CaliforniaWebeginoursemesterwithaGaporientation inSanFrancisco,Cali-

fornia.AfterawelcomingBBQwithallARCCGapprograms,wesettle

intoourLatinAmericagroup,gettingtoknowoneanotherandourin-

structors.Togetherwemapoutouritineraryandsetbothindividualand

groupgoalsforthedurationoftheprogram.Weintroduceourcurricu-

lumandbrainstormideasforourindividualCapstoneprojects,allwhile

comingtogetherasatravelingcommunity.

Days 4 – 6: Orientation, Rainforest Exploration and Whitewater RaftingWeflytogethertoSanJose,CostaRica,wherewearewelcomedbyour

localpartnersandjumprightintoourin-countryorientationtoCostaRi-

cancultureandcustoms.AfteradayexploringSanJose,weheadtothe

world-renownedPacuareRiverfortwodaysofexploringtherainforest

andnavigatingtheriver’sfamouswhitewater.Floatingourwaythrough

thepristineforestcanopy,wediscoverhiddenwaterfallsandnaturalrock

slides,continuingtobondasagroupthroughout.Makingourhomeata

riverlodgesetbackamongstthehugeleavesoftheSombrilladePobre

(“PoorMan’sUmbrella”),weusethisareaasabasetoexploreandad-

venture.

ITInERARy

Days 7 – 13: Language School on the nicoya Peninsula Leaving the jungle behind,wemake ourway to Samara, situated on

theNicoyaPeninsula.ForthenextweekwesharpenourSpanishskills,

takingclassestaughtbynativespeakersandpracticingwhatwelearn

duringourhomestaywithlocalfamilies.Outsidetheclassrooms,wemay

choosetoparticipateinavarietyofactivities,suchasyoga,Zumbaclass-

esorkayaking.Wecontinuetocometogetherasatravelingcommunity,

refiningbothourindividualandgroupgoals.Ourpreparationincludes

furtherdiscussionofourcurriculum,includingidentifyingthefiveessen-

tialthemesandwhereeachwillbeaddressedthroughoutthesemester.

Page 3: Gap Latin America provides - adventurescrosscountry.com...Days 31 – 34: Quito, Cotopaxi national Park and Mindo Ziplining Ecuador is a gem of diverse geography, rich cultural history

Days 20 – 26: San Isidro Conservation Project and Economic DevelopmentDeepinthemountains,wereturntoacommunitythatARCChasbeen

workingwith forover20years,San IsidrodeDota.Therewebuilda

smallpondwithspecificnativeplantsfortwospeciesoffrogsthatneed

protection. Inaddition,wehelpfinishtheschoolgreenhouseandthe

biodigestor.Wealsohaveopportunitiesforservicelearningandcultural

exchangebyhelpingoutwithfarmchores,workingintheorganicgar-

denandcookingmealswithourhosts.Inoursparetimeweexplorethe

rainforestsurroundingthevillageandspendtimewithournewfriends,

playingsoccer,sharinglaughs,andforgingbondsthatwilllastalifetime.

Days 27 – 30: Surfing on the Pacific CoastForourlastdaysinCostaRica,wecheckoutCostaRica’samazingsurf

breaks.Afterafewlessonswithlocalsurfinstructors,wefeelconfident

catchingthefriendlybeginnerwaves.Attheconclusionofourtimehere,

wereturntoSanJoseforafinaldayinCostaRicaasweprepareforour

nextadventureinEcuador!

Days 31 – 34: Quito, Cotopaxi national Park and Mindo ZipliningEcuadorisagemofdiversegeography,richculturalhistoryandunique

wildlife.Uponarrivial,wequickly learnwhyEcuadorstandsoutasan

environmentalleaderintheinternationalcommunity,butalsodiscover

thatthereisstillmuchtobedone.LandinginQuito,wearegreetedby

ourEcuadorianfriendswhogiveusabrieforientationandtourofthe

spectacularcapital,locatedover9,000feetabovesealevelandringed

byvolcanoes.WeziplineandhikethroughtheSantaRitaEcologicalRe-

serveandenjoylearningabouttheuniquemountain,Cotopaxi,thatisa

symbolofprideforthecountry.Finally,wehiketotheglacierandLake

LimpiopungobeforeheadingintotheAmazon.

