UNLEARNING RETREAT:
summer 2026
After completing our first summer of Unlearning Retreats, we are excited to continue the journey with new retreats in Summer 2026.
RETREAT 1: July 11 to 25, 2026
RETREAT 2: August 1 to 15, 2026
Stay tuned for updates about a potential January 2027 Unlearning Retreat.
Special Winter Retreat — Dates to be announced.
These retreats bring together a dynamic cohort of individuals to explore, study, and practice Unlearning alongside our community partners in the Highlands and Amazon of Ecuador.
DESCRIPTION
What to Expect:
Our Unlearning Retreats are co-created with Indigenous communities in Ecuador, offering immersive spaces where participants and hosts learn with one another. Together, we explore what it means to unlearn harmful systems, re-center relational practices, and cultivate new ways of knowing, being, and working.
These retreats support educators, activists, organizers, and community-builders in developing the skills and sensibilities needed for transformational change—personally, pedagogically, and institutionally. Unlearning is not just about dismantling dominant narratives; it is about reimagining, restorying, and building new possibilities grounded in reciprocity and collective wellbeing.
Throughout the retreat, our daily practices emphasize radical listening, radical empathy, and radical imagination—in dialogue with the land, with local community partners, and with one another. You will participate in ceremonies, workshops, storytelling sessions, creative practices, reflective exercises, and shared community life.
By the end of the experience, participants leave feeling grounded, inspired, and equipped with new frameworks to transform their classrooms, leadership roles, institutions, and movements. Most importantly, they carry forward relationships and insights that continue long after the retreat—fueling a lifelong practice of unlearning and reworlding.
Highlights of the Retreat:
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Live and Learn with Indigenous Communities
Build relationships and engage in creative, critical dialogue with the Kichwa community of Mushullakta in the Amazon and the Kitu Kara community of Pintag in the Andes. Learn directly from families, educators, and leaders who are revitalizing their cultures, restoring their territories, and reimagining community wellbeing.
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Workshops Rooted in Ancestral and Community Knowledge
Participate in experietial workshops led by community educators, ancestral knowledge-holders, and Pachaysana facilitators. Through ceremony, storytelling, art, land-based learning, dialogue, and embodied practices, you’ll gain tools for transforming your teaching, leadership, and activism.
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Place-Based Experiences Across Ecosystems
Explore tropical rainforests, Andean volcanoes, community-led markets, the historic center of Quito, and healing hot springs. You’ll also participate in a Toxic Tour, a guided experience that examines the ongoing impacts of oil and mining extraction and invites deeper reflection on environmental justice.
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Extended Stay Options (Optional)
For those wishing to come earlier or stay longer, opportunities exist to volunteer or conduct research with our partner communities and programs. Participants may contribute to educational initiatives, ecological restoration efforts, community arts, or collaborative research projects.
WHO IS THIS RETREAT FOR?
Our Unlearning Retreats welcome participants from a wide range of backgrounds who are committed to reflection, transformation, and relational ways of learning. Whether you are an educator, activist, or lifelong learner, this experience is designed for anyone seeking to unlearn harmful systems and reimagine more just, reciprocal futures.
University Faculty and Staff
Educators: Professors, lecturers, teachers, and graduate students looking to integrate decolonial perspectives, intercultural frameworks, and innovative pedagogies into their curriculum and classroom practice.
Administrators & Staff: Professionals working in international programs, student affairs, DEI, community engagement, intercultural centers, and related areas who wish to deepen their understanding of global issues, relational leadership, and diverse ways of knowing and being.
Activists and Community Organizers
Non-Profit Leaders: Individuals working in social justice, environmental advocacy, community development, and human rights who want to strengthen their impact by learning from Indigenous practices and relational worldviews.
Grassroots Activists & Movement Builders: Activists committed to challenging dominant narratives, cultivating community-rooted strategies, and integrating embodied, land-based, and intercultural approaches into their work.
Professionals and Lifelong Learners
Social Impact Professionals: hose in CSR roles, sustainability initiatives, philanthropy, or institutional leadership who seek more ethical, accountable, and community-centered approaches to their work.
Lifelong Learners: Individuals dedicated to personal growth, social transformation, and environmental well-being who are looking for immersive experiences that challenge assumptions and inspire new possibilities.
Change-Makers: Anyone—regardless of discipline or professional background—who feels called to imagine and build more equitable, relational, and regenerative ways of living, working, and learning.
No matter your background, this retreat is for people who are open-hearted, curious, and willing to engage deeply with challenging topics. It is ideal for those committed to applying what they learn—to transform their institutions, strengthen their communities, and reorient their personal lives toward justice, reciprocity, and collective wellbeing.
2026 ITINERARY
Day 1-3: Quito, Otavalo & the Middle of the World
Arrive in Quito, settle into your accommodations, and begin with orientation workshops facilitated by the Pachaysana team, community educators, and fellow participants. Over these first days, you will explore Quito’s historic center, visit the Middle of the World, and travel to the small Andean city of Otavalo for an exchange with the ancestral and artisan community of Kotama.
Cultural visits: Colonial churches and plazas, anthropology museums, sacred sites, an urban arts education center, and an Indigenous community..
