by Hope Lee

Created on: November 28, 2010

Ruta Quetzel expeditions was created in 1979 with the goal of, "forging bonds between young people aged 16 and 17 in all Spanish-speaking countries, as well as Brazil and Portugal." (from Ruta Quetzel official site)  It has grown to include students from 53 countries in the 2010 expedition.  

Each expedition is carefully planned to highlight an area and aspect of culture in a Spanish- or Portuguese- speaking nation.  In 2010, the

270 participants toured Lisbon, Portugal as a part of the expedition.  That expedition began in Mexico and also included visits to Madrid and other Spanish cities.  The 2011 expedition will explore the forests and deserts of Peru in the footsteps of Baltasar Jaime Martínez Compañón.

Many students throughout the world are eligible to participate in Ruta Quetzal expeditions.  However, there are some eligibility requirements.  All participants must be students, aged 16 or 17, and be able to speak and write Spanish correctly.  In fact, the entire application process is done in Spanish and includes an intensive historical, literary, artistic, or musical work to demonstrate the student's ability.  In addition, students must either be from one of the approximately 50 participating nations, be a student studying in Spain, be a Spanish national living abroad, or be the child of an employee of program sponsor BBVA.

Students who are selected for participation are granted a scholarship to cover the costs of the trip.  This scholarship is valued at around $16,000 and covers the student's expenses throughout.  About half the students each year come from Spain & Portugal, another quarter from Latin America, and the rest from around the world.

Students from the US and Canada are eligible to participate.  For the 2011 Expedition, there are three scholarships available for US students and one available for a Canadian student.  These students must meet all the eligibility requirements to be selected.  In 2010, Alejandra Bañuelos Santana of California was one of the American students selected for this prestigious award.

The Ruta Quetzal expeditions are truly designed to be a bridge that connects cultures.  By bringing together students from throughout the Spanish speaking world, the expeditions provide a global education to students that will enrich our world immeasurably.  The students all have something in common- speaking Spanish- but also bring together a diverse worldview from around the globe.  

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