Calderón · Quito, Ecuador
Help lead the next season of growth at La Roca - a skate park community in Quito, Ecuador
Join a movement already underway in north Quito, where local skaters turned a place to skate into a place to belong - and where the right leader can help it grow in ways that last.
What it looks like to serve as a Catalyst or team member around the world.
The goal
To find the right leader to take La Roca forward - someone who will build on fifteen years of local trust and help this community grow into its next season.
The Story So Far...
A look at La Roca's history, the incredible local leaders running it today, and where it could go with the right help moving forward.
How it started
For a lot of young people in north Quito, home isn't somewhere you stay. Some houses are crowded, some are volatile, some are empty all day while parents work, and some aren't really there at all. Finding community is hard - and finding a place to grow and be challenged is harder.
Skating is the exception. It gives a kid something to get good at, a group that judges him on whether he keeps trying, and a reason to be out of the house that doesn't end with him in trouble.
For a lot of young people in Quito, the skating community is the safest place they have to belong.
The problem was that there was nowhere to gather - a group of teenagers with boards read as trouble to the neighborhood, and the skaters got used to being treated that way.
That's why La Roca was created - in partnership with local churches and community members - to provide a safe place for the youth in north Quito to gather, find community, and grow. It's a real skate park built for the people who actually use it. Unlike a lot of outdoor spaces across the city, it's covered, clean, and open to anyone who walks in.
How it grew
The park filled up fast. Young people started coming from well beyond the neighborhood - and they kept coming back because someone learned their name, asked how their week went, and noticed when they stopped showing up. The park became a community.
So more got built around it. Regular gatherings. Teaching times. Mentoring for the ones who wanted it, and a steady group of adults who stuck around long enough to be trusted. Local churches stayed involved too - instead of asking young people to walk into a building where nothing felt made for them, they could meet them somewhere they already trusted.
As the community grew, leaders began to grow with it. The ones who had come in as kids started running sessions, teaching tricks, looking out for the younger ones, and setting the tone for how a new face gets treated at the door.
Today these are the leaders running La Roca. Every program in the building is led by people who came up in that first skate community - young men and women who walked in with nowhere else to go and now spend their weeks making sure the next kid finds the same thing they did.
What happens next
The groundwork has already been laid at La Roca. Programs are running, local leaders are being raised up, and young people's lives are changing here every week - but there's an opportunity for growth on the table that's bigger than all that's been built so far.
The next chapter of growth at La Roca needs a central leader who can come alongside what is already working and help it expand to the surrounding community - families, schools, more of north Quito.
Financial planning that reaches further out than the next few months. Real training for leaders who grew into responsibility faster than anyone could have prepared them for. A clear way for the churches nearby to invest in something they already believe in. Rhythms that keep a team healthy instead of burned out - and most importantly, a vision for how things can grow. These are the things the right leader can bring to help this ministry expand.
La Roca is ready to become a place that shapes an entire community - it's just missing the right leader who can take things forward.
Explore What it Would Look Like to Serve on Our Team
Are you - or someone you know - ready to help lead the next season at La Roca?
Strategic Team Roles
Central Leader
Take responsibility for the long-term vision of La Roca. A high-level leadership role focused on people, systems, and long-term sustainability.
- Strengthen and support the local team already leading the work
- Build sustainable systems - financial planning, leadership development, rhythms of health
- Deepen partnerships with local churches who are ready to invest
- Shape a long-term vision for La Roca and the community around it
Ministry Developer
Focus on leading and supporting a diverse team. This role is about supporting the local team and making sure leaders have what they need to thrive.
- Provide coaching and care to local staff
- Strengthen team culture, systems, and communication
- Help align projects with One Collective's values and strategy
- Serve as a connector between people, resources, and purpose
Team Member
Use your unique background to support work in practical ways. This role is flexible - designed to fit the strengths and experience you bring.
- Come alongside young people and emerging leaders in the day-to-day
- Support operations, events, communications, or discipleship
- Use your skills in areas like coaching, hospitality, counseling, design, business, education, or trades
- Champion local initiatives or projects focused on creating change
What it's like to serve with One Collective
Rooted, relational, and never on your own.
You follow a strategy that's rooted and relational
Every community is different. That's why One Collective uses a clear, adaptable strategy called Integrated Community Transformation (ICT) - a four-phase, people-first model that begins with listening and grows outward as local ownership deepens. It's built on the example of Jesus, who cared for the whole person and met people in the middle of their real lives.
You work in a role that fits
Not everyone is a Catalyst - and that's a good thing. Whether you're leading big-picture strategy, developing people, managing operations, or bringing a unique skillset (like agriculture, education, counseling, or design), there's space for you. What matters is a willingness to serve, grow, and bring your full self to the work.
You're part of something bigger
Serving in Ecuador connects you to a global network - over 50 communities in 30+ countries using the same model. Support, coaching, funding strategy, and shared learning are part of the structure. You're part of a movement, not just a location.
“When we’re investing in someone, we look for someone who’s just trying to love their neighbor… Lasting change most often happens when you seek to participate rather than initiate, because that’s going to be what changes you.”
Dusty Dillon - Catalyst in Spain & former Nicaragua team member
Take the Next Step
Talk about Serving with Our Team
Schedule an initial time to talk with a Serving Coach or the Director of our Ecuador team.
We'll walk you through the questions most people ask as they consider serving, and help you feel out what opportunities may be a good fit. There's no pressure. If you decide to move forward, we'll be your guide throughout the serving process.