The program
This wonderful project was created with the goal of helping to improve the English speaking abilities of children in Santa Barbara, 20 minutes drive from downtown San Jose. Volunteers will work as Teacher’s Assistants and will generally work Monday - Friday, at least four hours a day, depending on the needs of the school. Classes have high numbers of students and generally lack adequate resources so volunteers are needed to help with planning creative lessons and running games and activities, especially with the younger children. With English language skills, these children will have a greater chance of employment, especially in the tourism sector. English language skills will also greatly aid youth into higher education.
Goals of this Project:
- Provide free English language classes to the children of Santa Barbara
- Improve the future prospects of the children of Costa Rica
- Expose non-English speakers to native English speakers in order to improve pronunciation and conversational skills
- Enable inter-cultural exchange which benefits both students and international volunteers alike.
How you can help
Volunteers play an integral role in achieving the goals of this project, greatly assisting students to learn the English language. They provide a valid and effective means of English language tuition and allow students to learn directly off native English language speakers – a major benefit for learners of the language.
Volunteers spend their time assisting the local teacher with daily activities, and will spend time teaching and playing with the children. They will contribute in a number of ways and can expect to undertake the following tasks:
- Help the teacher with the planned classroom activities
- Assist with the delivery of a range of academic subjects
- Converse in and teach basic English to the children
- Play games and read to the children in English
- Teach children good hygiene and life skills
- Help the children complete projects
Typical day
A volunteer’s work day on this project will generally last between 4 and 6 hours and while we ask all volunteers to be flexible in this regard, a typical daily schedule is likely to go something like this:
8:00am Breakfast at the host family accommodation
8:30am Walk or bus to project site
9:00am Pre-start meeting with project supervisor
9:15am VOLUNTEERING DUTIES START
A tea break and lunch break will be fitted in during the day, but often the timing of breaks will change based on the needs of the local staff and number of volunteers on hand.
3:00pm VOLUNTEERING DUTIES END
3:15pm Debrief with project supervisor
3:30pm Walk or bus back to host family accommodation
Evenings Free time to relax and have dinner with your host family or explore the sights and sounds of the real Costa Rica!
Details on Arrival
Free-time activities
Program Requirements
Included Services
Before your journey
On-site services
- Dedicated pre-departure support
- Exclusive access to the LV Trip Planner!
- Airport pick-up on arrival
- Orientation & full safety briefing on arrival
- Accommodation
- Food & Meals
- 24/7 local support network
- Project placement & onsite supervision
- Lifetime LV Alumni Membership
- The opportunity to make a REAL difference!
- Certificate of Completion (on request)
- LV registration fee
Upon your arrival in San Jose you will be collected at the airport and taken to your accommodation in Santa Barbara de Heredia, just north of San Jose and within the grounds of the local team’s office. The following day (Sunday), you will be provided a full arrival orientation to help you settle in, find out about your volunteering placement, the local surroundings and meet your fellow volunteers. A representative from the local team will fill you in on local and regional customs, traveling, rules and recommendations, and of course, what to expect from your volunteering experience. This is a great opportunity to get to know your hosts, meet your fellow volunteers, and ask any last questions you may have. On Monday morning, you will be taken to your assigned project site and introduced to the project leader so that you can start volunteering. Easy!
- Program Arrival Day: SATURDAY
- Program Departure Day: SATURDAY
- Arrival/Departure Airport: Juan Santamaria International Airport, San Jose, Costa Rica (Code: SJO)
Volunteers on this amazing program will primarily be accommodated within a dedicated volunteer house, conveniently located on the grounds of the local team’s office in the heart of Santa Barbara de Heredia, just 20 mins north of Costa Rica’s bustling capital city of San Jose.
Rooms are usually shared with one other volunteer, depending on the time of year and number of volunteers onsite. All standard amenities are available in the volunteer house, including hot showers and modern ‘western’ bathrooms, and there is even free Wi-Fi! This is a perfect home away from home and a wonderful base for your stay in Costa Rica!
For those who prefer, home-stay options are also available with one of our friendly local host families, where breakfast and dinner are also provided. For more details see Additional Info section below.
Program Fees
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