Teaching Children
Would you like to work with children and make a positive contribution to their future? Then you should volunteer on our 'Teaching Children' project!- Age requirement: 16+ years
- Dates: This project runs during the school year, and during holidays this project is not offered. School holidays in Costa Rica are: from December – mid February (summer break), 1 week for Easter, 2 weeks in July (mid-term break) and for 1 week in October.
- Working Schedule: 5 days a week, Monday – Friday, for 7 – 8 hours a day
- Language requirements: At some schools it would be great if you speak some basic Spanish to communicate well with all teachers. We also offer volunteer projects at bilingual schools were you don’t have to speak any Spanish!
- Costs: A one week experience costs 449 USD, and add on 149 USD for each additional week.
- Accommodation: Host family near your school
- Food: 3 meals daily
- Location: Osa Peninsula, Southern Costa Rica
- We provide: Coordination and 24/7 emergency telephone support
- Optional: A letter of recommendation and certificate at the end of your volunteer time
- Groups are welcome to volunteer on the ‘Teaching Children’ project.
As a volunteer on this project you will assist teachers from rural, remote and small schools around the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica. The Osa Peninsula is a socially poorer area, with little employment opportunities. The schools usually have around 30 – 60 kids and sometimes only one teacher (who is the director at the same time) to teach 6 different grades at school! That means for example, that the morning classes will have grade 1, 2 and 3, and the afternoon group will be grades 4, 5 and 6. As a volunteer, you will usually work for 5 days a week, for about 7 till 8 hours a day. You will be living and working in the small rural community. Your host family will be close to the school so you can walk to work. You will have your own room with a bed, and share bathroom and kitchen facilities.
We are trying to make a real difference by the education of the children in and around the Osa Peninsula. It is a very important area right now in terms of development work, since the level of education is quiet low compared to other parts of Costa Rica. The schools in this area have a lot of children and there is an extreme shortage of personnel/ teachers. As a volunteer, you can make a difference by helping the schools so the children will have the opportunity to find higher level and better paid jobs – and therefore reduces poverty. That is why your help as a volunteer is urgently needed!
The kids will instantly take you into their hearts – and you will not only be a teacher but a role model and friend. You will make a positive difference in people’s lives, while having fun, making lots of friends, learning about Costa Rican customs and culture, and gaining invaluable teaching experiences!
- Assisting the teachers during teaching hours with various classroom tasks or activities.
- Acting as a tutor for the children, to support their ongoing studies.
- Helping with administrative tasks in the school office such as photocopying or filing.
- General maintenance of the school and grounds for the outdoor and mechanically inclined.
- Some duties involved may be gardening or repairing broken equipment, for example.
We expect from you:
An ideal volunteer on this project loves to interact with kids and is willing to teach. You do not need a degree or any previous experience for this project. You should be 16 years of age or older. For the teaching to children project, you should be creative, pro-active, and have lots of energy.
An ideal volunteer on this project loves to interact with kids and is willing to teach. You do not need a degree or any previous experience for this project. You don’t need to speak Spanish for this project as the idea is that you’ll teach the kids English. However, some Spanish might be advantageous to communicate with other teachers and your host family. You should be 16 years of age or older. For the teaching to children project, you should be creative, pro-active, and have lots of energy.
Our schools we support are located all around the Osa Peninsula, located in rural and remote communities in around 20- 30 minutes drive from Puerto Jimenez.
The Osa Peninsula is one of the last frontiers in Costa Rica – and one of the least developed regions. You’ll work in a school located in a small rural town on the Osa Peninsula. We have several schools we work with, including the schools of Rancho Quemado (close to Drake Bay), Dos Brazos (entrance to Corcovado National Park), Carate (entrance to Corcovado National Park), Gallardo, and Agujas.
Puerto Jimenez is the largest town on the Osa with around 4000-5000 inhabitants. There are banks, supermarkets, pharmacies, a private clinic, dentists, bars and restaurants. If you are located in a rural school, you’re welcome to go visit Puerto Jimenez and the Osa in your time off (usually Saturdays and Sundays are free).
You’ll stay in a local Costa Rican host family in the town where your school is located. You’ll be only a short walk from your school. Food is Costa Rican typical food cooked for you and prepared by your host family. You’ll all eat together in a common space at certain hours. Usually breakfast will be around 6am, lunch around 12:00pm, and dinner around 6pm.
The costs for this project are:
- First week’s fee: $ 449
- Every Additional Week: $ 149 (It does not matter many weeks you choose, this fee stays the same)
FEES EXPLAINED: Our organizational fee of around $ 249 is included in the first week’s fee and covers the “behind the scenes costs”, such as staff salaries, office space rental, transaction and bank fees, and more. Our weekly fee for additional weeks covers the costs of your host family or project accommodation and food, the local staff on your project, and a donation to help with the daily running costs of the program you will help on.
NOT INCLUDED IN THE FEE: First and last night in San Jose in a hostel, travel to and from the international airport (airport shuttles are around 30$ each way to San Jose – We can set this up for you, just ask us during sign-up), travel to the project site (usually by public buses, which are from around 10-16$ one way), national/ International flights, travel insurance, visa costs, any additional food or snacks besides the host family meals, extra-curricular activities.
This is the GLV Handbook is for the Teaching Children Project. It will give you detailed info on the project, a packing list, and all you need to know about volunteering here in Costa Rica.
To view our handbook in your browser, click on the PDF symbol:
To download and save our handbook on your computer, please click the link below:
Teaching Children Gallery
Reviews of our Teaching Children Project
Bronagh’s Review – Teaching Children
Bronagh was on the Teaching Children project recently, in June 2016, and enjoyed her time with the kids. To check out what she has to say about the project, watch the video below. Besides the Teaching Children project, Bronagh also helped at an organic farm and with...
Teaching Children – Cleome
Cleome’s Review (taken from Abroad Reviews): I volunteered with Green Life Volunteers in August of 2015. This was my first "solo" travel experience and also my first experience volunteering abroad. I stayed with a lovely host family who only spoke Spanish and cooked...
Kylie’s Review – Teaching English in Puerto Jimenez
Project: Teaching English in Puerto Jimenez. Volunteer: Kylie. Country - USA. Age: 19. I would absolutely recommend Green Life Volunteers as a program to anyone looking to have a deeper and more fulfilled experience when traveling to Costa Rica. Janina Schan (GLV's...
Any Questions? Then Contact Us Here!
Apply for this project now!
RELATED PROJECTS AVAILABLE THROUGH GREEN LIFE VOLUNTEERS