On May 15, eight university students travelled to Las Cruces, New Mexico, to participate in a Cultural Diversity exchange program sponsored by the Embassy in cooperation with San Francisco University in Quito. The eight-week program offers the students the opportunity to learn English in an intensive course at the New Mexico State University while living with American host families. The program also includes a variety of cultural activities, visits to historical sites, and participation in community service programs. The main objective of the program is to strengthen the ties of friendship between the peoples of the United States and Ecuador.
The participants are part of the Ethnic Diversity program at San Francisco University and were selected because of their leadership skills and commitment to community service. The young students belong to the Afro-Ecuadorian, Tsáchila, Kayambi, Kichwa Amazónica, Otavalo, Panzaleo, and Puruhá communities.
