Description:
The Chilean Ministry of Education's Ingles Abre Puertas (English Opens Doors) initiative recently awarded WorldTeach a prestigious invitation to offer a large number of volunteer teacher placements. If you join us, you will have the opportunity for 6 or 9 months to live with a host family and teach in the beautiful southern area of the country, including the Bío-Bío (VIII), Araucanía (IX) and Los Ríos (XIV) Regions.
Volunteer Role
As a volunteer, you will be teaching English to public and semi-public school students. While most placements will involve teaching students in grades five through twelve, it is possible that some volunteers may teach younger students as well, especially in more rural placements. English language skills will greatly increase their opportunities for success in their future careers. While participating in the life of your community and teaching site, you will gain insight into Chile's culture, economy, and history.
The volunteer's main function in the school community is to motivate students to learn English and to create new opportunities for both teachers and students to practice the English language on a regular basis. The volunteer provides students with the opportunity to realize the value of communication in English and is a vital source of motivation for learning a foreign language.
1. Working as an English-language teaching assistant to one or more English teachers: The Ingles Abre Puertas volunteer program uses a model in which volunteers work with one or more co-teachers in order to split large classes into smaller groups of about 24 students. During a typical 90-minute class, the volunteer and co-teacher see each group for 45 minutes and then switch, so that all students benefit from the opportunity to work with a native English speaking volunteer, particularly focusing on listening and speaking comprehension activities to supplement the Chilean English teacher's curriculum.
2. Organizing and implementing extracurricular activities for the school community: Since motivating students and creating opportunities for practicing English is a key goal of the program, volunteers will devote the rest of their full-time commitment to extracurricular activities both at their schools and in their communities.
Placements and Housing
Volunteers will be placed throughout Chile's Bio-Bio (VIII), Araucania (IX) and Los Rios (XIV) Regions.
Within these regions, volunteers will most likely be working in small to medium-sized cities like Chillan, Los Angeles, Temuco, Angol, Nueva Imperial, and Valdivia. Ingles Abre Puertas will match volunteers to teaching sites according to the needs of the schools and the experience and interests of the volunteers. Volunteers will live with host families selected by the Ministry of Education, relatively near their school campuses. Host families provide an important entry into the community and a unique cultural learning opportunity. Host families will be compensated monthly by the Ingles Abre Puertas program, to cover the costs they incur supporting a volunteer in their home.
Within this zone, there is a wide variety of teaching conditions. Volunteers may be placed in schools that range from large, under-funded public schools with limited resources to semi-public schools with more resources available. Depending on the size of the school, volunteers will likely work with several different grade levels. Although WorldTeach volunteers in past Ingles Abre Puertas programs have been typically placed in small to medium-sized cities like those listed above, it is expected that future placements in 2008 may include smaller towns and more rural placements in surrounding areas as the Ingles Abre Puertas program expands.
Program Length and Dates
There are two departures groups for Chile Ministry programs:
9-month program: Volunteers will depart in early/mid March for 3-4 weeks of in-country orientation and training with Inglés Abre Puertas in Santiago, prior to beginning the first semester of teaching in the South. Teaching begins in mid/late April and ends in late November/early December, with short breaks for school vacations.
6-month program: Volunteers will depart in late May/early June for 3-4 weeks of in-country orientation and training in Santiago, prior to beginning teaching the remainder of the academic year. Teaching begins in mid/late July and ends in late November/early December, with short breaks for school vacations.
Volunteers will be able to return home in December in time for the holidays, although many volunteers choose to take advantage of January and February to travel before leaving Chile on their return trip ticket.
Highlights:
WorldTeach works closely with Ministries of Education worldwide in a number of its country programs. The WorldTeach Chile Ministry program partnership with Ingles Abre Puertas is a variation on the typical WorldTeach program model, given that the Chilean Ministry of Education is highly involved in the overall administration and management of this program.
