Teach English in La Esperanza, Honduras

  Honduras

La Esperanza

Length of Position: 4-12 Weeks
Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: multiple dates year round

Description: Be part of it with i-to-i!
Our goal is to achieve 400yrs of combined volunteering all over the world by the end of 2008.

So far we have achieved 325yrs which when broken down means we achieved the following:

- Over 5500 children cared for on our community projects around the world
- A minimum of 13,000 children and adults taught English in schools and community centres
- Hundreds of animals protected including Turtles, Pandas, Elephants, Monkeys and more
- At least 80 homes and structures built for families and communities in need
- More than 8000 trees planted which are enough trees to offset the CO2 emissions of over 2,000 cars

Want to see what the rest are missing in Honduras?

Honduras' beauty makes the relatively few people who cross its borders every year a very pleasant surprise. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth though just pack your bags before they realize their mistake. The relaxed pace, rugged beauty and even smaller number of foreign visitors make the Western Highlands especially attractive to travelers. Working closely with Save the Children Honduras, if you sign up on this project you'll be helping disadvantaged children in the region by preparing and delivering English lessons. Outside of class, there are ample opportunities to play sports or lead the children in arts and crafts amongst other things.

Find out more about i-to-i, watch their short video here: http://video.i-to-i.com/site-videos/video.html

Highlights: What were the highlights of your trip that you couldn't wait to tell your friends about?

"When the students could sing the songs we had made up for them and could finally say 'pineapple' not being phonetic. I also loved the freedom we had to travel at the weekends and, actually, a lot of the best memories come from them rather than the actual volunteering I did. Copan, Tegucigalpa and the waterfalls were a few of the amazing sites and places I was able to visit. Living with my homestay and getting to know my family and the way they lived. By the end I felt like a member of the family - although a little paler in skin tone." (Maxine Campion)

The placement is based in the small town of La Esperanza (pop. 13,000) which is in the Western Highlands of Honduras. It is about 3-4 hours by bus from the capital, Tegucigalpa. La Esperanza is populated mainly by the indigenous Lenca people, and the town is best known for its traditional Sunday market. The local area is blessed with magnificent scenery and is fantastic for hiking / cycling.

Accommodation is in comfortable homestays with local families.

Qualifications: Basic conversational Spanish required. You should also be a confident communicator, patient, organized and enjoy working with children. It helps if you are determined and can think on your feet as the children will be lively!

Cost in US$: $1335.00 for 4 weeks, $205.00 for every week thereafter

Before you go, we prepare you with:
- detailed information on your project and country
- fundraising advice and support
- visa instructions and forms
- vaccination and inoculation recommendations
- advice on health, safety and culture shock
- contact details to pass along to those at home

When you arrive, we provide:
- pick-up from the airport on the designated arrival date
- welcome orientation
- survival language lesson
- regularly-inspected accommodation
- well-researched quality placements
- meals or food at your accommodation

At all times, you have:
- access to our emergency support team 24/7
- assistance of the global i-to-i staff
- guidance and advice from experienced i-to-i travelers
- access to our wealth of first-hand knowledge

And more! Call us to speak with a knowledgeable travel advisor and to request a free color catalog.

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: If you are interested in immersing yourself in another culture while giving your time to a worthy cause, then you are a typical i-to-i volunteer. We invite you to join the i-to-i community of dedicated volunteers aged 18-80 who are working on community development, building, teaching, and conservation projects across the globe. Together, we make a lasting impact that changes lives and helps preserve the planet through hundreds of worthwhile projects around the world.

Age Range: 18-80

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian and European Participants.

Application Process Involves:

• Phone Interview

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network

i-to-i Meaningful Travel's Mission Statement: Founded in 1994, i-to-i is an award-winning organization providing unique opportunities for you to travel, work and live abroad. Thousands of travelers aged 18 to 80 have joined our volunteer vacations and over 15,000 have learned to Teach English as a Foreign Language through our tailor-made TEFL courses. With over 300 projects on 4 continents, you can join the worldwide i-to-i volunteer community on an extended adventure in areas such as teaching, community development, sports coaching, conservation, building or internships in tourism, marketing, journalism, or health.

Year Founded: 1994