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Fantastic 4.54rating (29)
  • Quality Education

Support a School for Deaf & Disabled Pupils

location
4 - 20 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+
Verified

Highlights

  • Assist teachers across the school's kindergarten, primary, deaf and behavioural training sections, working with students aged 3 to 20.
  • Support young people with Down syndrome, autism, motor disabilities and hearing impairments, one to one and in small groups.
  • Run art, craft and music sessions, teach basic reading and maths, and help keep students safe on trips to the park, library and shops.

Highlights

  • Assist teachers across the school's kindergarten, primary, deaf and behavioural training sections, working with students aged 3 to 20.
  • Support young people with Down syndrome, autism, motor disabilities and hearing impairments, one to one and in small groups.
  • Run art, craft and music sessions, teach basic reading and maths, and help keep students safe on trips to the park, library and shops.
  • Bring a psychology or therapy licence and you can work directly alongside the school's own psychologists rather than in the classroom.
  • Offer computer skills, fundraising, marketing or web experience and the school will use them - it needs those as much as classroom help.
    • You don't have to pay anything yet

    Especially good for

    Age 18+
    Singles
    Couples
    Groups
    50+

    About the program

    Assist teachers at a Cusco school for deaf students and students with intellectual and motor disabilities, aged 3 to 20.

    This is a specialist school in Cusco for deaf students and for students with intellectual and motor disabilities. Its students are between 3 and 20 years old, and it is organised into sections: kindergarten, primary, a section for deaf students, and specialised behavioural training. Among the ...

    About the program

    This is a specialist school in Cusco for deaf students and for students with intellectual and motor disabilities. Its students are between 3 and 20 years old, and it is organised into sections: kindergarten, primary, a section for deaf students, and specialised behavioural training. Among the students are young people with Down syndrome, autism and a range of motor disabilities.

    Special education is under-resourced almost everywhere. In Cusco that shows up as classes where one teacher is trying to give individual attention to students who all need it, and cannot. An extra adult who turns up reliably and learns the students' names changes the arithmetic of that room.

    What the work actually looks like

    You assist the teachers, and what that means varies by section and by day. Leading indoor games. Art, craft and music sessions. Teaching basic reading and numeracy to students who are working at their own pace. Helping students manage daily tasks, which does include personal care — helping with washing hands and faces — and you should be comfortable with that before you apply.

    You will also help keep students safe on trips out of the school: the park, the library, sometimes a shop. Those excursions matter, because independence in public is one of the things the school is teaching.

    If you have a relevant qualification, say so

    Volunteers with a psychology or therapy licence can work directly with the school's psychologists rather than as a classroom assistant. That is a materially different placement, and worth flagging on your application if it applies to you.

    The school also has needs that have nothing to do with the classroom. It wants help with computer training for both students and staff, with fundraising, with marketing and promotion, and with its website. If those are your skills, they are genuinely useful here — possibly more useful than another pair of hands in a classroom.

    Spanish, and the other language

    Beginner to intermediate Spanish helps a great deal, and Cusco is a good place to take lessons. Worth knowing too: the deaf section communicates in Peruvian Sign Language. You are not expected to arrive with it, but volunteers who pick up some basics during their stay get much further with those students, and the staff will teach you if you show willing.

    A note on altitude

    Cusco sits at roughly 3,400 metres. Most people feel it for a day or two. Plan a gentle first couple of days, drink more water than you think you need, and leave high-altitude trips until your second weekend.

    Who this suits

    Patience, steadiness and a lack of squeamishness matter more than qualifications. Previous experience with disability — professional, voluntary or family — is a real advantage. Volunteers who need visible progress to feel useful sometimes struggle here; progress is measured in very small increments and over long periods.

    A clean criminal background check is required from every volunteer. Volunteer World applies a four-week minimum to placements involving children, which fits this one: these students take time to trust a new face, and leaving just as that trust forms helps nobody.

    Typical day

    Sunday — Arrival in Cusco. You are met at Alejandro Velasco Astete airport (CUZ) by the local coordinator holding a VolSol sign with your name, and taken to your host family.

    Monday — Orientation with the local team: culture and greetings, safety, getting around Cusco, Spanish basics and an ...

