Ecuador Summer
Living & Learning International
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
APU partners with Living and Learning International (LLI), who hosts the Ecuador Summer Internship Program in the city of Quito and provides an academically excellent summer where students will learn to engage with the challenges of holistic community development from a Christian worldview. Students experience a homestay with a local family and participate in an internship during the program.
This 8-week summer program is designed for college-age students who desire to grow in their ability to integrate life and learning; to integrate their walk with God with the realities of struggle, poverty and injustice in a desperate world; to not just add knowledge and travel to their lives, but to understand, with wisdom, God's calling.
SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS
Custom internship placements
Homestay with an Ecuadorian Family for 4 weeks
Optional Spanish tutoring
Multiple service opportunities
Mission and ministry experience in the Amazon Jungle
Optional Galápagos Island Excursion
Various cultural activities
Christian community and student life
LLI INTERNSHIP
Students are placed in a customized internship in/around the city of Quito.
Earn 120-240 internship hours and 3-6 credits (8 weeks)
Internship Placement Examples
Comm, IT, Graphic Design, and Digital Media
Business
Intercultural Studies
Spanish
Education
Outdoor Leadership
Youth & Worship Ministries
Social Work, Family, and Human Psychology
Pre-Med & Nursing
Other
Students will need to seek advising from their APU academic department's internship coordinator if they are interested in receiving APU credit for their LLI internship. Students will need to request this information in advance and are responsible for starting the process.
APU REQUIREMENTS
APU prerequisites are mandatory.
Registration is all through your APU Account. Upon acceptance, students will be granted access to register for study away sections of the courses.
TRANSFER CREDIT & COURSE SUBSTITUTION
Students will need to complete a Transfer Credit & Course Substitution (TCCS) Form to transfer internship credit to APU credits.
PROGRAM COSTS: 2024 - 2025
Program Costs Charged to Student's APU Account
LLI Tuition & Program Costs (Housing & Some Meals) $4,000
(Required) International Insurance Cost $50
APU UG University Service Fee $100
APU Study Away Fee $50
(Optional) APU Health Fee/Medical Insurance $755*
Out-of-Pocket Expenses (Students Pay Directly)
International airfare, some meals, optional excursions, souvenirs, etc.
$50 housing security deposit
$75 application fee
*Regular APU student health insurance & waiving options apply.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Charges - See above.
Financial Aid - Financial aid (Federal, State, APU Institutional) is not able to be applied to your account unless you already have remaining unused aid on your account from a previous semester.
*APU Catalog Financial Aid Policy for the Ecuador Summer Program. Access all related policies here.
Payment Due Dates - Same as regular APU summer payment due dates.
ADVISING ROLES & RESOURCES
Program - Consult with Living & Learning International for all questions about the program and items they need from you.
APU Study Away - Consult with APU CCEL Study Away to explore which program is the best fit for you. Accepted students are provided a canvas site that will have all preparation materials including information on how to register, program charges, etc.
APU Academic Advising - Make an appointment with Academic Advising (APU Academic Success Center or Faculty Advisor) to make sure the program you are interested in has the courses to keep you on track to graduate on time. Reference the course information on this site.
APU Student Services Center - Consult your account specialist with any financial aid questions. Reference the program costs, charges & financial aid information on this site.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Program Application - Complete the Ecuador Summer Application with Living & Learning International.
Advisor Form - Part of the LLI application includes a form you will need to have processed by APU Study Away. Please allow up to 2 weeks.
For any forms your program needs you to get APU Study Away signatures, send them to studyaway@apu.edu.
Application Response - The program will communicate if they accept you as a participant. However, before committing to the program, we advise confirming APU program advising, APU academic advising and APU financial advising.
Study Away 101 Completion - If accepted, you will be sent a link to self-enroll in the APU Study Away Canvas course to complete all APU forms/preparation.
PROGRAM TYPE - Type #5, APU Approved Summer Program
PROGRAM & TERM STATUS - The Ecuador Summer Program is offered during the summer term. Check with Living & Learning International for program status.
"The best components of the study away was being fully immersed in the culture and life in Ecuador. Learning to take public transportation, becoming comfortable exploring the city, and working internships that challenged my language skills all created a unique experience like no other. Living and Learning does a great job guiding you on how to successfully assimilate to a culture different than yours and learn to appreciate the subtle and not-so-subtle differences."
- Justin, Computer Science Major