Daily themes: "The colonianal mask of coloniality,""Art & coloniality/modernity," and "Middle-of-the-World-ing"
Optional Pre-Retreat Acclimation Day (Day 0): Arrive a day early to rest, acclimate, and settle in. For those who want a deeper introduction to Quito, we offer a non-touristy cultural tour to meaningful sites and museums. The cost is minimal, and past participants have found this extra day extremely beneficial.
Day 4-7: Workshops & Community Engagement in the Highlands
Travel to the ancestral community of Pintag and engage in immersive workshops with community educators and knowledge-holders. Here, we work closely with the Pintag Amaru collective, participating in experiential learning that inspires us to build community through a critical intercultural framework.
Activities: Narrative-based intercultural workshops, volunteering in community gardens & reforestation projects
Cultural visits: A guided visit to understand the impacts of rock mining on local waterways and a visit to the sacred volcano Antisana.
Daily themes: "Land-based knowledge," "Restoring lands / restorying identities," "Listening to the mountains," and "Radical listening."
Day 8: Travel to the Amazon & the Toxic Tour
Fly from Quito to the Amazonian city of El Coca (a brief 30-minute flight). Upon arrival, we jump right into the Toxic Tour, a powerful and challenging experience that reveals the historical and ongoing impacts of oil extraction in the Amazon.
Activities: Toxic Tour, Reflection session
Daily themes: "From Andes to Amazon," and "Extractivism: a way of knowing & being"
Day 9-12: Exploration & Learning in the Amazon
Travel to the Kichwa community of Mushullakta, where we immerse ourselves in a community actively restoring both its forests and its cultural identity. Working alongside the Puma Wasi restoration association, we experience the community’s unique blend of ancestral knowledge and contemporary ecological practices.
Participants will take forest walks, observe and volunteer at family farms and food forests, and share time with the Children of the Living Forest School, engaging in creative, story-based workshops with local educators and knowledge-holders.
Activities: Arts-based workshops, forest walks, visits to ancestral farms, volunteering in food forests or at the ancestral school, early-morning guayusa tea ceremony.
Cultural visits: Ancestral farms, sacred sites, river and waterfall hikes.
Daily themes: "Indigenous epistemologies," "Food Forests as resistance and resilience," "Ancestral & relational ways of knowing," and "Radical imagining."
Day 14-15: Reflection, Reimagination & the Journey Home
We return to Quito through the high Andes, stopping at the Papallacta hot springs for guided reflection activities, restorative time in the thermal baths, and our final collective debrief.
Activities: Scenic bus ride through the Andes, thermal baths, closing workshops, and reflective circles.
Cultural visits: Sacred waterfall, thermal baths.
Daily themes: "Unlearning & weaving" and "Unlearning & worlding"
Flexible Participation
While we strongly encourage participants to join the full two-week retreat for the most holistic experience, we also recognize that schedules and commitments vary. For this reason, we offer a one-week (Highlands-only) option. Participants choosing the shorter version will join us for the activities outlined in Days 1–7 above.
Extended Time with Pachaysana & Community Partners:
For those seeking a deeper immersion, we also offer opportunities to extend your stay in Ecuador with our community partners and the Pachaysana team. Participants may continue living and learning in community while engaging in participatory research or volunteering with ongoing local initiatives.
Examples of extended-stay opportunities include:
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Tutoring or assisting at the Children of the Living Forest School
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Contributing to ecosystem restoration and seed-gathering activities
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Supporting food forest or regenerative agriculture projects
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Helping design educational materials for community summer camps
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Assisting with documentation, storytelling, and arts-based workshops
These extended stays allow participants to deepen relationships, strengthen their learning, and make meaningful contributions alongside the communities who host us.
ACCOMMODATIONS, MEALS & LODGING
Lodging
Participants will stay in comfortable and culturally enriching accommodations, including homestays with experienced host families in partner communities and independently owned hotels in Quito, Coca, and Papallacta. These stays offer both comfort and meaningful connection, allowing participants to experience everyday life, hospitality, and community rhythms.
Meals
Healthy, locally sourced meals are provided throughout the retreat by host families and trusted restaurants. We accommodate a wide range of dietary preferences and restrictions (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, etc.). All meals and select snacks are included in the retreat cost. Alcoholic beverages are not included.
A special part of the experience will be learning about local cuisine, traditional cooking methods, and the cultural significance of food—an essential part of community life and ancestral knowledge.
HEALTh, SAFETY & Connectivity
Health & Safety
Pachaysana has extensive experience managing health and safety for international groups. We maintain detailed contingency plans for all of our program locations and follow U.S. State Department travel advisories. An English-speaking doctor is on call 24 hours a day, and all host families, coordinators, and community educators are trained in safety protocols.
Our partner communities are very safe places to live and learn. If you have any questions or concerns—or would like more information about our contingency plans—please feel free to reach out.
Emergency Contacts
Pachaysana’s local support staff is onsite and available 24/7 throughout the retreat. Upon arrival in Ecuador, we will also provide a list of additional contacts and emergency information.
