25 trees will be planted on your behalf for every experience purchased, via our partnership with One Tree Planted.
See more at onetreeplanted.org
Overview
The local government and Educational Supervisor are fully behind our project, giving us access to many schools in the area. This program consists of working with students aged between 5 and 19, teaching language classes, usually English, although we can cater for French, German or Mandarin Chinese.
Some of the larger schools have English teachers, but the teachers themselves often struggle. Participants will be free to choose their own way of teaching and may bring their own ideas into class. It is important to understand that the methods of teaching are less important than the attitude of the participant towards the students. In addition, the subjects to be taught can alter, depending on current activities in the schools which might include, for example, environmental issues or current festivals.
The teaching program serves a dual purpose; of course it is meant to help children in rural Costa Rica to have a chance to learn another language with a mother tongue speaker, but it also benefits you, giving you an insight into the Costa Rican education system as well as an excellent opportunity to become good friends with students, teachers and even parents, and so take a full role in the community.
Objectives
- Costa Rica relies heavily on tourism, and tourism relies on locals speaking popular tourist languages. Private schools are often bilingual, but expensive, and children in government schools are left behind. This programme gives you the chance to improve the prospects of children in government schools by broadening their cultural horizons and giving them the confidence to use and practice a foreign language. They will learn in order to converse with you, and it will benefit them for life.
- Therefore, the main aim is to continue to improve the children’s prospects by teaching them a world language. You will gain teaching experience, an invaluable life skill, and experience deep cultural immersion.
Impact
Volunteer experiences have a direct and positive impact on local communities by injecting money into the local economy through the purchase of food, transportation, and tourism activities. Volunteering is a great way to give back to the comunity and make a difference in the world. Depending on the type of volunteer experience you are interested in, your time can be spent improving educational resources and opportunities, providing medical services to underserved communities, or promoting environmental conservation and sustainable farming techniques.
1% of gross sales will be donated to 1% for the Planet-approved charities via our partnership with 1% for the Planet.
See more at onepercentfortheplanet.org
Location
Esparza, Costa Rica
Esparza is a medium-sized agricultural town nestled amongst the mountains above Rio Barranca, in the Central Pacific Coast area of Costa Rica. The area was first settled by the Chorotega and Huetar peoples. The Chorotega people fled from Mexico 1,500 years ago and brought their traditions with them. This is a possible reason why there are Mexican words which jump several countries and turn up again in Costa Rica.
Itinerary
Saturday / Sunday - Arrival
We will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to our center. Saturday arrivals need to book one extra night at our accommodation.
Monday to Friday
You will be organizing and balancing a range of classes for your duration at the school. With some schools your schedule can be flexible and you may also have some say in what classes you prefer to teach, but you should be prepared to teach 3-6 hours a day. You will have lunch at the school and can expect to remain there from 08:00 until just after 16:30, depending on your schedule, giving you plenty of time to immerse yourself in the school and its activities, and to get to know its students and staff.
Saturday - Departure
Take a bus from Esparza directly to SJO Airport (2 hours). Buses depart every hour for earliest flights on Saturday afternoon.
Inclusions
- Shared Accomodation
- All meals included
- Free beverages
- Wifi in public areas
- Arrival Transfer (included with 2 wk+ trips)
- Departure Transfer
Options
More Information
Requirements
- minimum age18
- minimum english levelBasic
- CRB RequiredOn signup
- passport copy requiredNo
- resume copy requiredNo
Other Requirements
- Casual dress is appropriate during your time at the school. Please don’t wear ‘beach wear’ or any other outfit that is too revealing. Long trousers or long skirts are ideal, as teachers usually dress conservatively.
- Please bring clothes appropriate for construction work if you will be here during holidays, so you can take part in school renovation and other community work.
Food
Three meals a day on weekdays (two on weekends) are included during your stay. The meals will mainly be a mix of traditional and modern Costa Rican food, so you may experience the Costa Rican take on foods you will be familiar with. Most meals will include either fish, chicken, pork or beef, but vegetarians can be catered for.
Accommodation
Your new home will be one of two newly built eco houses in our centre in Esparza: Jaguar House and Toucan House.
The two houses sleep up to 22 people. Most rooms have bunk beds and are shared on a single gender. One room in each house has a bunk bed with a double bed below, single above, suitable for couples or small families, if needed. (Private rooms can be obtained at additional cost; this must be arranged before arriving for your program).
All doors are lockable, but as rooms are shared, and we carry out regular cleaning, we recommend that you don't lock your rooms.
There is also a large dining hall/games room/communal area shared by both houses, with free WiFi, and table tennis, and a large garden of tropical plants, including coconut palm, papaya, banana, and citrus
Cancellation Policy
Bookings can be amended and cancelled 30 days before the program start date without any costs. Bookings that are cancelled less than 30 days before the program start date will be charged the first week of the booking.
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