The Program
During
this volunteer project, you will help provide education for children between the ages of 5-12 in a Costa Rican school. Some schools also have younger
children that are in kindergarten or pre-kindergarten. Depending on the school,
there could be between 100-650 children.
As a
volunteer, you can decide whether you would like to work full or part-time,
as the schools are flexible with their work schedules. Although no teaching experience or special skills are needed for this project, volunteers should be patient,
willing to work independently, proactive, and creative.
At the
schools, children are taught regular school subjects, such as science, math,
and geography. Lessons in art, music, computing, and physical education are
also offered. English is taught as their foreign language class.
Usually, the
children at the schools come from low-income families. The schools are financed
by an annual budget from the government, and parents only have to pay a small tuition
fee and for some school materials.
Although volunteers from abroad are not required to have special skills or a professional background in education, they need to be able to work independently and proactively, demonstrating extensive initiative and creativity.
The Location
Costa Rica's capital San José located in the heart of this small country. From there, you can reach all of Costa Rica’s attractions in a few hours, some natural beauties like the Irazu volcano and several national parks are even right at the doorstep! With around 340,000 inhabitants, San José itself is not very large, but due to its role as the capital and its central location, it is the country's economic, political and cultural center.
The inhabitants call themselves "Josefinos" and most are descendants of Italian or Spanish immigrants. These influences are reflected in the architecture and cityscape, which seem very Mediterranean. San José is a pretty town with attractive theaters, museums, art galleries, cultural events – and not at last a lively nightlife. Colorful markets invite you to stroll and shop and on nice places you can relax and watch the hustle and bustle.
As in all of Costa Rica, there are hardly any "real" addresses in the capital - street signs are usually not found, just like house numbers. Addresses are rather descriptions, like: Name of the district, if available, 200m south of the red church, the house with the green door. Or: Fourth house next to the gas station behind the supermarket. Sounds adventurous? But it works!
What we expect
Please do not put prejudices of the foreign culture and other people into your luggage. You do not need that during your stay abroad! On the contrary, tolerance is a very important feature if you want to be successful and have fun while volunteering abroad. Respect the foreign culture, the other habits and the different mentality with great respect. While the other way of working may not always make much sense in your eyes, the goal of volunteering abroad is not to criticize or smile at people for acting and doing, but to work with them for a good cause.
On a trip abroad, especially in developing countries, you leave your home comfort zone. It is very important that you are ready to adapt to a different life situation. In Latin America, you certainly will not find the usual standards of home again. Especially volunteer projects in developing countries are often located in very secluded areas in the middle of beautiful nature or you live with a local host family, who belongs to a foreign culture. But that's the exciting thing about volunteering abroad! Immerse yourself in a foreign land, experience culture, traditions and people up close, learn from them, just let go and adapt to the other life circumstances. A unique experience that will mature and grow you as a person!
In a voluntary work, the team idea is always over self-interest. Working in a team is fun and brings good mood and variety! So, for your volunteer work abroad, you should bring along a great deal of team spirit, because you always work together with other people, be it volunteers from other countries or local project staff. However, when so many foreign and diverse cultures meet, teamwork can become a whole new challenge. Even more important, that you have the ability to communicate in a group, work constructively and fairly and do not want to punch through your will at all costs.
- Be helpful and responsible
For most projects, volunteers who "do a good job" are most appreciated. By participating in a voluntary service abroad, you are consciously choosing to work in another country. You are not on a vacation trip. So, you have choosen to offer your help and valuable time to other people, nature protection or animals welfare. What really matters is your helpfulness! A really very important and unavoidable trait is the sense of responsibility. The volunteer project is counting on your support and your cooperation has been tightly scheduled. A high level of responsibility is the alpha and omega. During your volunteer work in Latin America, you are assigned to certain areas of activity that you must do on your own. Please take your role as a volunteer very seriously and carry out your tasks in the project conscientiously and carefully.
Be prepared for the fact that volunteering in Latin America is much different from what you know or are used to at home. The Latin Americans have a completely different order, time and work understanding. Even their logic of approaching certain things may not always make much sense in your eyes. The different language and culture can quickly lead to misunderstandings or communication problems. An important principle for you: always be flexible and spontaneous! You will soon realize that there is a solution for all situations and that you can quickly develop a plan B from a problem.
- Be proactive and take initiative
During your voluntary work abroad, do not expect someone to explain to you in a big way what needs to be done, where and when. Often there is only a brief introduction and then your proactivity and initiative are asked. Get actively involved, offer your help and see where you can best apply your skills and strengths. It is always great when volunteers constructively and friendly affix ideas and suggest their own small projects.
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