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Short-Term Jobs in Latin America
The Key Employers

Jobs in Latin America
	Key Employers in Latin America selected by Susan Griffith
	English Teaching Jobs in Latin America
	Internships in Latin America
	Volunteer Jobs in Latin America

American Friends Service Committee, 1501 Cherry St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102-1479 (215-241-7295; mexicosummer@afsc.org, www.afsc.org/latinamerica/int/mexicosummer.htm). A Quaker organization which recruits Spanish-speaking volunteers aged 18-26 to work for seven weeks from late June, focusing on sustainable development and community building in indigenous communities of Mexico. Summer Youth Leadership program fee $1,350 plus travel expenses to Mexico City (some scholarships available).

American Language Partnership International, Calle San Luis #83, Santiago, Dominican Republic; 809-971-1422; fax. 809-583-0553; info@alpinternational.com, www.alpinternational.com. TESOL Exchange Program for experienced and inexperienced teachers. Possibility of paid housing and a stipend.

Amigos de las Americas, 5618 Star Ln., Houston, TX 77057; 800-231-7796; info@amigoslink.org, www.amigoslink.org. Summer training program for high school and college student volunteers (minimum age 16) mostly in community health projects in Central America (Mexico, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama) and Paraguayl. Participation fee is $3,995 including travel from the U.S. All volunteers must have studied Spanish at school or university and undergone training.

Amizade Volunteer & Global Service-Learning Programs, P.O. Box 110107, Pittsburgh, PA 15232; 888-973-4443 or 412-441-6655; volunteer@amizade.org; www.amizade.org. Community service volunteer programs in Brazil, Bolivia, Mexico, and Jamaica, lasting 2 weeks to 6 months. (Opportunities also available in Australia, Ghana, India, Northern Ireland, Poland, and Tanzania.) Sample prices $1,275 for first two weeks, about $300 for each additional week.

APF Languages, El Mercurio 345, Quito, Ecuador; 011-593-2-244-8204; info@apf-languages.com, www.apf-languages.com. Flexible Spanish language and volunteering program working with street children (e.g. care and nursery) or in ecology projects outside Quito. Minimum stay 2-week language course plus 2 weeks volunteering. Also 6-month positions as jungle guides. Registration fee $50 plus course fee (e.g. $900 for 4 weeks).

Bimini Biological Field Station, Sharklab, Bimini, Bahamas; U.S. address: 9300 SW 99 St., Miami, FL 33176-2050; tel./fax. 305-274-0628; BBFSsharklab@gmail.com, www.miami.edu/sharklab. Volunteers at shark research station in the Bahamas perform tasks including research, maintenance and cooking, for at least 1 month. Volunteers contribute $625 per month to cover meals and housing.

Black Sheep Inn, P.O. Box 05-01-240, Chugchilan, Cotopaxi, Ecuador; 011-593-3-281-4587; www.blacksheepinn.com/HelpWanted.htm#Volunteers. Remote eco-lodge takes on volunteers to maintain property and lead guests on hikes in exchange for room and board, usually free after 2-week trial period.

Cactus Volunteers Abroad, 4 Clarence House, 30-31 North St., Brighton, E. Sussex BN1 1EB, U.K.; 011-44-1273-725200 or from North America 888-270-3949; volunteer@cactuslanguage.com; www.volunteers-abroad.com/language_volunteering.php. Combination language and volunteer programs in Latin America; varying lengths of course followed by 8 weeks volunteering, with extensions possible. Destination countries are Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, and Mexico.

Caledonia Languages Abroad, The Clockhouse, Bonnington Mill, 72 Newhaven Rd., Edinburgh EH6 5QG, Scotland; 011-44-131-621-7721; www.caledonialanguages.co.uk. Spanish language and voluntary work programs organized in Peru, Costa Rica, Brazil, Ecuador, and Bolivia, year-round. Community and environmental projects and teaching English, depending on skills and level of language ability. Arranging fee from £300 ($590).

Casa de los Amigos, Ignacio Mariscal 132, Col. Tabacalera, 06030 Mexico, D.F., Mexico; 011-52-55-5705-0521; amigos@casadelosamigos.org, www.casadelosamigos.org. Quaker-run peace and service center in Mexico City holds information on peace and justice movements and volunteering opportunities throughout Mexico and Central America. Casa provides simple inexpensive lodging for individuals involved in service activities. Volunteer opportunities with the Casa and other organizations in Mexico City are available for Spanish speakers able to commit for at least 3 months.

