Volunteer Teaching in Ecuador

  Ecuador

• Galapagos Islands: 
Galapagos Islands
• All Other Regions of Ecuador: 
Rural Areas

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: Inquire for the specific dates.

Description: We offer 2 teaching programs in Ecuador:

* Ecuador Amazon Teaching Volunteers

The aim of the project is to bring these once remote communities into the modern world through teaching and campaigning whilst keeping alive traditional values. You can try out your teaching skills and benefit these children by providing a balanced and constant learning environment, so that they can develop the skills and knowledge necessary to ensure that they can go out and find a respectable job.

- Summer School
Ecuadorian school terms run from January to May and September until mid December. Volunteer opportunities don't stop with the holidays though. As the children tend to have very little to do during the holidays, the project is running a summer school that gives them the chance to have a bit of creative freedom! The summer school will focus on arts, sports and music as well as giving volunteers the opportunity to try out a few of their own ideas.

- Community Projects
These run concurrently with the Summer School, but what kind of projects these will be depends entirely on funding and what needs doing within the communities at the time.

* Galapagos Island Teaching Volunteers

Enjoy the fabulous Galapagos Islands while integrating yourself as a vital member of the community. Teaching English to the younger generation is crucially important to the local people who are looking to gain employment in the tourist industry.

As one of the primary tourist destinations in South America, the Galapagos Islands provide a major source of income for the indigenous population and speaking English has become invaluable. This is not only worthwhile project, but also a rare opportunity travel one of the most inaccessible destinations on the planet.

The high demand for English teachers leads to a shortage of teachers in the poorer and more remote areas of the Galapagos. Volunteers are therefore needed to fill the void, and offer a new and refreshing approach to teaching English.

As many of the children don't regularly attend school, they need to be taught basic Spanish, Mathematics, and English. Classes are prepared by the volunteers in relation to the children's ability.

Volunteers can teach English to children between the ages of seven to eleven. Volunteers are offered a lot of flexibility in terms of teaching methods; for example, you may organise excursions outside of the classroom to add a new dimension to the learning process. It is recommended volunteers bring innovative materials with them that will add variety to the classes, such as: Board or card games, Books, Writing and drawing materials etc.

Volunteers are not restricted to these roles and can become involved in other areas as and when required e.g. sports instruction, arts and crafts etc.

Highlights: Ecuador is a relatively unexplored country located in the northwest of South America between the Pacific Ocean and the Amazon jungle. Ecuador was named after its position on the Equator and is bordered by Colombia, Peru and the Pacific Ocean.

Visitors can see Ecuador's highest active volcano, Cotopaxi; explore Otovalo the world famous indigenous market and activities could include horse riding in the Andes, white water rafting along mountain rapids as well as visiting the exquisitely beautiful Machalilla National Park.

The capital of Ecuador is Quito. The ancient capital of the northern realm of the Incan Empire, Quito lies at 2,800 metres above sea level in a high valley at the base of Mount Pichincha approximately 15 miles south of the equator. Also known as Luz de América: the light or beacon of America, Quito was the first Latin American region to declare its independence from Spain. Quito's Spanish heritage was built on the ruins of the Incan capital's northern domain and since colonial times has been renowned as an artistic, architectural and literary centre for many years.

Located in the inter-Andean valley, Quito is surrounded by mountains with three snow-capped volcanoes visible on clear days. Ecuador's climate is infamously known as the land of eternal spring. Due to its high altitude and close proximity to the equator it has an average daily temperature of 70°F and this rarely changes.

Quito has plenty to offer culturally; cinemas, theatres, concerts, bookstores, discos, museums, art galleries, craft stores, tourist attractions, restaurants and even western-style bars.

Travel by land and air is easy from Quito. Its central location means you can easily access different areas of the country including beaches, mountains and the Amazon basin. Mountains, valleys, volcanoes, river and varied plant life provide spectacular scenery in the area of Quito.

Qualifications:
* Ecuador Amazon Teaching Volunteers

Teaching experience is not necessary for getting involved in this project, but volunteers will need to be enthusiastic, creative and must want to work closely with children. A basic level of spoken Spanish would be an advantage.

* Galapagos Island Teaching Volunteers

All volunteers must have some knowledge of Spanish before starting their volunteer work, not only to get the most out of the project, but also to get around and integrate more easily with the local people. If you do not already speak Spanish, it is strongly recommended you take our language course prior to the start of the programme. These are available for 2 or 4 weeks and are easily combined with the project. Please speak to one of our travel advisors for further information.

Cost in US$: Please check our website for the full price list

* Galapagos Island Teaching Volunteers
    - Airport transfers to and from Quito
    - Shared volunteer accommodation on Santa Cruz (one day on arrival)
    - Accommodation in a hostel on Isabela Island
    - Transport between Baltra airport and Puerto Villamil
    - Food - three meals a day for duration of programme
    - Detailed orientation
    - Project support and 24-hour emergency assistance

Please Note: You will need to budget USD110 to pay the park entrance fee as you pass through customs. This is required by all visitors to the islands and cannot be included in the programme cost. You will also need to budget around USD30 for return transport from Isabela to Santa Cruz for those taking part in the Giant Galapagos Tortoise volunteer project.

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Ecuador Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Other

Real Gap Experience's Mission Statement: We are ambitious for our company, our partners and the communities in which we work. We take our responsibilities seriously - understanding that the development of our business impacts directly on our partners, the communities that we visit and work with and that ultimately, our success is their success too.