Description:
International Volunteer HQ's partner NGO in Ecuador requires volunteers Now! IVHQ has a wide range of volunteering opportunities available teaching English, working with street children, school support programs and summer projects in the Ecuadorian city of Quito and suburban Quito.
Teaching English
Similarly to other Latin American nations, Spanish is the official language of Ecuador, however in recent times with the onset of globalisation and increasing tourism in a country such as tourism, there has been an increased demand from local people to be taught English by fluent foreigners. Work is mainly at schools and directed towards children but there is also a lot of demand from community groups and adult groups we work with. Volunteers are placed in community schools, public schools or orphanage schools. Many of the people volunteers teach have only very basic English, therefore it is a requirement for volunteers to have at least a beginner-basic level of Spanish to teach on this program. Naturally a volunteer's Spanish will improve over the course of their volunteering but it is highly recommended that the volunteer take advantage of the Spanish lessons offered by our program staff in Ecuador.
N.B. Volunteers DO NOT need to be a qualified or experienced teacher.
Street Children Work
For many children in Ecuador, school is simply not an option as they work the streets with their parents to help stay alive. Every day, 365 days of the year these children work the streets of Quito with their parents, selling goods and performing to make a living. The Street Children Program in Ecuador focuses on giving these children some enjoyment in their lives. This program is popular with the children and their families as it gives them opportunities and perspectives on life they would never have otherwise been provided with. Work consists of taking basic school lessons, playing with the children, providing medical support for them and introducing them to activities (such as painting) that they would never otherwise have a chance to do. Volunteers on the Street Children program need to have beginner to basic Spanish to participate effectively on this program.
School Support Program (available September-July only)
The Ecuador School Support Program (available September-July only) involves teaching children at Summer School and during the school year in a broad range of subjects. This program can encompass but is not limited to teaching and planning activities for classroom such as Art, Music, Paint, Math, English, Reading-writing and plays (Drama). A reasonable level of Spanish is required for this program (Basic to Conversational) as you must be able to communicate with the children.
N.B. Volunteers DO NOT need to be a qualified or experienced teacher.
Summer Project (available July and August only)
The Summer Project (available July and August only) is a project organised by IVHQ's partner NGO in Ecuador, helping 80 children, get themselves ready to enter their new year at school. This project gives attention to a variety of different aged children from disadvantaged backgrounds who are struggling in some aspects of their schooling life. The Summer Project focuses specifically on English, Reading-Writing, Art and Recreation. The program helps develops the children's general abilities such as concentration, self assurance, self-esteem as well as progressing their reading and writing ability. As well as having big hearts, volunteers need to be enthusiastic, motivated and willing to have a good time to participate on the Summer Program successfully. A reasonable level of Spanish is required for this program (Basic to Conversational) as you must be able to communicate with the children.
N.B. Volunteers DO NOT need to be a qualified or experienced teacher.
Highlights:
* Extremely affordable program fees
* Quality Programs
* Flexible Placements
* 24/7 Support
* Loyalty Program
* IVHQ Information Booklet
* Discount Spanish Lessons
Qualifications / Skills Needed:
Volunteers must be over 18 years of age at the beginning of the program and have at least a high school education.
If a volunteer wishes to stay for a period of more than two weeks, and their Spanish is not fluent then it is compulsory to take at least a 20 hour Spanish course with our program partner in Ecuador. Furthermore, we recommend that even two week volunteers regardless of their Spanish language ability (unless they are extremely fluent), take advantage of the very affordable Spanish lessons offered exclusively to IVHQ volunteers, by our program staff in Ecuador as it will allow you to get much more out of your placement. It is expected that all volunteers should have at least some basic Spanish before they arrive in Ecuador. If you have no Spanish, it would be advisable to take some Spanish lessons before you depart to give you some basic Spanish from which to build on when you arrive in Quito.
Languages:
English
and Spanish
Cost in US$: Varies from $450 for 1 week to $2300 for 6 months
Cost Includes:
Excursions,
Food,
Housing,
In-country orientation/Training,
In-country staff support,
Language instruction
and Pre-departure orientation/Training
* Food
* Housing
* In-country orientation/Training
* In-country staff support
* Language instruction
* Pre-departure orientation/Training
* Discount Language Lessons
Experience Required: no
Typical Volunteer Projects:
academic reinforcement,
adult education,
childcare/children,
community development,
community organizing,
culture,
eco-tourism,
economic development,
English teaching,
food,
grassroots organization,
handicapped,
health,
health education,
home visit,
homelessness,
literacy,
orphans,
painting,
playgrounds,
popular education,
primary education,
public education,
recreation,
secondary education,
small business development,
sports,
street kids,
teaching,
tourism,
tutor,
volunteer management,
volunteering,
youth
and youth development
Age Range: 18-80!
This Program is open to
American,
Australian,
Canadian,
European,
Kiwi,
South African
and World Wide
Participants.
This Program is also open to
Families, Couples and Individuals.
Typical Living Arrangements:
Group living
and Home-stays
Participants Travel to Ecuador
Independently
Or
in Groups
Typically Participants Work
Independently
Or
in Groups of 2-5
Application Process Involves:
- Online Application plus Application Assessment
Typically The Application Process Time Is 1 week
Post Services Include:
- Alumni Network
- Exit DebriefingAbroad
International Volunteer HQ's Mission Statement: International Volunteer HQ aims to provide volunteers with quality, flexible, safe and highly affordable volunteering placements in developing countries. In addition to providing aid and assistance to these countries, International Volunteer HQ endeavors to increase education and heighten awareness through not only the skills and expertise taken by volunteers to their host communities and institutions, but also through the experiences and lessons volunteers will in turn take back to their own countries and cultures.
Year Founded: 2007