Volunteer or Intern with La Fundacion Galo Plaza Lasso

  Ecuador

• All Other Regions of Ecuador: 
Ibarra

Term: Throughout the year 
Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 3-6 months
Dates: Ongoing

Description: Develop your own program, depending on your abilities and knowledge! You can give dance lessons, mountaineering workshops, paint a mural, teach, cook with the kids, almost everything is possible. Just let us know what you do best...

Internship/Volunteer positions:

1) Education Coordinator for La Biblioteca de Zuleta
Responsibilities:
- Oversee after school program for elementary school age students
- Help maintain library organization, physical upkeep, and staffing
- Plan literacy outreach
- Work with environmental education volunteer to implement school year field trips and summer programming
- Work towards the vision of the library as a community learning center

2) Environmental Education Coordinator
Responsibilities:
- Organize and Implement field trips for local rural elementary schools to the condor rehabilitation project. Interns will be expected to contact schools, conduct pre-visits, and run field trips with support from local high school students and the library volunteer. Other projects could include: youth leadership training, site development or maintenance, and curriculum development. Summer Interns will develop and implement environmental education programming a summer school based out of the library

3) Marketing internship
Responsibilities:
- Help local groups of indigenous women market their embroidery work. In addition, help develop new products that capitalize on the manual dexterity of the local woman. Solicit resources to broaden skill base in artisan crafts in the community of Zuleta.

Highlights: Develop your own program, depending on your abilities and knowledge! You can give dance lessons, mountaineering workshops, paint a mural, teach, cook with the kids, almost everything is possible. Just let us know what you do best...

Qualifications:
In general we are looking for very committed people.
Your spanish level has to be at least intermediate, we prefer advanced.

You should have these general qualifications:
- Responsible work ethic and personal maturity
- Outgoing personality
- Strong leadership skills
- Self direction
- Nature lover and outdoor person

You should believe in
- Empowering communities through education
- Youth as the future and the key to everything

Cost in US$: USD15 per day. Free room and board is possible, depending on qualification and commitment.

Experience Required: yes

Volunteers and interns should have some experience in the area that they choose. Projects require a lot of self direction, and it is the belief of the Foundation that the work should develop from the strengths and experience of the volunteers.

Typical Volunteer: Previous volunteers have been * college graduates * retired professionals * professionals * students Previous volunteers were interested in: * education, * indigenous empowerment * environmental studies * archeology Successful volunteers have had: * good language skills * have been responsible * sociable people with an interest in empowering rural communities.

Age Range: 19 and older

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Ecuador Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Scholarships are Available. In special cases scholarships are available. Please send your detailed inquiery.

Application Process Involves:

• In-Person Interview when Feasible
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Exit Debriefing Abroad

Fundacion Galo Plaza Lasso's Mission Statement: Our foundation was created in order to manage the Hacienda Zuleta's many environmental, humanitarian, cultural and historical projects in a non-profit organization and to continue the legacy of ex-president Galo Plaza Lasso (1949-1953), the former owner of the hacienda. The foundation is dedicated to the continuing positive development of the Zuleta community. The foundation was started in the 1950s with the highly successful Embroidery Workshop, which enabled the local women to earn a much needed extra income as well as preserving their unique culture. This project is still ongoing and its beautiful products can be bought in the shop here at the hacienda. Another of Zuleta's amazing projects is the Condor Rehabilitation project that was created to accomplish the conditional reintroduction of captive and injured condors to the wild, and has begun a hopeful breeding program to increase the number of this magnificent creature. The project is also a space for environmental learning. Today the most important assignment for the foundation is the Educational Involvement project which aims to increase and improve the education of Zuleta's inhabitants.

Year Founded: 1995