Volunteer in Costa Rica - It Will Change You Forever...

Volunteer Programs

Teaching English in a Rural School (San Jose, Puntarenas, Guanacaste )

Tourism, trade, commerce and globalization are quickly on the rise in Costa Rica, increasing the demand for English. As a volunteer in Costa Rica to teach English to rural children, you will drastically improve their personal and professional opportunities and brighten their futures. In Costa Rica, many rural primary and secondary schools struggle to provide adequate English lessons, despite its growing importance. English speaking volunteers are highly valuable to these schools, which lack resources, appropriate facilities and qualified teachers. Helping Abroad partners with schools in rural San Jose and San Miguel de Sarapiqui. As a participant in the program, you will have a rewarding experience as you immerse yourself in a unique culture, improve educational environments and give your students hope at competing in a global market.

Educational Requirements and Project Skills

No specific skills, qualifications or experiences are required, although Spanish skills are desirable to communicate effectively. If your Spanish skills are poor, we suggest enrolling in our Spanish language course to make your stay more rewarding–both for you and for the people you help. You should have a passion for teaching and caring for children. Volunteers must be hardworking, patient, confident, enthusiastic and good with children. You should bring energy and enthusiasm to your projects.

Your Responsibilities as a Volunteer

The Helping Abroad volunteer teaching English in Costa Rica project offers an array of formal and informal educational programs for children. The primary responsibility for volunteers is teaching conversational English while making the language fun and interactive, but volunteer activities in Costa Rica will also include:

• Working with local teachers
• Assisting school administrations with curriculum development and planning lessons
• Planning and leading extracurricular activities such as dancing, games, music, sports, art, etc.
• Helping children successfully finish their homework
• Assisting school administrations with fundraising and other operational tasks
• Promoting health and sanitation
• Teaching other subjects such as math, science and physical education
• Helping local teachers with their English so they may teach more efficient classes in the future

Please Note: The activities above are mere examples of volunteers’ daily activities, but this may change due to requests from local staff members and teachers. You will receive your work schedule from the school administration. In addition, you will work with a school supervisor that will provide guidance and assist you develop your teaching lessons. You are only required to work only 3 to 4 hours a day, Monday through Friday, therefore, you will have ample time to relax and explore Costa Rica.

Working in an Orphanage (San Jose, Puntarenas )

As a volunteer in the orphanage project in Costa Rica, you can help provide basic necessities, emotional care and affection to orphan children, all while exploring the beauty of Costa Rica. Sadly, Costa Rican children become orphans due to poverty, alcoholism, disease, abuse or simple abandonment. These children are left without the chance of an education, health and basic care. Many orphanages work hard to provide shelter, food, love and education, but lack financial support, infrastructure, resources and qualified staff. Be a volunteer in an orphanage in Costa Rica and help drastically improve the lives of orphans by keeping them from negative and dangerous situations and providing safe and productive environments. By helping to organize educational activities and provide basic necessities, you can help give these children brighter, more hopeful and healthier futures. Be a hero, friend and role model for these children!

Educational Requirements and Project Skills

No specific skills, qualifications or experiences are required, although Spanish skills are desirable to communicate effectively. If your Spanish skills are poor, we suggest enrolling in our Spanish language course to make your stay more rewarding–both for you and for the orphans you help. You should have a passion for teaching and caring for children. Volunteers must be hardworking, patient, confident, enthusiastic and good with children. You should bring energy and enthusiasm to the orphanage and your projects.

Your Responsibilities as a Volunteer

As a volunteer working in an orphanage in Costa Rica, you will help to enhance the quality of life for disadvantaged orphans. Depending on individual skills and interests, volunteer roles and responsibilities may include:

• Teaching basic English
• Playing with the children
• Teaching other subjects such as math and science
• Teaching health and personal hygiene
• Gardening in orphanage garden
• Providing care and companionship to children
• Cooking and serving food for children
• Teaching children life skills such as gardening, painting, building, sewing, etc
• Carrying out extracurricular activities such as games, sports, art, music, dancing, etc
• Planning events and field trips
• Taking children to and from school
• Helping children with their homework and school assignments
• Observing and recording academic progress

Please Note:There is limited space available to volunteer in this project, but if space is not available, we will be happy to place you in a similar project. The activities above are mere examples of volunteers' daily activities, but this may change due to requests from local staff members. You will receive your work schedule from local orphanage staff. You are only required to work 3 to 4 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week, therefore, you will have ample time to relax and explore Costa Rica's natural beauty and culture.

