There is a great variety of ethnicities, and diversity among Ecuadorians. The Ecuadorian culture is family oriented; a typical Ecuadorian family consists of parents and children, it can also be formed of a single parent with or without children, who agree to host a foreign student during the exchange program. These families provide a room (can be shared with another kid of the same gender and close in age), a quiet place to study, food and support during the stay. They treat their student as a member of the family, not as a guest. In return, they enrich their homes and communities, getting to know a different culture and creating lasting international friendships.

Students are placed with carefully matched host families in or around Quito, with close proximity to everything they need. Ecuadorians place great emphasis in family life. Meals are an important time for bonding. The most important meal of the day is almuerzo (lunch). Food is freshly prepared at home daily. Families participate in or attend most activities together. They usually travel together either on day trips or vacations. Children are expected to be respectful to their parents and elderly. Ecuadorians are friendly and always interested on knowing other cultures.

In the morning the students get ready, eat breakfast, and head to school. In most cases, students can expect to be back home by around 2:00 PM, where they’ll have lunch with the family and do their homework. We encourage students to have an afternoon activity or join extracurricular classes such as Spanish classes, gym, music, etc. Ecuador offers a variety of activities to choose from. Transportation is not an issue as public transportation is readily available.

Students are mostly placed in private schools. Schools require students to wear uniforms. Students’ schedules are set by the school based on the curriculum established by Ministry of Education. Students remain in one classroom while teachers rotate rooms.

In the Sierra of Ecuador where the students will be placed, classes typically run Monday to Friday from 7:30 am to 1:30 pm. The school year runs September to June and includes one week of vacation over Christmas/New Year, and another one for Holy Week. Summer vacation is about two and a half months between July and September.

Approximately 10 to 45 minutes. Students usually take school bus.

Students have two breaks of 15 minutes each. They eat lunch during one of these breaks. Students usually buy food in school, which costs about USD$2 or USD$3 daily.

With few exceptions, most schools offer soccer, basketball, and volleyball. Ecuadorian students typically enroll in extracurricular activities outside of school. These activities include various sports, joining a gym, yoga, cooking, language classes, dance, music, martial arts, ceramics, etc.

The student cannot be guaranteed to receive academic credit as each high school has different regulations. Depending on the school and student’s performance they can get a diploma. The government is very strict about the necessary documents required for getting a diploma. Students will get a certification of attendance as well as an official document stating that they have been an exchange student with dates and subjects.
We encourage you to talk to your guidance counselor or academic advisor at the host school to explain what you need to do to earn credits.

Exchange students are participating in an academic program and that is the primary focus of their exchange year. This means they must attend and be active participants in all their classes, and maintain at least a C grade average or higher in each subject. Also, it is expected the student will become a member of their family with open communication. They have to keep their bedrooms tidy and help at home. The students have to be open minded and flexible to cultural differences.

Students must respect the rules of the house and obey all government laws. They could be expelled from the program and sent back home for breaking them. The student will receive a document with the rules that must be complied with responsibly.

Yes. We provide a full mandatory orientation with our professional team and Ecuadorian alumni students. Host families are also required to attend orientation for their part prior of student arrival.

At the beginning they find the food different (rice almost every day), the altitude in some cases, the overprotective families, and may become overwhelmed with the transportation system. However, they get adjusted to the new environment fairly quickly.

Remember that the main focus of the program is on attending school, integrating with your new family, and learning from your host country. Exchange students must spend important holidays such as: Christmas, New Year and/or Easter at their location. Independent travel is not allowed without your host family, school, or local representative for the duration of the program. You will have monthly activities or excursions planned by Xplorer.

You may have the opportunity to travel and explore Ecuador independently, but that can only take place at the end of the program. The trip must be planned, documented (dates, names of adults in charge, places, etc.) and approved in advance by Xplorer, sponsor, and natural parents. The trip can be taken with a chaperone or a natural parent visiting. If the student and natural parents fail to present all the documentation and ensure student’s safety, the trip will not be approved.