Casa Alianza, SJO 1039, P.O. Box 025216, Miami, FL 33102-5216; www.casa-alianza.org. Affiliated with Covenant House in the U.S. (www.covenanthouse.org). Organization works in a number of Central American countries though volunteers are most needed to work with street children in Guatemala (voluntarios@casaalianza.org.gt) and Honduras (recursos-humanos@casa-alianza.org) for varying periods.

Casa Guatemala, 14th Calle 10-63, Zona 1, Guatemala City, 01001 Guatemala; 011-502-2331-4408; casaguatemal@guate.net; www.casa-guatemala.org. Orphanage and backpackers’ hostel in the Petén region that needs volunteer medical staff, teachers, nannies, and general staff (aged 24+ and with basic Spanish) for at least 6 months. Shorter volunteer stays possible for hostel staff. Fee of $180.

Casa Xelaju Guatemala, Callejon 15, Diagonal 13-02, Zona 1, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala; 011-502-7761-5954 or 612-235-4347; www.casaxelaju.com. Supervised internships in and around Quetzaltenango. Minimum stay 6 weeks for interns, 4 weeks for volunteers. Must have good knowledge of Spanish. Placement fee $150 (or $100 in the low season between late Aug. and late May) plus $50 a week homestay. U.S. contact: Casa Xelaju, 4701 Zenith Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55410; 888-796-CASA.

Centro Cultural Colombo Americano, Carrera. 45 No. 53-24, Medellín 8734, Colombia; 011-574-513-4444; fax. 011-574-513 2666; jmcneal@colomboworld.com; www.colomboworld.com. Recruits 100+ English teachers for sessions starting January and July teaching adults or juveniles. Similar centers operate independently in Barranquilla, Bogota, Cali, etc.

Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad (CIS), Melida Ananya Montes (MAM) Language School, Colonia Libertad, Avenida Bolívar #103, San Salvador, El Salvador; tel./fax. 503-2226-5362; cis_elsalvador@yahoo.com; www.cis-elsalvador.org. Volunteer English teachers to work part-time with members of the Salvadorean opposition. Training and excursions provided, subsidized Spanish classes available, and a 2-week political-cultural program is included in the $100 program fee (to be paid in advance to CIS, P.O. Box 17025; St. Paul, MN 55117-0025).

Centro Venezolano Americano (CVA), Avenida Principal José Martí, Edif. CVA, Urb. Las Mercedes, Caracas 1060-A, Venezuela; 011-58-212-993-7911; academ@cva.org.ve; www.cva.org.ve/internship.doc. Bi-national center offering combined work/study internships, open only to U.S. and Canadian graduates.

Colonias de Inmersión al Idioma, Armenia 1973, Departamento 3, 1414 Buenos Aires, Argentina; tel./fax. 011-54-11-4831 8152; info@coloniasdeinmersionalidioma.com; www.coloniasdeinmersionalidioma.com. Students and graduates aged 20-26 from English-speaking countries study, work, and live in Argentina, Chile, or Spain. Placements as language and culture facilitators at South American schools start in March or July and last 3 to 12 months. Fee $660-$850.

Darwin Foundation (External Relations Unit), Charles Darwin Research Station, Casilla Postal 17-01-3891; Quito, Ecuador; www.darwinfoundation.org/en/get-involved/volunteer. Volunteers must be at least second year undergraduates. Self-funding volunteers without relevant scientific skills pay for food and dorm accommodation and must stay for a minimum of six months.

Eco-Escuela de Español, San Andrés, Petén 17001, Guatemala; 502-5940 1235; EcoEscuelaEspanol@gmail.com, www.ecoescuelaespanol.org. Students learn Spanish in Guatemalan village in Petén region and help with conservation and development work for 2 hours a day. Fee of $150 per week covers 4 hours one-to-one tuition daily plus homestay. People with TEFL qualification may be able to find paid work.

Eco-Escuela de Español & Bio-Itza, c.o Tikal Connection Tours, Calle 15 de Septiembre, Ciudad Flores, Petén 17001, Guatemala; Tel./fax. 502-7926-4981; info@tikalcnx.com; www.tikalcnx.com. Students learn Spanish in Guatemalan village in Petén region and help with conservation and development work for 2 hours a day. Fee of $150 per week covers 4 hours one-to-one tuition daily plus homestay.

