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About us

What We Do

IOI's operations take place in Puerto Villamil and around Isabela. IOI is a Florida-based non-profit organization that operates in close affiliation with leading international academic institutions in the US and Europe to offer an institutional framework for supporting the growth of community concepts and strategies for grassroots ecotourism based on stewardship and participatory management to save the ecology.

To achieve our mission we run several outreach programs and projects:

• Formal Education: IOI has cooperations with the Colegio Frey de Azkunaga and the Escuela Cornelio Izquierdo providing the schools with full time teachers working in the English department. IOI also provides teacher training capacity building and curriculum development.
• Public Education: IOI is running a public English program to satisfy a popular demand learn another language to work in government or industries that require interaction with tourists. Furthermore, IOI offers periodic workshops on other timely topics.
• Higher Education: Through our partner Universities – IOI offers semester-long undergraduate university programs, spring and fall. All semester long students stay with local host families as part of the intercultural exchange, and may join in community service and conservation projects for internship credits. IOI also offers winter intersession, Spring Break and summer classes (see Study at IOI tab in the left navigation panel).
• Social Development: IOI is striving to assist in various social development causes in coordination with the local government. Through this program IOI supports the early childhood education center, sponsors public sports, arts, environmental education and recreational events as well as environmental education and outreach projects.
• Library: There are no bookstores and there is (was!) no public library. Books – the cornerstone of education, entertainment and research are now available through the development of our public library. Here IOI also aims to run seminars where community members discuss timely topics and generate feedback during special events and discussions exploring difference and commonalities, local development and conservation strategies.