Days 35 – 38: Amazon Petroleum MiningHeadingsouththetownofCocaintheAmazonRainforestwejumpright

intoourfirstprojectinEcuador.Therewestudytheeffectsminingofpetro-

leumandgoldhaveonthispartoftheEcuadorianAmazonanditscommu-

nities.Wevisitoilderricksitesandseethegroundwaterandsoilpollution

fromirresponsiblewaterdisposal.Whileherewehavetheopportunityto

interviewworkersatthesite.Wealsoobserveavianandaquaticwildlifethat

hassurvivednumerouspollutioneventsfromnearbypetroleumproduction.

Duringthissectionwehaveanopportunitytowitnesswhatillegalminingis

doingtotheAmazonbywayofdeforestationandpollutionandparticipate

inawatersamplingprojecttoseewhatthesedredgesdotothelocalwater

source. InCocawegainfamiliaritywithasustainablemicro-enterpriseby

workingwithlocalschoolstudentsmakingfruitpulpfromlocalmaterial.

ARCCPrograms|LatinAmericaGapSemesterwww.arccgap.com|[email protected]|415.332.5075

Days 39 – 44: Life as an Amazon Cacao GrowerSettlingintoourhomestayswithlocalKichwafamilies,webeginanin-depth

anthropologicalstudyofcacaogrowersintheEcuadorianAmazon.Ecua-

dormakessomeoftherichest,mostdeliciousartisanchocolateavailable

andwehavetheopportunitytoexaminethiseconomicmarket.Wenotonly

learnhowexportingchocolateupholdsthelocaleconomyintheAmazon,

butweworkalongsidethecacaogrowersontheirfarmsandlearnabout

thechocolateprocessfromharvesttoproduction.Wealsoparticipateina

Page 4: Gap Latin America provides - adventurescrosscountry.com...Days 31 – 34: Quito, Cotopaxi national Park and Mindo Ziplining Ecuador is a gem of diverse geography, rich cultural history

Days 63 – 72: Peru, Cusco Exploration, Home Reno-vation and Munaychay HogarWearrive in our final country of the semester, Peru, and spendour first

coupledays in thecharmingcityofCusco,exploringcolorfulplazasand

markets, cobblestone streets and the Incan ruinsof Sacsayhuaman scat-

teredatopthehillsideoverlookingthecity.Wethenbeginourprojectwork-

ingwithalocalnon-profitatahogarinUrubambaandrenovatingahouse

inPoroy.Ahogarisahomeororphanageandtheonewevisitisspecifically

foryounggirlsaged3-18yearsold.Herewehavetheopportunitytointer-

actwiththegirls,heartheirstoriesandinterviewthewomenwhorunthis

specialhome.

ThesecondhalfoftheweekweworkatthehomeofElizabeth,oneofthe

girlssponsoredbyourpartnerorganization.Shelivesinaverysimplehome

madewithclaywallsandsaggingrooves.Weplaster,paintandtile,working

alongsideafamilywith10childrenwhoaregratefulbeyondwordsforour

assistance.Thereisnodoubtthatourtimewiththisfamilyandtheaccom-

plishmentofourworkwillbeamemorywecherishforever.

Days 73 – 76: Cusco, Thanksgiving & Machu Picchu

SayingasadgoodbyetoourdearfriendsinPoroy,wespendthenexttwo

daysinthebeautifulSacredValleytownofUrubamba.Wemaydecideto

participate in somecultural activities,workonourCapstoneprojects, or

takedayhikestothesurroundingpeaks.NotforgettingThanksgivingback

home,wemakesure to take theafternoonoff tocelebrate thisdeliciousARCCPrograms|LatinAmericaGapSemester

www.arccgap.com|[email protected]|415.332.5075

Days 45 – 50: Tena, Rafting and Student Planned WeekendSayingfarewelltoourgracioushomestayhosts,wemakeourwaytoTena,

abustlingAmazoniantownnotfarfromCoca.Wespendadayraftingthe

rapidsoftheJatunyacuRiver,thenwetakesometimetoourselvestorelax,

exploreandjoininthelocalfestivalsandactivities.Afteracoupledaysin

TenaweembarkonourStudentPlannedWeekend.Thesedaysaretotally

plannedbythestudents,withbasicparametersputinplaceandabudget

withwhichtowork.Wecannotwaittohearwhatthegroupwilldo!

Days 51 – 62: Andean Village Stay Tradingthejungleformountains,weheadnorthtotheprovinceofImba-

burawherewearewelcomedbyourhostsintheGuachinguerocommunity.

