Often viewed as an “undisturbed paradise,” people the world over travel to the Galapagos Islands to see giant tortoises and other unique plants and animals. What’s often forgotten, however, are the humans who make these remote archipelagos their home, and the diverse communities they have fostered on the islands.
The UW Education, Diversity, and Community in the Galapagos Islands study abroad program, led by Professor Mariana Pacheco and Assistant Professor Diego Román in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, allows students to explore the islands from a new perspective and expand their understanding of children and families through study of the islands’ schools.
“We wanted to expose them to this intersection of environmental education, bilingual education, and the social side of Galapagos, because most programs discuss Galapagos as an ecological center, from a nature-based perspective,” explained Román, who has been visiting and studying the culture on the islands since 2010, in speaking about why he and Pacheco developed their course proposal. “We wanted to look at the social side of Galapagos through an education lens.”
Many of the people who live in Galapagos have migrated from indigenous communities on Ecuador’s mainland to work in the tourism industry. The 22 UW–Madison students who joined the program in 2023 began their explorations by staying with one of these communities in their historical lands in the Andes. There, over two days, they observed instruction in a bilingual school and were immersed in the life of the community.
“Something that really surprised me about living and learning abroad was how immersed you’re going to be within not only the culture and country — the place that you’re in — but also the course content that you’re learning about,” said Katie Flynn, a UW–Madison senior and elementary education/English-as-a-second-language (ESL) major.
Following that visit — and after a night in Quito, Ecuador — the students traveled on to Galapagos and were able to see how migrants from the indigenous community have sustained their traditions in their new home. They visited three schools: a public indigenous school, a private bilingual school, and a school for kids with special needs. Through observation and engaging with both island kids and their teachers, the UW–Madison students were able to improve their understanding of linguistic and cultural diversity.
“These are concepts that are important that we rely on in our work, that are important for educators who are working with diverse students,” said Pacheco.
For future educators like Flynn, the experience was invaluable. “I think it’s really important to get to know other cultures and other people, as students are going to be coming into the classroom with all sorts of backgrounds,” she said.
“Many (students) said this will allow them to incorporate culturally responsive practices in their teaching,” added Román. “And for a couple of them not already pursuing teacher certification, they said this has inspired them to be a teacher.”
The students also learned about the national curriculum for science in Ecuador, and the unique context of teaching it on the islands.
“The kids and everybody on the islands are sort of In this contradictory position,” said Pacheco. “As Ecuadorians, they are responsible for some of the environmental issues, and the threats of extinction that are happening with some of the species on the different islands. But also, they are the ones that would probably help solve the problems in really substantive ways.”
“We’re trying to connect the long-term sustainability of the archipelago with what happens in the schools,” said Román.