EcoLogic Development Fund, Harvard Square, 25 Mount Auburn St., Ste. 203, Cambridge, MA 02138; 617-441-6300; fax. 617-441-6307; info@ecologic.org; www.ecologic.org. Forwards relevant resumés from students and professionals (written in Spanish) to partner organizations in Central America, looking for interns and volunteers in the fields of conservation, community development, and social justice. Minimum attachment is normally 3 months in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.

EcuadorExplorer.com, www.ecuadorexplorer.com/html/work_or_volunteer.html. Useful information about working and volunteering in Ecuador with links to about 20 organizations with volunteer programs.

EcuEVP, P.O. Box 17-03-1423, Quito, Ecuador; 011-593-2-222 6947; fax. 011-593-2-255-0898; ecuevp2004@gmail.com; www.ecuevp.com. Unpaid internships in Ecuador in many fields such as journalism and media, medical, business, architecture, human rights, and marketing. Minimum stay 6 weeks, maximum 1 year. Sample 3-month package includes four weeks language study (80 hours), volunteer arrangement commission and homestay with meals for $1,120 plus $12 payable directly to families.

El Porvenir, 48 Clifford Terrace, San Francisco, CA 94117; 303-520-0093, jemerritt@elporvenir.org; www.elporvenir.org. Up to 60 volunteers per year are needed for 2-week work experience trips in Jan./Feb. and July/Aug. to construct water and sanitation facilities and help with reforestation in Nicaragua. The charge to volunteers is $800-$1,050, excluding airfares.

ELEP (Experiential Learning Ecuadorian Programs), Mosquera Narvaez Oe3-163 y Av. America, Quito, Ecuador; 011-593-2-254 3231; info@elep.org or programs@elep.org, www.elep.org. ELEP designs customized volunteer and unpaid intern placements throughout Ecuador, year-round. Volunteer projects include social work, HIV-AIDS, human rights, health, English teaching, conservation, construction, organic farming, and animal care. Internship may be in the fields of media and journalism, economics, biology, medicine, law, computing, agriculture, architecture/engineering, psychology, education, environmental science, marketing, etc. Locations include highlands, coast, Amazonia, and Galapagos Islands. Participants must have a high basic level of Spanish as minimum for a volunteer program and interns an intermediate level. Sample price $1,500 for 4-week Spanish lessons plus 8 weeks internship/volunteering.

Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD): International Development Internship. FSD provides capacity building, funding, and human resources to over 200 grassroots organizations in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Our programs provide comprehensive development training, immersion, and the opportunity for participants to design and implement collaborative projects with the help of a Site Team and their host organization. With our partner organizations, we implement solutions that improve social, environmental, educational, and economic conditions at the community level..Contact: 517 Potrero Ave. Suite B, San Francisco, CA 94110 USA; info@fsdinternational.org, www.fsdinternational.org.

Fundación Cabo San Francisco, Programa de Voluntarios, Casilla 17-15-73-B, Quito, Ecuador; 011-593-2-278 8061; volunteer@fcsf.org, www.fcsf.org. Volunteers accepted on projects in the northern province of Esmeraldas to conserve flora and fauna. Placements between 10 days and 3-plus months. Fee: $350 per month.

Fundacion Golondrinas, Cerro Golondrinas Cloudforest Conservation Group: c/o Calle Isabel La Catòlica N24-679, Quito, Ecuador; manteca@uio.satnet.net; www.fundaciongolondrinas.org. Volunteers help to conserve highland cloudforest on the western slopes of the Andes. Minimum stay two weeks (four preferred); contribution of $280 per month.

Fundación Jatun Sacha, Pasaje Eugenio de Santillán N34 248 y Maurián, Casilla 17-12-867, Quito, Ecuador; 011-593-2-243-2240; volunteer@jatunsacha.org, www.jatunsacha.org. Volunteer interns participate in research, plant conservation, agroforestry, etc. at 8 reserves in Amazonian Ecuador. Reserve fees including lodging and meals: see website for details.

Fundaciòn Proniño (“For The Children”) Barrio El Centro, Edificio Ecocentenario, El Progreso, Yoro, Honduras; tel./fax. 504-647-3424; proninohonduras@yahoo.com (for volunteer enquiries); www.pronino.org. Runs two centers for street children based in El Progreso, Honduras. Volunteers work and play with the children for at least 4 months, usually 6-12 months. A room in the volunteer house costs approximately $120 per month; personal spending and living expenses about $50 per month.

