Program Directed by
Julian Hartmann-Russell
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!
Travel to Ecuador’s Andean highlands and Galápagos Islands on this summer service program specifically designed for middle school students. Live for nine days in a welcoming Kichwa community and engage in meaningful service projects—lend a hand with light construction work, help with the local harvest, and learn to make bread in a brick oven. Then, in the company of your group and leaders, explore the otherworldly landscapes and wildlife of the Galápagos Islands, home to giant tortoises, lava tunnels, equatorial penguins, marine iguanas, and blue-footed boobies.
- Program Highlights
• Work alongside locals on a project that benefits the community
• Hike to a coffee cooperative and natural hot springs
• Celebrate the Inti-Raymi festival with new friends
• Snorkel with sea lions in a sheltered Galápagos bay
• Hike to a coffee cooperative and natural hot springs
• Celebrate the Inti-Raymi festival with new friends
• Snorkel with sea lions in a sheltered Galápagos bay
“We hoped for Holden to learn to be a traveler and appreciate another community’s culture. The program exceeded our expectations.”
—Jenny & Brent G., Atlanta, GA
Itinerary
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Departure — Travel Day
Meet your fellow middle school student travelers and one or more of your leaders in Miami and fly together to Quito, Ecuador. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Quito — 1 day
Spend the first day of your program getting to know your leaders and fellow students at our comfortable lodge just outside Ecuador’s capital city, Quito. After your in-depth orientation, prepare to travel north for your host community stay.
Host Community — 9 days
Travel by bus to our host community, a small municipality of about 500–1,000 people, in the central Andean highlands north of Quito. Experience local culture and everyday life as you work with a Kichwa indigenous community to complete volunteer projects. Practice your Spanish as you lend a hand with water-access projects, help with renovation work at a community center, harvest crops, or organize an afternoon of activities for local children. Enjoy home-cooked meals and take part in an Inti-Raymi celebration. In the afternoons and evenings, play pick-up soccer with Ecuadorian friends, practice your Spanish, or hike into the hills surrounding your host community. Take a day trip to Otavalo and explore its renowned outdoor market featuring handcrafted textiles, handwoven alpaca blankets, art, jewelry, and more. Hike around the rim of Laguna de Cuicocha, a crater lake with spiritual significance to the Kichwa people.
Intag Valley — 1 day
Take an overnight excursion to visit a cloud forest preserve and learn about the region’s biodiversity. Hike to a mirador to spot some of Ecuador’s 1,500 bird species, soak in geothermal hot springs, and visit a coffee farm to learn about coffee production from bean to cup.
Quito — 1 day
After bidding goodbye to your host community, return to Quito before a morning flight to the Galápagos Islands.
Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands — 1 day
Fly from Quito and arrive on the island of Santa Cruz to see giant tortoises roaming their natural habitat. Visit the memorial of Lonesome George, the last known Pinta Island tortoise on the islands and an emblem for wildlife conservation in the Galápagos and worldwide. Spot rarely seen land iguanas at the Charles Darwin Research Station, and learn what scientists are doing to reintroduce them into the wild. Go for a hike in the highlands and check out the cavernous lava tubes. Head to Tortuga Bay, a stunning beach with fine white sand, to see marine iguanas.
San Cristóbal, Galápagos Islands — 4 days
Next, board a boat bound for San Cristóbal. Visit the Interpretation Center on San Cristóbal for an introduction to the biology, geology, and history of human impact on the islands. Then, jump on bikes for an exhilarating downhill ride through the highlands to the coast. Take a boat trip to Isla Lobos to snorkel and spot manta rays, sea turtles, harmless Galápagos sharks, and an impressive array of colorful tropical fish.
Return — Travel Day
Fly with the group from the Galápagos to Quito. Fly overnight from Quito to Miami with your group and a leader, then continue on to your final destination. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Featured
Program Leaders
Meet some of our featured leaders. Please note that these may not be your leaders for the program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Review specific program questions here. For more general information, visit our full FAQ:
What are the main focuses of this program?
Putney’s Middle School Service Ecuador program emphasizes meaningful service and authentic cultural immersion, inviting students to engage closely with our host community in mainland Ecuador while also exploring the remarkable natural environments of the Galápagos Islands. Working alongside local partners, students contribute to community-driven projects while gaining insight into daily life, traditions, and perspectives different from their own. In the Galápagos, they deepen their understanding of conservation and biodiversity, observing wildlife up close and considering the challenges and responsibilities of protecting these unique ecosystems. To learn more about our Service programs click here.
What types of service projects do students participate in on this program?
In Ecuador, students can expect to work on several different volunteer service projects—light construction projects, such as mixing cement or laying blocks for a community building, and environmental projects, like water access initiatives or shadowing local farmers. To learn more about our Service programs click here.