    Typical day

    Sunday — Arrival in Cusco. You are met at Alejandro Velasco Astete airport (CUZ) by the local coordinator holding a VolSol sign with your name, and taken to your host family.

    Monday — Orientation with the local team: culture and greetings, safety, getting around Cusco, Spanish basics and an introduction to the school. A gentle day by design, because the altitude tends to make itself known.

    Tuesday to Friday — the working pattern:

    • 07:00–08:00 — Breakfast with your host family
    • Morning — At the school, assisting in whichever section you are assigned to
    • 13:00–14:00 — Lunch back at the house
    • Afternoon — Usually free. Volunteers use it for Spanish lessons, preparing materials, or exploring
    • 19:00–20:00 — Dinner with the host family

    Your first days are mostly observation. You will be introduced to the teachers and the students, shown how the school works, and given time to learn names and routines before you take anything on. That is deliberate: with these students, a volunteer who rushes in is less useful than one who waits a week.

    Weekends — Free. The Sacred Valley is on the doorstep, Machu Picchu is the trip most people plan around, and Rainbow Mountain, Humantay Lake, Moray and the Maras salt pans all fit a weekend. In the city, the Plaza de Armas, San Pedro market and San Blas deserve proper time.

    The pattern repeats from the second week. The school closes for Peruvian public holidays and school breaks, and the team will tell you in advance.

    Free-time activities

    Afternoons are usually free, and Cusco is a good city to have them in. Volunteers use the time for Spanish lessons, for the San Pedro market, for the Plaza de Armas, or for the climb up to San Blas and the view back over the roofs.

    Weekends are open. Machu Picchu is the trip most people build their ...

    Free-time activities

    Afternoons are usually free, and Cusco is a good city to have them in. Volunteers use the time for Spanish lessons, for the San Pedro market, for the Plaza de Armas, or for the climb up to San Blas and the view back over the roofs.

    Weekends are open. Machu Picchu is the trip most people build their stay around — book the permit well ahead, since daily numbers are capped. The Sacred Valley, Rainbow Mountain, Humantay Lake, Moray and the Maras salt pans are all weekend-sized. Leave the highest of them until you have acclimatised.

    Cusco has more live music, cooking classes and good coffee than a city its size ought to. Most volunteers end up travelling in groups formed over dinner with their host families.

    Requirements

    Requirements

    Minimum Age: 18 years

    In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

    Education Requirements

    at High school level

    Criminal Background Check

    required

    Required Documents

    Criminal background check, passport copy, travel and medical insurance and copy of any psychology or therapy licence

    Nationality Restrictions

    No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

    Other Skills

    Experience with disability counts for a great deal here, whether it is professional, voluntary or from your own family. A psychology or therapy licence lets you work directly with the school's psychologists instead of assisting in class, so say so on your application. The school also genuinely needs computer training, fundraising, marketing and web skills. Beyond that: patience, steadiness, and being comfortable helping with personal care. A clean criminal background check is required.

    Time Commitment

    Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 08:00 - 13:00

    What's Included

    What's Included

    On-site Services

    Included in the programme fee:

    • Host family accommodation for the whole placement
    • Three home-cooked meals a day, Monday to Friday
    • Arrival pickup from Cusco airport, or an agreed meeting point if you arrive overland
    • Orientation with the local team on your first full day
    • Your placement at the school and introduction to the teachers and staff
    • 24-hour in-country support from the Cusco team
    • Comprehensive pre-departure information
    • Certificate of participation on request

    Not included:

    • Flights
    • Weekend meals — most volunteers are away travelling on Saturday and Sunday
    • Travel and medical insurance, which is mandatory. Buy it through us at extra cost, or bring your own and send a copy
    • Vaccinations
    • Local transport to and from the school
    • Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley and other weekend trips. Machu Picchu permits are capped daily and need booking well ahead
    • Personal spending, Spanish lessons, and any materials you choose to buy for the school

    Most nationalities enter Peru visa-free as tourists, so there is usually no visa cost — check your own country's position before booking.

    The price shown already includes your application fee – there is nothing further to pay us on arrival. Payment can be split into interest-free instalments, with the balance due 45 days before you start.

