Affordable Volunteer Opportunities Abroad
Africa, Latin America, Asia

Many schools in Santa Cruz lack the resources and staff to run a productive education program. Volunteer Visions has prepared opportunities to lend a hand at these educational institutions in Santa Cruz. The schools that we work with in Santa Cruz are severely understaffed and lack sufficient funding as its financial support is limited to donations and small tuition payments from the children's parents. Many of the English teachers themselves are under qualified and by assisting these teachers and teaching English to these students, you help them develop skills that give them an edge in later stages of their lives.

One of the schools that we are involved with is both a primary and secondary school of roughly 420 students. Class sizes can vary but there are generally 30 students per class. The other school that we work with mainly has students that come from very low-income families. This school has 600 students aged 6-18.

Minimum Program Length: 2 weeks
Start Date: Every Monday
Arrival Date: 2 days prior to your Start Date (Saturday)
Minimum Age: 18 years old
Volunteer Gender: Male and Female

Accommodation:
Your accommodation is included in the program price. Volunteers will be staying with homestay families in rural communities throughout the central valley region. Our homestays offer single or shared rooms and three meals a day provided by your host family. Volunteer Visions feels that this is the best way to become familiar with Bolivian culture and practice your Spanish. All homestays are located in safe areas and are within short distances of your project locations. If you prefer to have your own accommodation, we can gladly arrange other types of accommodations (apartments, hostels, hotels etc.). Please inquire about alternative accommodations in advance to get pricing.

Food:
Three meals a day are included in the program fee.

Pick-up Info:
You will be greeted at the Santa Cruz airport and guided to your homestay family by a Volunteer Visions representative. A volunteer coordinator will also take you to your project location the first day so that you become familiarized with the route to your destination. The coordinator will also introduce you to the staff of the project so to ensure that you are properly placed in the program.

Project Schedule:
The working day can range from 4-5 hours of teaching in the morning Monday to Friday with a lunch break.
Project Closed Dates and Holidays

January 1st (New years)
May 1st (Labor day)
August 6th (Bolivia's Independence day)
September 24th (Santa Cruz´s Anniversary)
December 24-25th (Christmas)

Suggested Donations
Donations of books, pens, notebooks etc. are welcomed.

As a teacher, your role will be to either lead a class or assist a teacher in his/her daily lessons. You have the chance to teach a wide range of subjects, including math, biology, English, music, art, history and dance. Depending on where your strengths lie and on upon the support needed in specific academic departments, you will have the opportunity to become actively involved in any of the mentioned subjects. You also can take the initiative to start your own workshops and clubs in areas such as arts and crafts, English clubs and sports.

Suggested Skills and Interests

Volunteers participating in the teaching projects should enjoy working with children. They should also be creative and self-motivated as even the most basic resources can be limited and require you to use your imagination to compensate for the lack of materials.

Suggested Language Level

Supplementary Spanish language classes are offered at the local language school for volunteers interested in practicing and learning Spanish. The classes are run by certified ESL teachers and the groups are no typically no larger than 8 students.

Although these classes are not mandatory, we suggest that you take these classes if you have little or no background in Spanish. Classes start at $575 for 2 weeks with additional weeks available for $240. Classes are held three hours a day from Monday to Friday and accommodation and 3 meals a day are included in the program fee. Please note that the language classes must be taken prior to participating in your volunteer project and that the language course cannot be taken while volunteering.

Local Activities & Excursions

Santa Cruz offers a wide range of attractions and activities. A guided tour of the city is included in your program fee. This tour will allow you to become familiar with the layout of the city and give you chance to see some of the major attractions in Santa Cruz. During your spare time, you can visit one of the many beautiful cathedrals, museums, lagoons and parks that dot the city. There are also several opportunities to explore the pre-Incan ruins, 18th century Jesuit missionaries and pristine forest area that surround the city. You may also decide to go swimming, visit the theatres, learn Bolivian cooking, join a local football (soccer) team or even enroll in a Latin dance class.

Reserve Your Spot Now! Only $295 The program fee that you pay includes the following: Food Home stay or dorm accommodation Pre-departure Information (which includes visa info, vaccinations, packing list, etc.) Arrival pick up Skilled and knowledgeable onsite coordinator 24/7 emergency assistance and onsite support Safety and Health tips On-site orientation Social and cultural activities and excursions

Program Fee 2 Weeks $750.00 3 Weeks $830.00 4 Weeks $915.00 5 Weeks $1,060.00 6 Weeks $1,210.00 7 Weeks $1,375.00 8 Weeks $1,540.00 9 Weeks $1,705.00 10 Weeks $1,820.00 11 Weeks $1,955.00 12 Weeks $2,100.00 Additional Weeks: $125.00