Nature Conservation Project (San Jose, Puntarenas)

Costa Rica has an abundance of natural resources and is a stunning country for outdoor enthusiasts, but local organizations need your help with conservation efforts. As a volunteer working in Nature Conservation Project in Costa Rica, you can help educate local communities about the environment and the importance of nature. Unfortunately without educational campaigns, Costa Ricans tend to under-appreciate their wealth in resources and eco-tourism opportunities. This volunteer opportunity is ideal for volunteers interested in conservation or environmental careers. Volunteers in this project make a footprint in the march towards a cleaner world while simultaneously discovering one of the most bio-diverse, picturesque and exotic countries.

Educational Requirements and Project Skills

No specific skills, qualifications or experiences are required, although Spanish skills are desirable to communicate effectively. If your Spanish skills are poor, we suggest enrolling in our Spanish language course to make your stay more rewarding—both for you and for those you help. You should have a passion for the environment. Volunteers must be hardworking, patient, confident and enthusiastic. You should bring energy and enthusiasm to your projects.

Your Responsibilities as a Volunteer

As a volunteer in Costa Rica’s Conservation and Eco-tourism project, you can choose from a variety of projects in San Jose. Volunteers may work in following parks: Poas, Braulio Carrillo, Carara, Manuel Antonio, Barva, Palo Verde, Santa Rosa and Guayabo. Depending on individual skills and interests, volunteer roles and responsibilities may include:

• Creating environmental projects
• Maintaining trails
• Cleaning forests
• Helping to build educative trails with the Ministry of Agriculture
• Assisting Ministry of Agriculture in various projects
• Fundraising
• Grant writing
• Researching resources
• Planting trees and plants
• Educating visitors and tourists
• Carrying out educational campaigns in the community
• Helping with administrative tasks and organization
• Teaching locals English to help with tourism

Please Note: The activities above are mere examples of volunteers’ daily activities, but this may change due to requests from local staff. You will receive your work schedule from local staff. You are only required to work 3 to 4 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week, therefore, you will have ample time to relax and explore Costa Rica’s natural beauty and culture.

Turtle Conservation for Land, Fresh Water and Sea Turtles

Help Helping Abroad promote the conservation of turtles and their natural habitats! Unfortunately, corporations, urban life and agriculture have taken away the habitats of turtles, affecting their ability to survive. Helping Abroad invites you to volunteer in the turtle conservation project in Costa Rica and help protect turtle environments and their reproduction cycles. Volunteers help to safeguard turtle nests and breeding efforts by collecting eggs, keeping predators away and collecting crucial data. As a volunteer working in the turtle conservation project in Costa Rica, you can work with either local land/fresh water turtles in different coastal regions in Costa Rica.

So what are you waiting for? If you are an animal lover, this is the ideal project and the perfect opportunity to gain field experience, save turtles and travel to a tropical paradise!

Educational Requirements and Project Skills

No specific skills, qualifications or experiences are required, although Spanish skills are desirable to communicate effectively. If your Spanish skills are poor, we suggest enrolling in our Spanish language course to make your stay more rewarding—both for you and for those you help. You should have a passion for turtles and the environment. Volunteers must be hardworking, patient, confident and enthusiastic. You should bring energy and enthusiasm to your projects.

Your Responsibilities as a Volunteer

As a volunteer working in the turtle conservation project in Costa Rica, you will work on a wide-range of activities. Depending on individual skills and interests and the needs of local staff in the conservation projects, volunteer roles and responsibilities may include:

• Constructing and maintaining turtle tanks
• Cleaning and conserving turtle habitats
• Working in a hydroponics greenhouse
• Patrolling turtle habitats to collect eggs (nightly patrols)
• Recording data (measuring turtles, nest temperatures, population, etc.)
• Carefully moving turtle nests
• Preventing predators
• Working with tourists and teaching them about turtle conservation
• Monitoring and releasing hatchings
• Developing organic fertilizer
• Tagging turtles
• Fundraising
• Helping with information technology and web design for conservation efforts
• Advertising and promoting conservation campaigns
• Assisting with administrative and organizational tasks

Please Note: The activities above are mere examples of volunteers’ daily activities, but this may change due to requests from local staff. You will receive your work schedule from local staff. You are only required to work 3 to 4 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week, therefore, you will have ample time to relax and explore Costa Rica’s natural beauty and culture.