Genesis Volunteer Program, Malecón 1312 y Ascazubi St, Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador; 011-593-5-269-2400; vladir@childrenecuador.org, www.bahiacity.com/volunteer. Foreign travelers to Ecuador are invited to teach for a few hours a day in one of four schools in the coastal town of Bahía de Caráquez. Family accommodations provided and chance to take subsidized Spanish classes at the Escuela de Español. Minimum stay 4 weeks during academic year (April to Jan.). Program fee $800 for the first month, $95 a week thereafter, includes 25 percent donation to the schools.

God’s Child Project, P.O. Box 1573, Bismarck, ND 58502-1573; 701-255-7956; www.godschild.org. Provides an education for slum children in Antigua, Guatemala and uses short- and long-term volunteers who pay about $180 a month and live with a local family after doing a Spanish course.

Hôpital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti, P.O. Box 81046, Pittsburgh, PA 15217; 412-361-5200; info@hashaiti.org; www.hashaiti.org. Work team projects use self-funding voluntary input to help at this Haitian hospital run by the Grant Foundation.

ICADS (Institute for Central American Development Studies), Dept. 826, P.O. Box 025216, Miami, Florida 33102-5216; info@icads.org; www.icads.org. Study of the Spanish language and development issues combined with structured internships in Costa Rica and Nicaragua lasting a semester($9,300) or a summer ($4,000)..

Iko Poran Association, Rua Dr. Julio Otoni, 571, Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro (RJ), CEP: 20.241-400, Brazil; 011-55-21-2205-1365; rj@ikoporan.org, www.ikoporan.org. 250-300 volunteers over the age of 20 are assigned to various Brazilian development projects in Rio, Salvador, and Amazonia for 3-24 weeks. Program fee is R$1,500 ($700), which covers volunteer lodging for first month and a donation of R$400.

International Academic Assistance Program, Av Matamoros 110 Ote, Col. Centro, Torreón, Coah, Mexico 27000; 011-52-871-716-9732; info@iaap.org.mx. IAAP provides enthusiastic native speakers to teach English at technology institutes throughout Mexico. Candidates must speak Spanish and commit themselves to stay for 2 complete semesters from the end of January.

Interworld Internship Program (Interlatina Corp), Tucuman 1367 4 A, Capital Federal, Buenos Aires, Argentina; 011-54-4371-8649 or in Miami 305-394–9807; interworldargentina@yahoo.com.ar. Human resources company that sets up unpaid internships in Argentinean companies for students and graduates. Placements last 2-12 months.

Kiya Survivors, 38 Hove Park Villas, Hove, East Sussex BN3 6HG, U.K.; 011-44-1273-721092; volunteers@kiyasurvivors.org, www.kiyasurvivors.org. U.K.-based charity works with special needs children at two centers in Peru (Los Organos and Mancora). Volunteers stay for 2, 3, 4, or 6 months. Basic cost of 6-month placement is £1,500 ($2,947) excluding flights.

Maquipucuna Foundation, Inc., Baquerizo E9-153, P.O. Box 17-12-167, Quito, Ecuador. Fax. 011-593-2-250 7201. Also: c/o Inst. of Ecology, Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-2202; 706-542-2923; volunteers@maquipucuna.org; www.maqui.org. Cloud forest reserve, near Quito in Ecuador, accepts paying volunteers ($450 per month or $360 if staying longer than 3 months).

Mundo Verde Spanish School, Nueva Alta, 432-A Cusco, Peru; 011-51-84-221287; info@mundoverdespanish.com, www.mundoverdespanish.com. Spanish school has links with development project in the rainforest and with many other voluntary projects to which students can be assigned (no fee).

Pantanal Institute, Rua B, No. 4, Setor Centro Sul, Morada do Ouro, Cuiabá/MT, Brazil CEP: 78053-164; 011-55-65-3644-2331; contact@pantanalinstitute.com, www.pantanalinstitute.com. Institute combines teaching English as a Foreign Language (to Brazilian biologists) and captive breeding facility for hawks. Voluntary/work experience vacancies available on conservation projects in the Pantanal region, a vast wetland habitat in central western Brazil. Volunteers must pay £500 ($982) a month for board and lodging.