WorldTeach will provide pre-departure and supplemental in-country support for volunteers; however, upon arrival in Chile, the Ministry, and not WorldTeach, is responsible for the overall management, training, support, and administration of the Inglés Abre Puertas volunteer program. Volunteers will report directly to the National and Regional Ministry, National Volunteer Center, and Inglés Abre Puertas officials and staff. WorldTeach has successfully used a similar model previously in its partnership with the Rare Center for Tropical Conservation.
Qualifications / Skills Needed:
The Ministry of Education and its Ingles Abre Puertas program have the following requirements for all applicants to its program:
* Be native English speakers or use English in their everyday language, and have received their K-12 or undergraduate education in English
* Hold an undergraduate degree
* Be aged between 21 and 50 years old (exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis)
* Have experience teaching or working with children and a genuine interest in assisting English teaching
* Basic Spanish proficiency and/or be willing to complete a Ministry of Education-provided online Spanish course prior to departure
* Be mentally and physically capable of teaching children
* Have experience living or traveling in another country, preferably in the developing world
* Have an interest in Chilean culture and living in a developing country
* Be highly committed, responsible and flexible, and possess a spirit of public service
In order to apply to the Chile Ministry program, applicants should follow the normal application process for WorldTeach described in the To Apply section of our website, with the following exception:
* Essay #1 should be modified to read: "At this point in your life, what is your motivation for wanting to be a volunteer teacher with the Chilean Ministry of Education's National Volunteer Center? What personal goals do you aim to achieve by participating in the program? What contributions do you hope to bring to the community in which you will teach and live?"
Minimum Education: Bachelors
Language:
English
Language Used As A Medium of Teaching:
English
Cost in US$: 3190
Cost Includes:
Emergency evacuation services,
Excursions,
Food,
Housing,
In-country orientation/Training,
In-country staff support,
International travel,
Language instruction,
Living stipend,
Medical insurance,
Pre-departure orientation/Training,
Registration fees,
Written materials abroad
and Written materials pre-departure
The US$3,190 cost of the program covers pre-departure information and materials, round-trip international airfare from a designated U.S. departure city (likely Miami), supplemental overseas health and emergency evacuation insurance, supplemental in-country WorldTeach field staff support, and after-service support and networking.
Salary / Pay: Stipends are provided during the months of teaching, with room and board provided throughout your term of service. All stipends and host family payments will be made by Ingles Abre Puertas, directly to the host families and volunteers. The volunteer stipend is approximately US$150-170 for every month they teach. The stipend is not a salary, and is intended to help volunteers meet basic daily living costs at the local standard of living. It will help cover the costs of public transportation to and from school, bottled drinking water, toiletries, etc.
Experience Required: no
Typical Volunteer Projects:
academic reinforcement,
adult education,
arts,
athletics,
childcare/children,
community development,
culture,
curriculum planning,
education,
English teaching,
literacy,
primary education,
public education,
secondary education,
teaching,
volunteering
and youth
Typical Volunteer: Volunteers must be native English speakers and have a bachelor's degree. Successful volunteers will be flexible, mature, and have a genuine interest in both teaching and cross-cultural experiences.
Age Range: 21-50
This Program is open to
American,
Australian,
Canadian,
European,
Kiwi,
South African
and World Wide
Participants.
This Program is also open to
Couples and Individuals.
Typical Living Arrangements:
Apartment/Flat,
Group living,
Home-stays
and Independent living
Participants Travel to Chile
in Groups
Typically Participants Work
in Groups of 65-80
Application Process Involves:
- In-Person Interview when Feasible
- Online Application plus Application Assessment
- Phone Interview
- Resume
- Transcript
- Written Application
Typically The Application Process Time Is 1-2 weeks
Post Services Include:
- Alumni Network
- Exit DebriefingAbroad
WorldTeach's Mission Statement: WorldTeach is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based at the Center for International Development at Harvard University that provides opportunities for individuals to make a meaningful contribution to international education by living and working as volunteer teachers in developing countries. WorldTeach offers summer and year-long programs in American Samoa, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Micronesia, Namibia, Poland, Rwanda, South Africa, and Thailand.
Year Founded: 1986