On Saturday, June 20, our students departed for a new host family and a new setting to begin their Service Term, the second half of SST. Stay tuned for more updates about the communities in which the students are living and the volunteer work they're doing with nonprofits, community organizations, and municipal governments!
News
Despedidas
Feb 22 2026
It is a bittersweet weekend as we said goodbye to our Quito host families and each other and ventured off to our service placements. Our study portion in Quito culminated with a despedida (farewell) fiesta on Friday to thank our host families for their generosity and hospitality. We also performed various presentations to demonstrate everything we’ve learned these first six weeks, including a prayer in Kichwa, a comparison of Ecuadorian and American Sign Language, and skits or songs from each Spanish class. It was a beautiful evening filled with heartfelt words of gratitude for our families, who have given us so much love and truly welcomed us as members of their own families.
Saturday morning, we said goodbye and departed for various cities across Ecuador: Ibarra, Otavalo, Mindo, Latacunga, Pujilí, Salinas, San Simon, Riobamba, and Puyo. Our new host families welcomed us with open arms, and service placements begin on Monday. We are nervous but ready for this next part of the journey!
Study AbroadBeginning Service Term in Ecuador
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Our second weekend at Corrymeela, we hopped on an early bus and train to take on Belfast’s bustling streets and the Belfast Book Festival, which featured homemade ‘zines (handmade magazines) for purchase and for free. The main themes of these...
Study AbroadSaying farewell (for now) to Quito
By Hillary Harder On Friday night, June 19, our group gathered at our Quito headquarters, La Casa de Espiritualidad, to mark the end of our Study period in Quito. We were joined by our host families, professors, and many community…