Intern or Volunteer with a Grassroots Youth and Education Organization in Nicaragua

  Nicaragua

Ciudad Sandino,  Jinotepe,  Masaya

Term: Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer, Throughout the year, Trimester, Winter 
Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months, 7-12 months and 1-2 years
Typical Duration of Program: 9-12 weeks
Dates: See FSD Website

Description: Examples of how you can support Youth and Education in Nicaragua:

* Teach and tutor English, reading, science, vocational skills, photography, painting, music, crafts, math, computer skills, choir, environmental education, sports, and other subjects for marginalized preschool, primary, middle, and/or high school students.

* Help young boys suffering from extreme poverty and abusive social networks by teaching recreational activities, farming skills, and tutoring individual students in primary subjects.
* Offer special education workshops to pre-school and primary school children who are deaf or suffer from developmental disabilities.

* Support the experiential training of adolescents in subjects such as leadership, personal growth, drug use prevention, sexuality, health, environment, non-violence, artisanry, civic participation, and rights issues.

* Contribute to the rehabilitation of at-risk youth who are faced with negative familial and societal pressures, addiction, and violence. These children are removed from the streets and given a structured social environment, proper nutrition, education, counseling, and vocational training.

* Continue an FSD project that teaches parents of school-age children about the ill-effects of child abuse and the use of force to discipline their children.

For more youth and education opportunities in Nicaragua, visit our website or contact us directly.

About FSD

The Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1995 to support underserved, international communities in a collaborative and sustainable manner. Our model incorporates three overlapping programs:

1. Sustainable Development Training Programs for Interns and Volunteers
FSD provides comprehensive training and immersion programs for interns and volunteers seeking hands-on experience in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Program participants come from countless professions and more than 300 universities worldwide to collaborate with our partner organizations on community-driven projects that reflect sustainable practices.

2. Grantmaking to Projects and Initiatives Led By Our Partner Organizations
Donations and grants given to FSD are used to support projects and initiatives implemented by our partner organizations, site teams, interns, and volunteers.

3. Sustainable Development of Community-Based Organizations
Our professional field staff, consultants, and program participants provide on-site technical training and capacity building to more than 200 community-based organizations.

Highlights: Development Issues Addressed by FSD in Nicaragua
Education in Nicaragua has seen a series of politically charged improvement campaigns that have done little to realistically better the situation of the country's youth. Current policy makers pride themselves on free and mandatory schooling for both primary and high school students. Unfortunately, in practice, the majority of children complete only primary school, and education is far from being free. These problems are so prevalent that a poor family of six is forced to spend half of their yearly income in order to send all of their children to school. This has obvious effects on drop-out rates, so that in any given year, less than half of Nicaraguan children complete their grade levels. School infrastructure in Nicaragua is also faced with many problems. Only the most basic subjects are typically taught; there are not enough funds to provide money for sports equipment, musical instruments, science and computer technology, or other supplementary education programs.

At the community level, some parents, teachers, and nongovernmental organizations are pushing for positive changes. FSD partners with such organizations so that interns assist in nearly every aspect of the Nicaraguan school system: teaching, tutoring, lesson planning, organizing extracurricular activities, and initiating creative projects from painting a mural for a pre-school to implementing workshops in organic farming for high-school students. By widening the creative scope of schools' curriculum or providing opportunities for re-entry, students are able to acquire vocational and academic skills that greatly enhance their chance of avoiding poverty.

Minimum Education: High School

Cost in US$: Depends on Program Selected; See FSD Website

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: FSD supports participants who boldly wish to initiate the change they believe is necessary in the developing world. Interns are passionate about sharing their practical knowledge, heart-felt enthusiasm, and economic resources with communities abroad that suffer unnecessary hardship. They wish to gain hands-on, grassroots development experience because they believe change is most powerfully cultivated on a community level. The aim is to experientially learn how their work can empower the community toward applying sustainable development solutions, rather than increasing reliance on foreign aid. Participants choose FSD because the program structure enables them to design and implement their own sustainable projects in collaboration with their host organization and the FSD Site Team. They are able to test their ideas and theories in the most direct way possible, giving them the experience and knowledge they seek. The flexibility of the host organizations allows for participants at all stages and levels of experience in international development to participate, thus opening the programs to a diverse group of capable applicants.

Age Range: 18-75

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

Participants Travel to Nicaragua Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Phone Interview
• Resume
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Foundation for Sustainable Development's Mission Statement: FSD supports the efforts of grassroots organizations in the developing world that are working to better their communities, environments, and the economic opportunities around them. We believe community development is only sustainable if it empowers the people to effectively use and cultivate their own resources in a conscious manner. Through our programs, we aim to raise international awareness of the economic challenges in developing countries and to support cross-cultural communities in finding more effective solutions to development issues.

Year Founded: 1995