It isabeautifulcommunitythat looks intothevalleyofOtavalo.Herewe

meetwith the community president to learnmore about its people and

helpwithaconstructionprojectattheschool.Thetwoteacherschoolfor

gradesK-7isintheprocessofexpandingbyaddingasecondstory,acom-

puterlab,officeandcafeteriaareaforthestudents.Wejumprightintothis

projectworkingalongsidethecommunitymembers.Intheafternoonswe

haveachancetointerviewthecommunitypresidentandteachersaboutthe

importanceand impact these improvementshaveonthecommunityand

itsstudents.Duringourdowntimeweplaysoccerwiththestudents,shop

atthefamousOtavalomarketandexplorethebeautifullandscape.Aftera

farewellceremony,wereturntoQuitoforourlastdayinEcuador.

community-widemeetingandpresentashortworkshoponglobalization

andinternationalmarkets.

Page 5: Gap Latin America provides - adventurescrosscountry.com...Days 31 – 34: Quito, Cotopaxi national Park and Mindo Ziplining Ecuador is a gem of diverse geography, rich cultural history

Days 77 – 83: Sacred Valley Village Stay and “Clean Stove” Service ProjectLoadedwithphotos fromMachuPicchu,we travelhigh into theheartof

theSacredValleytoaruralcommunitylocatedontheplainsofthePampa

deAnta region. Surroundedby awe-inspiring, glacier-cappedmountains,

thevillageishometo50Quechuafamilieswholiveofftheland,dedicat-

ingthemselvestofarming,sheepandcattleherdingandcultivatingnative

crops.Werollupoursleevestohelpcommunitymembersbuildnewstoves

for cooking in their homes.Workingdirectlywith families,webuild new

stovesthatreducesmokepollutionandimprovetheairqualitycausedby

cook-fires.Inadditiontothehealthbenefits,thesenewstovesgreatlyreduce

theconsumptionofthenativetreesthatarerapidlydecreasinginnumber.

Wealsospendtimebuildingguineapigfarms,whichserveasasourceof

incomeandawayforlocalvillagerstoobtaineconomicindependence.In

ourfreetimewebondwithourgracioushostsandnewfoundfriendsaswe

swiminthelakeandteachinformalEnglishlessons.

ARCCPrograms|LatinAmericaGapSemesterwww.arccgap.com|[email protected]|415.332.5075

Days 84 – 90: Lake Titicaca Homestay & DepartureThelastsectionofourtriptakesustoLakeTiticaca,thelargesthigh-alti-

tudelakeintheworld.Wetakeaboat-rideouttothefloatingislands,home

tothepre-IncanUrospeople.TheUroshavemadetheirhomesonforty-two

floatingislands,maintainedusingbundlesofdriedtotorareeds.Welearn

abouttheiruniquelifestyleonthelakebeforecontinuingontovisitTaquile

Island.Wewitnessthemenknittingfortheirfamiliesandlearnmoreabout

theunique islandlifeofLakeTiticaca.Uponarrivalbacktothemainland,

wearewelcomedbyourhostfamiliesinavillageontheshoresofthelake.

Wespendourdaysimmersingourselvesinthelivesofthecommunityand

learningaboutsomeofthehealthissuesintheregion.Wemeetwithmoth-

ersintheirhomesanddiscussthechallengesinprovidinghealthymealsfor

theirfamilies.Weinvestigatewhymalnutritionissuchasevereproblemin

ruralcommunitiesintheareaandpartnerwithalocalnutritionisttoeducate

thecommunityabouthealthynutrition.Duringthesecondpartofourser-

viceproject,wehelpbuildindividualgardensforfamiliestoplantseedsto

growvegetables,inturnprovidingthemwithamorewell-roundeddiet.In

ourdowntimewemayexplorethelakesidearea,playsoccerwiththelocal

childrenorswiminthelake.

Wespendourlastdaystogetherasagroupinthispicturesquesetting.Our

experiencesduringthesethreemonthswillstaywithusfortherestofour

lives.Aswesavorourremainingtimetogether,weareexcitedtoheadhome

andshareournewlygainedknowledgeandinsightsfromourfirsthandlook

attheglobalissuesfacingCostaRica,EcuadorandPeru.

holidaywithaspeciallocalfeastandwegivethanksforalltheincredible

opportunitieswe’vesharedthusfar.

Meetingbackupwithourlocalguide,wetravelbytraintothesacredIn-

cancityofMachuPicchu,the“GateoftheSun.”Afterspendinganightin

thetownofAguasCalientes,weenjoyatourofthesacredtemples,plazas

andceremonialbathsofMachuPicchu.WehikeupHuaynaPicchu(Young

Peak)tocatchabirds-eyeviewofMachuPicchu,whichisoneoftheSeven

WondersoftheWorld.