Spanish Language Program

Are you looking to learn Spanish or improve your skills? Helping Abroad offers exclusive Spanish lessons for its volunteers in Costa Rica and collaborates with a respectable Spanish school. Volunteers will learn from highly qualified and experienced teachers who offer intensive and valuable classes. Volunteers will work in their project and simultaneously take classes, allowing volunteers to practice what they learn in class with project staff, new friends and host families. Volunteers will either take classes in the morning and volunteer in the afternoon or visa versa, volunteer in the morning and take classes in the afternoon. Volunteers can work with their project staff to create their own schedule. As you improve your Spanish skills, your experience will be more beneficial, both for you and for those you help.

Major FAQ's

• Who will meet me in airport? What should I do if I am delayed or miss my flight? When should I arrive?

Please book your flight to arrive at Juan Santa Maria International Airport, San Jose. The Helping Abroad country coordinator will be waiting for you at the "Arrival" gate. Please look for a person with both the Helping Abroad company logo and your name on a sign card. In case your contact person is not there, please contact the Helping Abroad office and we will immediately follow up on your contact person’ whereabouts. Coordinators’ contact details are available in the pre-departure handbook. If your flight is delayed, immediately contact Helping Abroad so we can make adjustments to your program. Helping Abroad will be responsible for creating the necessary changes in your program.

The program fee covers expenses from the first day of the program to the last day of the program. If you arrive before the first day of the program and/or stay beyond the last day of the program, you will be responsible for these expenses.

• What are the visa requirements to volunteer in Costa Rica?

It is the volunteer's responsibility to acquire a tourist visa. Please contact either our office or the local Costa Rican embassy to learn more about the process for obtaining a visa, timelines, visa fees and visa extensions.

• What do I need to know about health and safety in Costa Rica?

Volunteers should be aware of all health and safety information before traveling to Costa Rica. You can read about health and safety in Costa Rica on the website below:

• WHO Costa Rica ( http://www.who.int/countries/en )
• What immunizations/vaccinations are recommended before arriving to Costa Rica?

We strongly recommend that volunteers obtain vaccinations before arriving in Costa Rica. You can speak with your health-care provider to determine which vaccinations you will need. Please read CDC recommendations about vaccinations and preventive medicine: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/costa-rica

• What is the local currency and exchange rate?

Costa Rica's local currency is the Costa Rican Colones (CRC). ATM cards are the best way to get money and Visa, MasterCard and American Express are also accepted at airports, large stores and large hotels. ATM’s are widely available in San Jose, tourist areas and larger cities. It is a good idea to carry a credit card for large purchases and emergencies. Make sure you notify your bank that you will be out of the country and give them your expected arrival/departure dates. This will prevent your account from being locked and you will be advised about any fraudulent charges. Always be aware of your situation and keep all your valuables and money concealed at all times. It is always best to go to the ATM machine in groups.

Please visit XE, a privately held online foreign exchange tool for rates. XE.com (http://www.xe.com/)

• How can I communicate with my family/friends while I am abroad? Is there Internet access?

If you have an unlocked cell phone that contains a SIM card, we recommend that you bring it because you can buy a SIM card upon arrival in Costa Rica. Phones are important to have for safety and communication with family and Helping Abroad staff. Internet cafes are widely available in Costa Rica.

• How is the climate in Costa Rica?

The climate in Costa Rica is tropical and subtropical where the dryer season is December to April and the rainy season is May to November. You can find specific information about weather.

For accurate weather please visit ACCU Weather (http://www.accuweather.com )

• What should I bring?

You can purchase basic necessities in Costa Rica at reasonable prices, but we suggest bringing the following:

• An unlocked mobile phone (you can use it after buying a sim card)
• Camera
• Sleeping bag
• Mosquito repellent
• Insect repellent
• Sunscreen
• Books about Costa Rica
• Map of Costa Rica
• Toiletries
• First aid kit
• Flash light
• Electricity adapter/converter
• Sun glasses
• Good shoes (for work and travel)
• Towel

• Should I bring gifts for my host family?

You are not required to bring a gift but it is common courtesy as a token of appreciation for hosting you. If you are working in orphanages or schools, you can bring items such as school supplies and games. Remember that many children will desire what you bring, so you may want to bring a large amount of one item (pencils, pens, notebooks, games, art supplies, etc).

NOTE:   Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) is derived from generic information about the country, and should not be used as a definitive travel guide. Travel information and situations abroad change constantly, and the information contained here may not be up to date. Participants should consult Helping Abroad staff or travel advisors to verify this information.