How many service hours can students expect to receive?
Students on our Middle School Service Ecuador program can expect to receive a digital service certificate after the program that confirms their completion of 30–50 service hours. The certificate will specify the exact number of hours completed, based on our host community’s identified projects for the group.
Will students have the opportunity to practice the local language?
Proficiency in Spanish is not required for students to join this program. However, students who study Spanish in school will have opportunities to practice while communicating with local people. Students who do not speak Spanish will have the opportunity to learn some basic language skills.
What is an Independent Project?
All students on Putney programs pursue an independent project as a way to more deeply engage with aspects of local culture that are of particular interest to them—in Ecuador, you might learn to make empanadas with a local family, try milking a cow, learn a traditional dance, or organize an opportunity for you and your friends to lend a hand in reforestation efforts.
What is the technology and cell phone policy?
To help students fully engage and immerse themselves in the Putney travel experience, we do not allow use of cell phones, tablets, or laptops on our Middle School programs. Students may have their cell phones during travel to and from the program. During in-country orientation, leaders facilitate a call home, then collect and securely store all phones until departure day. Throughout the program, students have the opportunity for a weekly call home according to a pre-arranged schedule. For more details, please see our FAQ.
How physically active is this program?
This is a very active middle school summer program. The service work, in addition to activities and excursions, are physically active, and students can expect to spend most of each day outside. Students can expect to work on service projects, play soccer, hike, swim, kayak, bike, and snorkel. You do not need to be at peak fitness to participate, but it is important that you have a desire to be physically active, and that you are excited about trying all activities.
Does this program visit high altitudes?
Yes, this program visits high altitude destinations. Quito and the region around our host community sit around 9,000–10,000 feet/2,743–3048 meters.
What are the accommodations for this program?
The group lives in simple accommodations, including a community albergue with beds, bathrooms, and running water; on excursions and in the Galápagos Islands, they stay in clean lodges. Leaders reside with students for the duration of the program.
What are meals like in Ecuador?
In the host community in Ecuador, students enjoy home-cooked meals and help local cooks prepare food; on excursions and in the Galápagos Islands, they eat in restaurants or shop for picnic lunches.
What type of student is most successful on this program?
This program is designed for middle school students (grades 7–8) who are curious, open-minded, and eager to engage with others. Students who are willing to step outside their comfort zones, participate fully in service work, and adapt to simple yet comfortable living conditions in mainland Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands tend to thrive on this program. A positive attitude, flexibility, and a genuine interest in community and the natural world go a long way.
What makes Ecuador & the Galápagos a good location for a Putney Student Travel program?
Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands offer an ideal setting for a Putney program thanks to their rich blend of culture, community, and natural diversity. Students can engage in meaningful service with a welcoming host community while also encountering some of the world’s most distinctive ecosystems. The contrast between daily life in mainland Ecuador and the extraordinary landscapes and wildlife of the Galápagos creates a dynamic environment for hands-on learning, cultural exchange, and personal growth.
How does the Ecuador & the Galápagos program compare to Putney’s other Middle School Service programs?
Like other Putney service programs, our Ecuador & the Galápagos program emphasizes hands-on, community-based work alongside local partners. The combination of sustained engagement in a mainland host community with immersive exploration of conservation and wildlife in the Galápagos Islands creates a strong blend of service, cultural immersion, and environmental learning.
Do students need prior experience or specific skills to join this program?
No, students do not need any specific skills to join this program. However students can expect to snorkel and swim in the Galápagos, so some comfort in the water is required.
What outcomes, skills, or growth can students expect to gain from this experience?
Students can expect to gain confidence, independence, and adaptability by experiencing life in a new cultural setting. They build cross-cultural communication skills working with a host community in mainland Ecuador and deepen their understanding of conservation and ecosystems in the Galápagos Islands. The experience fosters empathy, collaboration, and a stronger sense of global awareness and responsibility.
A Day in the Life: Host Community
Due to the traveling nature of this summer program abroad, each day is different. Here is a snapshot of a day in our host community.
- Morning
7:00am
Prepare breakfast from scratch with members of the local community
8:00am
Complete restoration work on a community building
- Afternoon
12:00pm
Eat a homemade lunch and relax
2:00pm
Lead activities and games for local children
4:00pm
Hike into the hills near the community and explore
- Evening
6:00pm
Reflect on your day with your group during dinner
8:00pm
Group meeting to discuss the progress of work projects
“I loved every aspect of the trip, whether we were hiking in Ibarra or Intag, planting trees in different villages, or walking around San Cristobal. It was fun in every place.”
—Max S., Hommocks Middle School, Mamaroneck, NY