Page 6: Gap Latin America provides - adventurescrosscountry.com...Days 31 – 34: Quito, Cotopaxi national Park and Mindo Ziplining Ecuador is a gem of diverse geography, rich cultural history

LATIn AMERICA GAP CURRICULUMTheARCCLatinAmericaSemesterprovidesunparalleledaccesstosomeofthemost incrediblepeople,places

andexperiencestheworldhastooffer.Ourcontactsandrelationshipsabroadallowustoimmerseourselvesinthe

cultureswevisitthroughhomestays,servicework,teachingandexchange.Goingbeyondtheweekendvisit,we

takethetimetoplantourfeetineachlocation,becomingpartofthecommunityatlarge.Eating,sleepingandliv-

ingamongstthelocalpeople,wearewelcomedasfriends.Workinginpartnershipwitharealeaders,wepinpoint

worthwhileserviceprojectsandcollaboratewithcommunitymemberstoachieveacommongoal.Refurbishinga

school,buildingacommunitycenterorworkingwithorphans,ourhardworksupplementsoureducation,orga-

nizedaroundfivemajorthemes:

Comparesthephilosophyofeducationindif-

ferentcountries,howthistranslatesintoreal-

lifesettings,andwhatstepsarebeingtakento

improveeducationandliteracyforlocalcom-

munities.

ARCC’S FIVE THEMES

ARCCPrograms|LatinAmericaGapSemesterwww.arccgap.com|[email protected]|415.332.5075

Explorestheoftenwidegulfbetweenhealth

careindifferentcountries,aswellasbetween

citiesandruralareas.

Investigatesthegrowingproblemofhabitat

degradationandlossofresources,especially

thewayinwhichthisaffectslocalhumanand

animalpopulations.

Examinestheissueofdisplacement,bothin

termsofurbanizationandmovementmotivated

bypoliticalorenvironmentalconcerns.

Researcheshowcommunitiesmakeendsmeetin

anincreasinglyglobalizedeconomy,whilework-

ingtomaintaintheiruniquecultures.

Page 7: Gap Latin America provides - adventurescrosscountry.com...Days 31 – 34: Quito, Cotopaxi national Park and Mindo Ziplining Ecuador is a gem of diverse geography, rich cultural history

ARCCPrograms|LatinAmericaGapSemesterwww.arccgap.com|[email protected]|415.332.5075

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Page 8: Gap Latin America provides - adventurescrosscountry.com...Days 31 – 34: Quito, Cotopaxi national Park and Mindo Ziplining Ecuador is a gem of diverse geography, rich cultural history

“Maura had an incredible experience during her Gap Semester in Latin America. She learned how to appreciate

different cultures, and the challenges and opportunities in different countries. She was also given an opportunity

to give back to the global community. She has mentioned many times how she misses Latin America and what a

wonderful experience she had. I believe this also opened her up to potential international opportunities.”

ParentofMauraM.,Chicago,IL

“I now have a whole new appreciation for everything different and interesting the world has to offer and I can’t wait

to explore more of it. I know the kind of leader I am and what leadership styles work for me. I think I could confi-

dently lead a group in any situation.”

NickiS.,GapStudent,Stateline,NV

“She had a very powerful experience and loved seeing this new world (to her) in Latin America. She loved the pace

and that there were different things to do and see just about every week. She really got to see a lot and felt like she

got an understanding of the ways of life and issues she witnessed.”

ParentofKatieO.,NewCanaan,CT

“Doing a semester with ARCC is probably one of the best decisions I have ever made. I learned a lot about myself,

had one of the greatest experiences of my life, gained new skills, and made tons of new friendships around the

world and within my group.”

ConnorM.,GapStudent,Dallas,TX

“The amazing range of experiences that were set up before the semester, and the terrific ARCC staff all provided

endless opportunities for my daughter's personal growth and endless wonderful moments that will remain a part

of her forever.”

ParentofAcaciaH.,NewYork,NY

LATIn AMERICA GAP SEMESTER REVIEWS

ARCCPrograms|LatinAmericaGapSemesterwww.arccgap.com|[email protected]|415.332.5075

Want to Learn More? Contact the Gap Programs Director:

Sophia Weeks | ARCC Gap Programs [email protected]

www.arccgap.com