Highlights
- Gain hands-on teaching experience by working with some of the city's top public school educators and the opportunity to make a lasting, positive impact on Colombian students.
- Gain Spanish proficiency with the city's best Spanish teachers and a range of class options that best suit your needs and schedule.
- Settle into life in Cartagena easily, thanks to our assistance with all aspects of your trip preparation to Colombia and continued, 24/7 local support throughout your volunteer experience.
- Enjoy Cartagena's diverse range of fun activities with the local community, from movie clubs and zumba classes, to kitesurfing and scuba diving.
- Bask in the vibrant culture and tropical surroundings of Cartagena, a beautiful historic city on the Caribbean coast.
This is an ideal volunteer opportunity for those looking for hands-on teaching experience, cultural immersion and the opportunity to make a lasting positive impact on Colombian youth.
Domino Volunteers works with English teachers at public schools across the city of Cartagena, teachers that are doing an amazing job despite the countless factors often working against them: severely limited school resources, over-crowded classrooms, national strikes, etc. We connect volunteers to teachers based on interests, location, and where we believe you will be able to grow as an educational professional as well. Volunteers may be assigned a range of different age groups, depending both on their interests and the school's most pressing needs. Volunteers will serve as teaching assistants, responsible for tasks such as: co-teaching, developing lesson plans, reviewing homework, creating activities if you feel confident, etc.
You would likely be the only volunteer at the school, although it is very easy to meet other volunteers in your free time and with other activities that our team at Domino Volunteers regularly organize.
Typical day
- Developing lesson plans
- Reviewing student work
- Creating new activities
- Co-teaching the class (which could be of a range of age groups).
- Grading exams and homework
- Sharing their culture via activities or presentations
Details on Arrival
Upon arrival, a Domino Volunteers team member will greet you at the airport and bring you to your host family (which we strategically make sure is both located near the historic center and easy transportation to your volunteer site). We provide each volunteer with an Updated Volunteer Manuel, full of useful information on living in Cartagena, such as volunteer tips, transportation information, expected cultural differences, etc. A Domino Volunteers team member will then help orient you to your new neighborhood: Where is the closest grocery store? What are the best transportation options? We will also provide you with several maps with our top recommended sites in the city, a cell phone with minutes, a Spanish-English dictionary, and a complimentary notebook.
Free-time activities
There's a wide range of activities available for volunteers in Cartagena. A few of the most popular activities include:
- Affordable Spanish classes with an expert local teacher
- Dance classes (Salsa, Champeta, Zumba, Cumbia, etc.)
- Visit local museums, art galleries, etc.
- Bike around the picturesque historic city
- Snorkeling or Scuba Diving (get certified with our local partners!)
- Boxing classes
- Gym memberships
- Attend many cultural events, concerts or exhibitions going on
- Relax at the many boutique cafes in Cartagena
- Spend the day at one of the many beaches throughout Cartagena
- Explore the nearby, gorgeous Rosario Islands
- Take a day trip or weekend trip to nearby sites, such as Tayrona National Park, Mompox or Minca
Music
Snorkling
Souvenirs
Zoo
Opera
Meditation
Program Requirements
Included Services
Before your journey
On-site services
We offer volunteers a package of services, which includes areas where we have found that volunteers in Cartagena need the most support. We normally place volunteers to live (and eat) with a host-family, as it can be very difficult to find a safe, affordable, comfortable, and well-located place to live. Below is more detailed information about what we normally offer:
- Full evaluation and connection to a project prior to your arrival
- Airport pick-up and transportation to your home-stay
- Information pack with maps, supplies, contacts, and volunteer manual to help you to be more aware and prepared for your time in Cartagena
- Cell phone with local number and credit
- Home-stay placement with a local family. Includes private room, with AC at night, wifi, laundry, and located in the safest areas that are closest to the city center and also have easy access to transportation to the volunteer project.
- (2 delicious meals per day / 7 days per week with host family -- usually breakfast and lunch)
- Orientation to a project, sites, staff, plus help making a schedule based on the project’s needs and your goals, time-frame, Spanish level, and skills
- Connections to cultural and recreational activities (Spanish classes, other volunteer projects, dance classes, cultural events, tours...)
- 24-hour in country support
A Domino Volunteers staff member will wait for volunteer at the local airport, and provide transportation to your host family, where we will provide a general orientation to living and volunteering in Cartagena.
Our volunteers stay in safe neighborhoods conveniently located near the touristic center. Volunteers stay in homes with local families dedicated to our mission of immersive, meaningful cultural exchange. Volunteers will stay in a private room, with AC at night, strong wifi and laundry machines available.
Volunteers will be served 2 delicious meals per day, 7 days per week with host family. Meals are home cooked, and feature traditional dishes. Adaptations are possible for vegetarians or those with any other eating restrictions.
Program Fees
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Cartagena, Colombia
Non-profit |
Domino Volunteers
Cartagena, Colombia
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Domino Volunteers
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