Extra Information
Students can engage themselves in Ecuadorian life through a multitude of extracurricular activities offered by El Nomad and the Universidad de Cuenca. All clubs and groups at the Universidad de Cuenca are open to international students, providing them with the to take part in programs such as Tandem where El Nomad program participants can exchange languages with local students. Guided cultural activities and excursions are led by El Nomad staff several times per week and vary from attending fútbol matches to Latin American movie nights. Students can also spend time with the local community through extra-curricular volunteer opportunities. El Nomad can place program participants in positions that will compliment any degree, such as teaching English in elementary schools or helping with animal welfare projects.
Guided Cultural Activities
El Nomad offers a variety of local cultural activities for our program participants to take part in. Some of them are free of charge. Some of them have a small fee. However, they will all help introduce you to activities that go on everyday in an average “Cuencanos” life and integrate you in to those activities. Activities are offered through the El Nomad Center several days per week. The activities will be listed in the center and posted on the El Nomad website. You can sign up for the activities beforehand or just show up and participate. Activity examples include: playing on a community futbol team, a morning trip to the naturally heated volcanic mineral pools of Banos, visits to local markets, and much more!
Volunteer Opportunities
El Nomad offers all of our program participants the option of participating extracurricular volunteer opportunities with local organizations. We will place you with non-profit institutions and organizations recognized for their work within local communities and dedication to make a difference in the lives of those in need.
El Nomad’s goal is to place you in a position that will compliment your degree, such as teaching English in elementary schools or helping with animal welfare projects, and help you develop needed skills for your chosen career path. An international volunteer experience is an excellent way to get an edge in the workplace and in life. A volunteer experience in Ecuador through El Nomad will increase your language skills, introduce you to a new culture, and new ways of thinking, all of which are highly desired by employers in our increasingly global world. It will also help you take what you learn in your Spanish classes and apply it to the real world. All of this while giving back to a community in need.
Tandem Program
The Tandem Program will match Ecuadorian students who are learning English with international students who are learning Spanish. When you are matched with a language partner you will meet up and spend an equal amount of time communicating in each language.
Community Tourism
Ecuador is one of the world’s leaders in community tourism. El Nomad supports this effort by providing program participants the option of traveling to rural communities throughout Ecuador that most visitors to Ecuador miss. While in these communities, students will stay with local families, share local foods, and learn about local customs and ways of life. Multi-day excursions are available to various communities throughout the jungle, Andean, and coastal regions.
University Groups and Clubs
All of the groups and clubs associated with the universtiy in Cuenca are open to you as an El Nomad program participant.