    Airport Pickup at Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport

    Arrival pickup is included. Land at Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ) and the local coordinator or a representative will be waiting at the terminal door with a VolSol sign showing your name, then take you to your host family.

    If you are already in Peru or arriving overland — plenty of volunteers come up by bus from Lima or Arequipa, or across from Bolivia — tell the team beforehand and they will meet you at the bus station or another agreed point instead.

    Send your flight or bus details before you travel, and message the team if anything changes en route. Somebody is on call.

    Accommodation

    You live with a Peruvian host family in Cusco, sharing a room with one or more other volunteers. You eat with the family and live in their home rather than in something attached to it, which for most volunteers turns out to be the part of the trip they remember longest.

    The houses are clean and comfortable. Most have two bathrooms with hot showers, and many have Wi-Fi and cable TV. Bedding is provided. Cusco is genuinely cold at night for much of the year — that is the altitude rather than the season — so bring warm layers whenever you come.

    The school is a manageable distance from the houses, and the team shows you the routes and the sensible ways to travel during orientation.

    Private room upgrades are usually available at extra cost.

    Food & Beverages

    Three home-cooked meals a day, Monday to Friday, eaten with your host family.

    Peruvian home cooking is a quiet argument for the homestay in itself. Expect a soup to start, then rice, potatoes in varieties you did not know existed, fresh salads, juices and a dessert. The menu changes daily.

    Weekend meals are not included, which is deliberate rather than an oversight: most volunteers are away travelling on Saturday and Sunday. Budget for eating out then. Cusco is full of good cheap places, starting with the San Pedro market stalls.

    Flag allergies and dietary requirements before you arrive and the team will match you with a family who can cook around them. Vegetarians are easy; strict vegans should say so early.

    Internet Access

    Good access at the project site
    You don't have to pay anything yet

    What's NOT included?

    What's NOT included?

    Flight Tickets

    The nearest airport is Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ) in Cuzco. We assist you to find cheap flights to Peru. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

    Travel Insurance

    Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Peru provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

    Vaccines

    If you are intending to volunteer in Peru you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Peru. VACCINE CHECKER

    Details on arrival

    Start dates — Weekly and year-round, with arrival on a Sunday.

    Getting there — Fly into Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in Cusco (CUZ). Nearly every international route connects through Lima (LIM), with a 90-minute hop up to Cusco. A night in Lima first is worth considering; it breaks the journey and softens the altitude jump.

    Transfers — Arrival pickup from Cusco airport is included. Arriving overland by bus, or already travelling in Peru? Tell the team and they will meet you at the bus station or an agreed point.

    Altitude — Cusco is at about 3,400 metres and it catches people out. Expect breathlessness and possibly a headache for a day or two. Go slowly at first, drink plenty of water, go easy on alcohol, and save the high day trips for your second weekend. Anyone with a heart or lung condition should speak to a doctor before booking.

    Visa — Most nationalities enter Peru visa-free as tourists for up to 183 days. Check your own country's position before travelling.

    Background check — A clean criminal background check is required from every volunteer before the placement is confirmed. Start it early; it takes several weeks in some countries.

    Before you apply — If you hold a psychology or therapy qualification, or have professional experience in special education, disability support or speech and language therapy, put it on your application. It changes what the school can offer you.

    When to come — The dry season, roughly May to September, brings clear days and cold nights. The wet season, November to March, is greener and quieter with afternoon rain. The school runs year-round apart from Peruvian holidays.

    Availability
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

    Program Fees

    $316 per week 4 - 20 weeks Age 18 - 50+

    Payment methods

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    NO CREDIT CARD FEES

    Duration

    4 - 20 weeks

    Deposit

    Reserve your spot with just a few clicks and a small, secure deposit. You can pay by credit card, PayPal, or other convenient methods.

    Final Payment

    You’ll agree on the final payment method with your local organization during the application process. This final payment is only due closer to the start of your trip.

    You don't have to pay anything yet
    4.5
    Top Pick
    One of the top picks on Volunteer World, according to travelers

    Location

    Americas > South America > Peru > Cusco

    Meet your project coordinator

    Sahil
    29
    reviews
    4.54
    Fantastic
    2007
    Founded

    Verified

      Below average response rate
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    Travel dates

    1. - 1. Jan 1

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