Ecuador and the Galápagos: Conservation, Culture & Adventure

Our project fees cover much of what you need for your trip, helping remove the hassle.

Your fee will include:

• Accommodation
• Water and three meals a day
• Airport pick-up and drop-off
• Full induction and orientation on arrival
• Transport to and from your work placement
• In-country support and 24-hour back-up from our team
• Emergency assistance
• Insurance
• Project equipment and materials
• Training and workshops from our experienced local staff
• Social events and community activities with other volunteers and interns
• Access to our local office with an internet connection
• Certification of project completion
• Access to our alumni services and discounts
• Visa support
• Fundraising support
• Pre-departure preparation
• Personalised MyProjectsAbroad website
• A free cultural awareness course
• Membership to our volunteer social media groups

Here are some things that are NOT included in the fee for this project:

• Flights
• Visa costs

When you book your volunteer abroad trip with us, you get the complete package, including the highest levels of safety and support.

Health & Safety

Your safety is our top priority. We train our staff to the highest standard; all volunteers can rely on them for support, before, during, and after their trip to the Galapagos. By joining one of our projects, you have peace of mind that your children will be in safe hands and able to enjoy this immersive experience.

You can read more about how we keep you safe, including information on our enhanced COVID-19 protocols.

Risk Management

We thoroughly vet and risk assess all our projects, ensuring they meet the highest standards of safety. This Conservation, Culture & Adventure Project in the Galapagos and Ecuador is fully researched, safety audited, and risk assessed in accordance with the British Standard BS8848 for the Adventure Travel Sector.

We apply the same standards to all members of staff as well as the accommodation that volunteers will call home. Rest assured that your children will be living and working in an environment of comfort, security, and friendliness. They'll only travel to destinations that are safe and politically stable.

To help students enjoy a safe and comfortable trip, they'll be given a cultural awareness course, helping them integrate with local people and potentially form lifelong friendships. We also have an in-house medical advisor, who will support volunteers as they prepare and complete their trip to this incredible tropical destination.

Insurance Policy

As part of our commitment to the safety of everyone, all group volunteers will receive travel and medical insurance that lasts for the duration of their trip. This is included in the cost of the project and covers emergency medical care, repatriation, personal accident, personal liability, and loss of baggage.

Get in touch for detailed information on the coverage volunteers will receive. We're here to assure you that your child has the best level of coverage to ensure their safety while traveling abroad.

Learn more about insurance here.

24/7 Supervision and Support

We pride ourselves on providing the highest level of support, especially for volunteers aged under 18. While in destination, they'll be able to contact a member of staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No matter how big or small their concern is, a highly-trained Projects Abroad team member will be available to answer questions, offer advice, and provide support.

Find a full list of FAQs for parents here.

Our high school trips are designed not just to leave a positive impact on local communities, but also to enhance the learning of student volunteers. This project will be tailored to help students gain new skills and experience than can boost their academic progress and future career success. Below, discover the student learning outcomes that underpin this project.

Intercultural Competence

Students will be immersed in new cultures, gaining an understanding of their role within our global community and developing cultural awareness.

Leadership Development

Students will be pushed out of their comfort zones. They will build their confidence and resilience through team activities and life experiences.

Healthy Active Living

Students will be encouraged to prioritize their self-care, enhancing their physical and mental wellbeing.

Empowerment

Students will be empowered to think for themselves, challenging the status quo and cultivating transformative decision-making mindsets.

Global Citizenship

Students will be exposed to new perspectives, engage with real-world challenges and contribute to sustainable development initiatives.

21st Century Employability Skills

We have created this project to help students build the twelve 21st Century employability skills. Here's what those skills are and how this project helps student volunteers develop them:

1. Critical Thinking: Students will analyze conservation challenges and search for the best solutions.
2. Creativity: Students will be encouraged to come up with original ways to protect animals.
3. Collaboration: This project requires the volunteer group to work as a team with each other and local staff.
4. Communication: Immersed in a Spanish-speaking country, students will have to communicate across cultures.
5. Information Literacy: During their induction, students have to quickly process new information.
6. Media Literacy: Being immersed in a new culture, students will engage with Ecuadorian media.
7. Technology Literacy: Students will gain more from this project by doing online research prior to departure.
8. Flexibility: Life on a remote island is different: be flexible and adapt to this new culture.
9. Leadership: There will be opportunities for students to take charge of activities and inspire their peers.
10. Initiative: Although supervised by professionals, students will use their own initiative to complete tasks.
11. Productivity: Time on this volunteer trip is limited: use it wisely to make the greatest impact.
12. Social Skills: We arrange events and excursions, giving students time to bond with each other and local people.

Reflective Journals

In order to track the progress of student volunteers, we'll create bespoke reflective journals for them to use. These will be based on the learning outcomes above and helps them identify where they're learning new skills. This can help focus the minds of volunteers, giving them goals to complete while on the trip. These journals will also be useful after returning home, giving examples for students to draw upon when filling in their resumes and college applications.