In Costa Rica, institutions and schools for disabled children are dedicated to helping children with physical and/or emotional disabilities that cannot attend a normal school. These spezialized schools help children with different disabilities, such as autism, hearing and vision problems, or Down Syndrome. Autism is a psychiatric disorder characterized by deficits in communication and social interaction, preoccupation with fantasy, language impairment, and abnormal behavior, which can include excessive attachment and repetitive acts. Autism is usually associated with an intellectual impairment.
These schools often lack professional staff and equipment to properly help these children. For this reason, the schools rely on volunteers to assist with teaching and taking care of the children.
There are
two different schools where we place volunteers, which are attended by between
250 and 560 children. The children range from babies to teenagers, and there
are also young adults between the ages of 18-21 that are taken care of.
On a day-to-day
basis, you will be expected to help teachers during classes by assisting the
students and preparing teaching materials for the classes. Since English is
becoming an increasingly important language in Costa Rica, you will be expected
to teach the children English on a regular basis.
Here is a small overview of what your tasks may include:
At work, you will be surrounded by other people (be it volunteers or teachers) who are all passionate about helping children. This creates a welcoming, safe atmosphere for both children and volunteers alike.
Note: The tasks may vary. They depend on factors such as number of
volunteers, weather, season, current needs of the project, as well as
self-motivation. Not every volunteer may be fully involved in all these
tasks.
Being in the vibrant city of
San Jose, there are many activities to do in your spare time. There are regular
concerts, and a wide range of sports to participate in. Weekends are the
perfect time to enjoy an exciting hike through Costa Rican nature since the main attractions of Costa Rica is its system of national parks and protected areas, which cover around 25% of the national territory, in order to protect the rich variety of flora and fauna, which is estimated to contain 5% of the world's biodiversity in less than 0.1% of the planet's land mass. In addition, Costa Rica has countless amazing beaches on both the Pacific and the Caribbean Ocean.
Costa Rica is the perfect place to combine volunteer work with tourism, enjoy activities like:
- Adventure sport
- Dream beaches
- Ecotourism
- Local culture
- Bird / wildlife watching
- Visits to unique National Parks
- Rural tourism
- Sightseeing and history in San José
Airport pick-up is provided and will drop you off at your host family's home.
You will be living in a single room with a local host family, sharing both bathrooms and living spaces. This will allow you to indulge in the culture of Costa Rica and improve your Spanish skills. Living with a host family will allow you to live like the locals and experience the country in the most authentic way possible.
Half-board is provided by the host family (breakfast and dinner).
The volunteer work can be joined throughout the year. The start and end date can be set flexible, according to your availability and travel plans. Ask our experienced staff to coordinate your participation in this meaningfull volunteer project.
Work with Disabled Children
Assist teachers during lessons, help organize activities, and care for children that have disabilities. Make a positive impact on them and brighten up their day.
$286/week
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