No Cost, plus room and board - Volunteer Teach at the Sierra Flor School

  Ecuador

• All Other Regions of Ecuador: 
Latacunga

Durations of Program: 3-6 months, 7-12 months, 1-2 years and over 2 years
Typical Duration of Program: 7-12 months
Dates: Dates vary, Inquire for more information

Description: The teacher/volunteer working at the school will have basic common school responsibilities: teach classes (science, math, language, music, etc. according to the teacher's area of expertise), and some specific responsibilities from this particular school: help with shower time in the morning, monitor the children during breakfast, lunch, or snack time, take the children on walks, etc. All of these activities are done under the supervision or with the assistance of other teachers, depending on the specific volunteer.   

The teacher/volunteer working at the Day Care Center could choose to work either with babies (3 month olds to a year old) changing, feeding, and giving them early stimulation; or with the two older groups (1 year to 2 1/2 year olds) and (2 1/2 to 4 year olds) teaching them the different skills needed to start schooling and helping them in all of their daily routines: meals, showers, going to the bathroom, painting, walks, etc. Again, all of these activities will be done under the supervision or with the assistance of other teachers depending on the specific volunteer.

Highlights: One of the highlights of volunteering at Sierra Flor Foundation is that the work you do benefits directly the lives of the children you come in contact with. Teaching and working with children from very low income peasant families and seeing them succeed is extremely rewarding, especially if you are aware that if not enrolled in the Sierra Flor Foundation, these children will have access only to very basic education and the chances of them ever getting out of poverty are extremely slim.

Besides, the area where the Foundation is located is extremely beautiful, and it is possible to go on day trips to visit gorgeous places and folkloric markets. The School and the Day Care Center are located near by the Snow-covered Volcano Cotopaxi, which can be climbed or simply visited in a day trip or in a more organized few days expedition.

The Foundation is 20 minutes from Latacunga town (population 200,000) and 1 1/2 hours from the Capital city of Quito (population 2,000,000). A city full of museums and tourist attractions.

Qualifications: The Sierraflor School is looking for a teacher/volunteer who has experience working with children at a Day Care Center and/or at a Primary School, The teacher/Volunteer will have to teach (in English) one or two of the following subjects according to his/her area of specialty: language, math, science, art, music, dance and movement, etc. The teacher must be an English speaker (or proficient in English) and able to work in a team. The environment is rural and the children are from low income families, thus, the teacher/volunteer must want to be part of the social change that this school is bringing to this community in Ecuador and have a strong social conscience.

Cost in US$: FREE, and we actually provide Free Housing and Meals

Salary / Pay: NONE

Experience Required: yes

Previous experience working/teaching children is a plus

Typical Volunteer: The ideal volunteer will be a primary education or early childhood education teacher (or teacher to be), who would like to spend at least three months helping an alternative bilingual (English-Spanish) school grow. However, we will consider other volunteers with different skills who have experience working with children.

Age Range: 23 and up

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian, European, South African and Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Ecuador Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups of side by side with nationals

Application Process Involves:

• In-Person Interview when Feasible
• Letters of Reference
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Resume
• Written Application

Sierraflor Foundation - School and Early Stimulation Center - Ecuador's Mission Statement: The Sierraflor Foundation strongly believes that education is the engine that drives change. Therefore, our mission is to provide quality alternative bilingual (Spanish-English) education to the children that live in the surrounding communities of the town of Lasso. This education fosters the development of socially and ecologically aware and well-rounded adults of high self-esteem, strong values, and good health who will benefit and aid the future growth of the community in which they live and work, as well as understand, respect, and celebrate the diversity of the Ecuadorian culture.

Year Founded: 1999