Quick Facts
Program code
CR-VOL105
Category
Volunteer Work, Child Care, Education / Teaching
Country
Costa Rica
Location
between Samara and Nosara, Pacific Coast, Guanacaste Province
Program start
Project always starts on a Monday, while the accommodation is available on the Sunday before.
School holidays from mid-December to mid-February, the Easter week and the first two weeks of July
Minimum duration
4 weeks
Minimum age
18 years
Contact us
Happy to help you
(+1) 954 762 7607
(+56) 9 7516 9816
(+49) 7735 425 339
skype: chileinside
8 am - 4 pm EST
Project details
Our volunteers in this school project in Costa Rica are placed at various small schools on the beautiful Pacific coast.
Some of the schools we work with are very small and have only 15 students, while others are larger and teach up to 120 children. Most schools only have between one and three teachers, which makes the help of volunteers really necessary. The age of the children is between 6 and 12 years. Mathematics, Spanish, science and social studies are majored in primary schools in Costa Rica. Likewise, most schools now place great emphasis on teaching English.
At some schools you can volunteer to assist the teacher in class. However, volunteers mainly carry out projects with the children outside of regular school hours.
The courses and workshops developed and offered by the volunteers are voluntary for the children. The group sizes therefore vary and the volunteers are asked for flexibility, proactivity and creativity as well as a large portion of self-motivation.
As English is becoming more and more important in Costa Rica, there is above all a great need and interest in English lessons for the children. But also activities such as sports, handicrafts, making music, dancing, theater, etc. are very popular with the children!
Tasks
When volunteering at our school projects in Costa Rica, a great deal of responsibility and diligence is expected of you. Be aware, that you will be a role model for the kids, and that you must take your volunteer work seriously. Our volunteer coordinator in Costa Rica will guide you with the most popular activities according to the children’s interests and what has worked well in the past. Nevertheless, you should be able to prepare activities and events on your own with both energy and creativity.
It is also important, that the volunteers spend time forming relationships with the teachers, parents, and children so that your stay abroad will be a valuable and positive experience for everyone involved.
Prepare yourself for the most sparse material equipment in schools. So you are challenged in terms of creativity and a talent for improvisation in order to make interesting offers for the children with few resources.
You should enjoy working independently, have a good level of self-confidence, be curious, open-minded, communicative and cooperative and have the desire to make a difference.
The tasks during your volunteer work project will primarily include:
- 2-4 hours per day of childcare, usually in the afternoon, at some schools also in the morning
- Preparing and carrying out English workshops
- Organizing sports, games, music, theatre, and other activities
- Supporting teachers during classes (not at all schools)
- Administrative tasks at school
- Maintaining clean rooms at school and the volunteer offices
- Maintaining and preparing teaching materials
- Preparing and implementing school events (shows, tournaments, beach clean-ups, etc.)
- Participating in the recycling projects
- Assisting with rural construction and adornment tasks such as plantations, creating playgrounds, painting fences and buildings, and more (depending on what is needed, not all activities are always available)
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.
Accommodation
An important aspect of our school project in Costa Rica is providing a bilateral exchange with the local culture. During your volunteer project, you will stay in a local homestay in a single room. In most cases, the host lives in the same village where the school is located, or nearby and are easily reachable.
The accommodation includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. The local cuisine mainly consists of rice, beans, vegetables, meat, and fruits.
Note: In Latin America, especially in remote areas where many of our volunteer projects take place, the cellular or internet connection is not always reliable and fast.
Location
This volunteer project is located approximately 4 hours southwest of San José in the Guanacaste province, on the Pacific coast. Participants are placed in various schools in the localities of Samara, Nicoya and Nosara.
The province of Guanacaste is famous for dream beaches as far as the eye can see and lush green nature in the hinterland.
Samara, the most famous place in this area, and its surroundings offer the ideal place to relax and enjoy. Here you will find a rich flora and fauna, impressive coral reefs near the coast, evergreen landscape in the hinterland, various wonderful national parks, as well as a lot of options for outdoor and adventure sports.
Samara is a tourist place with a good infrastructure of supermarkets, restaurants, shops and a lively night life. One of our three language schools in Costa Rica is also located here.
Temperatures are pleasantly warm all year round with an average of 30 °C during the day and a bit fresher at night. The climate is tropical with regular rainfall, the rainiest months are September and October.
Language skills
Spanish at communication level. For optimal preparation for your volunteer work in Costa Rica, we advise you to take a Spanish course before the program starts. This gives you the opportunity to slowly get used to the language, culture and mentality.
You can book your Spanish course in Costa Rica directly with us!
Requirements
- Spanish skills (book your Spanish course in Costa Rica!)
- Minimum age 18 years
- Please provide a criminal record check with your application documents
- Completion of a foreign travel health insurance (get your travel insurance here!)
- Application at least 4 weeks before the desired start of the program. Read more about our application process here.)
Pre-departure and in-country support
Before arrival, our experienced team will be at your disposal to assist you throughout the booking process and travel planning. With the booking confirmation you will receive our 24-hour emergency number, so that you can reach us 24/7 in case of emergency.
In addition to the assistance given by our office staff you will be supported by our volunteer coordinator in Costa Rica.
Costs & Services
Our volunteer project at Rural Schools in Costa Rica includes:
- Single room in local homestay
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Advice from our experienced staff
- On-going support via WhatsApp, phone or mail
- Elaboration of your application profile in Spanish
- Your placement in the volunteer project
- Pre-departure information
- Packing list
- Country handbook
- Intercultural guide
- On-site volunteer coordinator
- 24/7 emergency number
- Advice on travel insurance
- Certificate of participation
Costs
Application fee: US$ 150
Program fee: US$ 1.530 (minimum stay 4 weeks*)
Each additional week*: US$ 230
(*periods of full weeks, meaning 7 days, will be charged)
Additionally, you can book:
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Volunteer Guide
Find valuable information about volunteering abroad in our program guides. Find out about all the benefits, possibilities and challenges, that a stay abroad offers you. Read more about the great opportunities that South America Inside has at your disposal.
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