Pivian Exchange, Hochgernstrasse 3, 83026 Rosenheim, Germany; 011-49-8031 352 1253; fax. 011-49-89-1488-252472; info@pivianexchange.com; www.pivianexchange.com (only in German). Spanish/Portuguese courses and volunteering in most South American countries from Argentina to Venezuela. Internship and farmstay programs available on request.

ProWorld Service Corps, www.myproworld.org/about_proworld/contact_us.htm, www.myproworld.org. Range of internships lasting 1-6 months with aid agencies throughout Peru, Belize, and Mexico, mainly suitable for pre- or post-university volunteers looking for experience in business, journalism, and many others.

Road2Argentina, Av. Pueyrredón 1535, 10B, 1118 Buenos Aires, Argentina; 011-54-11-4821-3271; www.road2argentina.com. Offers cultural exchange and language immersion programs in which international interns of any nationality undertake various placements in and around the capital, including some as ESL teachers (for which no knowledge of Spanish is required). Program fees start at $800.

Rose Education Foundation, 1735 North State St., Provo, UT 84604; 801-319-4021; info@RoseEducation.org, www.RoseEducation.org. Native English-speaking teachers work alongside local teachers in Guatemalan schools. Stays last from 6 weeks to 10 months and cost $150 for initial Spanish language course and $100 per month for a homestay while teaching.

SEDEPAC, Proyecto de Verano, Calle Huatusco #39, Col Roma Sur., Mexico, D.F. C.P. 06760; 011-52-55-5574-6397; verano2006@sedepac.org.mx or info@sedepac.org.mx, www.sedepac.org.mx. Partner of American Friends Service Committee (see beginning of this listing) and places volunteers of other nationalities in various grassroots projects.

Subway Watersports, Brick Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras; 504-387-0579; internship@subwaywatersports.com; www.subwaywatersports.com/Courses/internship.htm. Internship working in a dive shop while training toward a professional PADI Divemaster. Trainees pay $1,100 for 4 weeks; $1,550 for 6 weeks; or $1,900 for 8 weeks.

Teachers Latin America, Rio Ebro 31 Ste. 3, Col. Cuauhtemoc, Mexico City CP 06500; 011-52-55-5533-1233; teachers@innovative-english.com, www.innovative-english.com. TEFL certificate course and practice teaching program followed by job placement assistance. TEFL training costs $1,190, plus $200 job assistance fee.

TeachingChile, Av. Vitacura 3355, Dept 113, Santiago; 720-221-3831 (U.S. phone number routes calls to Santiago office); fax. 775-206-1089 (U.S.); info@teachingchile.com, www.teachingchile.com. Forty native English-speaking teachers placed per year, mainly university graduates. Contract period of 5, 10, or 12 months; preferred application deadline mid-December. Placement fee $895. Minimum monthly net pay is 300,000 Chilean pesos for 15 hours of classroom time per week.

Teach Peru, 13 Ebberston Terrace, Hyde Park, Leeds LS6 1AU, U.K.; 011-44-0113-275-8960; jeremykeates@teachperu.com, www.teachperu.com. Voluntary English teaching placements in the Andean city of Huaraz and at a bilingual school in Lima.

Travel Alive Inc, 1177 S. Lombard Ave., Oak Park, IL 60304; 866-551-1929, info@travelalive.com; www.travelalive.com. Provides Spanish language study, family stay, and volunteer opportunities in the community of Ocotal, Nicaragua.

Tronwell S.A., Av. Apoquindo 4499, Piso 3, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile; 011-56-2-246-1040; www.tronwell.com. Native speaking teachers employed for at least a year.

Volunteer Bolivia, Casilla Postal 2411, Cochabamba, Bolivia; fax. 413-828-8144; info@volunteerbolivia.org, www.volunteerbolivia.org. Places volunteers of all ages in variety of volunteer positions (e.g. social services, teaching, medical) mainly in and around Cochabamba. Fee of $2,150 for 12 weeks including 4 weeks of Spanish language study, homestay and meals, and volunteer placement.

Volunteersouthamerica.net, founded in 2005, lists “grass-roots, zero-cost volunteer work” opportunities in South America.

Youth Challenge International, 20 Maud St., Ste. 305, Toronto, Ontario M5V 2M5, Canada, 416-504-3370; www.yci.org. Teams of volunteers aged 18-30 carry out community development projects lasting 5, 6, 8, or 10 weeks in Costa Rica and Guyana. Sample costs $2,900 for 5 weeks, $3,600 for 8 weeks excluding airfares.