Internet & Phone Access
All program sites, including the host communities, have reliable high-speed internet, and most areas offer cell service. We recommend that participants download a free messaging/calling app like WhatsApp to stay in contact with family and friends back home.
COSTS AND FUNDING
Retreat Fees
Full 2-week Retreat: $3,750
One-week (Highlands-only) Retreat: $2,250
Single-Room Accomodation Supplement: Retreat prices are based on shared-room accommodations.
If you prefer a single room, an additional $240 fee will be applied.
Optional Pre-Retreat Acclimation Day: $120 for single room, $80 for shared room (inlcudes lodging, food and museum entrance fees)
What’s Included
The program fee covers:
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All accommodations (shared room)
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Three healthy, locally sourced meals per day
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All regular workshops and learning activities
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In-country transportation throughout the retreat
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Entrance fees for all cultural and ecological visits
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Contributions to the Community Educator Fund
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Contributions to the Community Project Fund
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Administrative and coordination costs
Not included: international airfare, travel insurance, optional personal purchases, and additional meals or activities chosen independently.
Visa Information
For most travelers—including U.S. citizens—no visa is required to enter Ecuador for short-term stays related to tourism or educational programs. If you are unsure about your visa requirements, feel free to contact us and we can guide you.
APPLICATION PROCESS
How to Register:
To begin your application, please complete our Registration Form. Once submitted, our team will review your information and follow up with you within approximately two weeks.
Registration Deadline: March 15, 2026.
We encourage you to register early, as spaces are limited and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Dialogue & Alignment
We invite all registrants to participate in a brief email exchange to ensure that the retreat is the right fit for you and that we can best support your goals and expectations.
As part of this process, we will also host a January 2026 informational webinar, open to all registrants and interested applicants. This session will provide an overview of the retreat, answer questions, and help us align expectations before moving forward.
Deposits
To secure your spot in the retreat, a $250 non-refundable deposit will be requested beginning in January 2026, shortly after the webinar.
Questions? We’re here to help.
Paula Iturralde
Retreat Coordinator
paula@pachaysana.org
WHAT DO PREVIOUS PARTICIPANTS THINK OF THE RETREATS?
Makayla Ndamele, Affinity and Alum Program Coordinator, Young Women Empowered
(May 2025 Retreat)
“The breadth and emotional vulnerability expressed in the storytelling and experiential learning resonated deeply with me. It reflected the kind of lessons I hope to continue learning from and sharing with the youth I work with, as well as my family and the broader community around me. I witnessed the power of honesty and connection in a way that felt both grounding and transformative.”
Hui Wilcox,
Dean, Kofi Annan Institute for Global Citizenship,
Professor of sociology, Macalester COllege
(May 2025 Retreat)
"A much-needed decolonial perspective on community building and cultural change. I'm thinking deeply about ways in which we can actually slow down, be more community-centered and cultivate joy and celebration while doing serious work on critical global engagement.”
Derek Johnson, Assistant Director, Community engagement, Kofi Annan Institute for Global Citizenship, Macalester college
(May 2025 Retreat)
“The experience energizes me as I engage in community-based work locally where I live. And, it gives me new perspectives and practices that I will bring with me as I engage in community work. It also will impact how my family relates to the environment around us and places that we are able to visit.”
Josep Alba-Salas, Chair, Spanish Department, College of the Holy Cross
"My colleagues and I found the Unlearning workshops to be extremely relevant not only to our department’s continued efforts to decolonize the curriculum and explore non-canonical epistemologies, but also to our institution’s commitment to anti-racism and social justice”
Dr. Emily Gorlewski, Director, Study Abroad, Fries Center for Global Studies, Wesleyan University
"Unlearning workshops use the principles of embodiment and storytelling to create powerful experiences of affective learning”
Shoshanna Sumka, Executive Director, ISEEN, Independent Schools Experiential Education Network
"Unlearning workshops incorporate movement, poetry, and indigenous cosmology that challenge and revolutionize assumptions about the very nature of education. Their methodology follows the experiential learning cycle of direct experience, reflection, analysis and experimentation and embraces the notion of storytelling as an essential part of human history”
Ash Trebisacci, Assistant Director of Study Abroad, Brandeis University
“In a role that is so focused on the intellectual and so often disconnected from the body, it was hugely impactful for me to become more grounded in my body throughout the workshop, and to truly understand the impact that movement and physicality can have in change efforts. The workshops inspired me to help my students find spaces where they, too, can reconnect with themselves and unlearn in order to build their capacity for activism”
Michelle Wibbelsman, Associate Professor, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, The Ohio State University
"Unlearning workshops invigorated our classroom methodologies in immediate and powerful ways, exposed faculty and students to alternative pedagogies, and provoked meaningful reflections and dialogue that engage with broader issues of racial injustice, diversity and inclusion.”
Jolynn Pasqualucci, Graduate Student, Global Education & TESOL, Providence College
“People came together to share their personal truths, their stories, and their testimonies in a safe space, and from that grow in spirit and as people. We were encouraged to embrace our culture, no matter where we are from and our history. The work creates a common ground to be your authentic self. It felt like my soul was set free and many of us left the experience in tears, but happy tears.”