About Ecuador
The first group of Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in Ecuador on August 7, 1962. Since that time, more than 6,700 Volunteers have served in almost every imaginable capacity, from working on rural electrification and organic family gardens to teaching in preschool centers and universities. There are few communities in the country where Peace Corps Volunteers have not left their mark over the past 60 years. One town even named its main street for a Volunteer who served there many years ago.
As conditions in Ecuador have changed, the Peace Corps has refined and adapted its programs to target those areas most in need of the support the Peace Corps can provide.
Peace Corps Ecuador defines its mission as follows: Peace Corps Ecuador promotes sustainable development that will improve the quality of life of the populations with whom we collaborate. Through activities focused on income generation, nonformal education, strengthening local organizations, and protecting the environment, our three programs — Health and Well-Being, Youth and Families Development, and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)—are the tools we use to achieve our goals.
Please also check out our Peace Corps Ecuador Facebook page.
Volunteer satisfaction, health, and safety
- Annual Volunteer Survey satisfaction results [PDF]
- Health and medical care summary [PDF]
- Crime, harassment, and early termination of service [PDF]
Annual report
Resources
Peace Corps service is a life-changing experience, and no two Volunteers experience their service in exactly the same way. Check out some of the links below to learn more about our country and the experiences other Volunteers have had serving here.
Check out the Peace Corps Partnership Program to learn more about opportunities to support Peace Corps Volunteers implementing community-based projects in Ecuador and across the world.
The National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) is made up of Returned Volunteers. You can find links to the “Friends of” groups for most countries of service.
Peace Corps' Global Connections is dedicated to promoting 21st century global learning through stories, activities, and classroom resources, all based on Peace Corps Volunteer experiences. This innovative program brings the Peace Corps experience home to American classrooms through free intercultural learning materials, videos, lesson plans, podcasts, and publications. Global Connections also enables educators to connect their classrooms with current and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, with the goal of promoting cultural awareness, broadening perspectives, and encouraging service among their students.