Volunteer English Teachers Needed in Costa Rica

Volunteer English Teachers Needed in Costa Rica:

English Volunteers for Change (EVOLC) is driven by the Foundation for Sustainability and Equity (ALIARSE), and Costa Rica Multilingüe, which is a national program initiated by former President and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Oscar Arias, to make Costa Rica a multilingual country in the coming years. The program aims to improve the level of English in rural communities, public schools, and the poorest sectors of the country. It is developed under the context of public-private partnerships with chambers of tourism, schools, and local partners who give support to the initiative.

Our program is unique in that we provide free English classes where there is an immediate need to learn the language. Our volunteer teachers offer classes to children and/or adults in rural/impoverished communities, tourism communities, public schools, as well as organizations and businesses in the public and private sector.

EVOLC brought its first volunteers to Costa Rica in January 2009, and it is expected that more than 300 volunteers will participate in the project during the next five years. The program covers the entire territory of Costa Rica and only in 2010, courses were held in 15 communities and 1,000 people received classes.

Volunteer teachers will participate in a 2-3 day orientation at our office in Costa Rica’s capital city, San José, and upon finishing the induction week our volunteers will be taken to their respective teaching communities. Volunteer teachers will live with host families in rural and urban communities throughout the country during their volunteer work. They will be responsible for teaching English classes approximately 20 hours per week and using the rest of their time to enjoy Costa Rica.

Our Five Program Options-

1) Public School Assistance: 6 months-1 year

This option is excellent for those who prefer to gain experience working with children. In order to participate in this program, it is mandatory that volunteers have a university degree in education, and a TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certificate is preferred. The Costa Rican public school year begins in February and ends in December, with a two-week vacation in July. Volunteers can choose between working in the school for 1 semester or the entire school year. Qualified volunteers will work with the English professor(s) at the school, where he or she will take over and conduct the English classes. This will also serve as training for the professor, as he or she will be observing the volunteer and learning new techniques to continue in the classroom in the future.

2) Local Development: 6 months-1 year
Commonly referred to as our "traditional program," volunteers can choose to teach in communities from all over the country, whether they choose to live on the warm beach or in the lush mountainous regions. Volunteers will work with the local Chamber of Tourism, where they will give free English classes to members of the community in order to support a sustainable tourism industry. Students include airport employees, tour guides, taxi drivers, masseuses, etc.

3) Corporate English Program: 6 months-1 year

EVOLC has recently teamed up with our partner ALIARSE, in order to promote corporate responsibility within larger-scale Costa Rican corporations. EVOLC recruits and prepares volunteers to teach business-centered English classes to employees ranging from office personnel to factory workers within the corporation. Our corporate English classes use different materials focusing on both work and life, along with supplemental materials targeting specific areas such as English for accounting, mechanics, human resources, or whatever language skills the position requires.

4) University Practicum: 4-12 weeks, Central Valley

This program option is specifically for university students studying Bilingual Education or a related career with a practicum teaching requirement, in order to fulfill the requisites to earn the degree. We work directly with the university and adapt our program to fit the academic requirements of the university. Students receive university credit hours dependent on the amount of hours taught here in Costa Rica. Classes will range from 4-8 weeks depending on the requirements of the university and number of teaching hours per day. Classes will be conducted at Costa Rican Public Schools or INA, depending on what age group the student is studying to teach.

5) Community Service: 5-12 weeks

Our Community Service program is a great option for those looking to travel, contribute to a good cause, and who are unable to commit to more than 3 months of teaching English abroad. Here, volunteers will work side by side with other volunteers providing English classes (i) to elementary and high-school students, primarily from technical high schools and (ii) to adult community members in urban areas of the country. These English classes are provided primarily in urban areas and directed towards populations who suffer from social economic limitations and cannot pay to take regular English classes.

Upcoming 2014 Orientation Start Dates:

February 17^th

March 10^th

April 21^st

June 2^nd

September 21st

What is included:
- 3 meals a day
- Lodging
- Transportation
- Teaching Materials
- A 3- 5 day intensive orientation program in San José
- 24-hour, ongoing support from the EVOLC Program Coordinator and ALIARSE staff
- Site visits from the EVOLC Program Coordinator
- Mid-term meeting and final meeting
What you will gain:
- Competitive multicultural, international, and professional experience
- Personal sense of achievement and satisfaction
- The opportunity to change and make a positive impact in the lives of others!

To learn more about our program and apply, please visit our homepage at http://www.evolc.orgor contact us at evolc@aliarse.org