Volunteer in Central America

Cross-Cultural Solutions: Volunteer Abroad for the Experience of a Lifetime!
Work side-by-side with local people, connect with others from around the world and have time for personal adventures. In-country staff welcome you to the CCS Home-Base and ensure that all of your needs are met – from safety and lodging to perspectives and insight about the local culture. Programs operate in Guatemala (Guatemala City), Costa Rica (San Carlos and Cartago), Peru (Ayacucho and Lima) and Brazil (Salvador).

Dates Offered: Choose from start dates year-round and lengths-of-stay from 1-12 weeks.
Contact: Cross-Cultural Solutions, 2 Clinton Place, New Rochelle, NY 10801; Tel: 800.380.4777 or 914.632.0022; in the UK call 0845 458 2781/2782; other countries call +44 (0) 1273 666392; Fax: 914.632.8494; Email: info@crossculturalsolutions.org; Web site: www.crossculturalsolutions.org.

Global Vision International in Central America
Teach and Travel in Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica
By joining this combination programme you will have the opportunity to travel and teach by joining three of our most popular community projects in Central America. Spanish lessons will be included as you will be teaching basic literacy and numeracy to children in Guatemala and Honduras, and English in Costa Rica. Volunteers will spend a month in each country living with local families and enjoying side trips and visits to the ‘must’ see places in each location.

Dates: All year round for 12 weeks
Costs: US $ 3,675
Contact: Global Vision International, 252 Newbury Street, Number 4, Boston, MA, 02116, USA. Call Toll free on 888-653-6028.
EMail: info@gviusa.com
Web Site: www.gviusa.com

Global Vision International in Central America
Volunteer work with children and community construction projects in Guatemala
Volunteers who join this six week programme have the unique opportunity of being immersed in one of several indigenous communities situated near Antigua Guatemala. Here volunteers will learn Spanish, teach literacy to children, build energy efficient stoves as well as explore parts of Guatemala on two multi-day guided trips.

Dates: All year round for 6 weeks
Costs: US $3,385
Contact: Global Vision International, 252 Newbury Street, Number 4, Boston, MA, 02116, USA. Call Toll free on 888-653-6028.
EMail: info@gviusa.com
Web Site: www.gviusa.com

Global Vision International in Central America
Turtle Conservation in Panama
Be instrumental in the long term survival of one of the world’s most endangered species of turtle by participating in Global Vision International’s Leatherback turtle conservation project with the Endangered Wildlife Trust. Living in accommodation on the beach, you will spend your time patrolling the beaches for nesting turtles and will be directly involved in tagging, measuring and monitoring the turtles.

Dates: All year round for a minimum of 2 weeks.
Costs: From US $1,610
Contact: Global Vision International, 252 Newbury Street, Number 4, Boston, MA, 02116, USA. Call Toll free on 888-653-6028.
EMail: info@gviusa.com
Web Site: www.gviusa.com

WorldTeach
Volunteer in Costa Rica
WorldTeach offers opportunities for volunteers to make a meaningful contribution to education by living and teaching in developing countries. WorldTeach provides: full-time in country coordinator; in country orientation including language and ESL training; live with host families/apartments. Requires: native English speakers; BA for yearlong programs. Fee covers program costs, housing, insurance and airfare.

Dates: Year-long programs depend on academic year; summer only programs: June-Aug (8 weeks).
Cost: Yearlong: Costa Rica, $4,990. 6 Months: Costa Rica, $3,990.
Contact: info@worldteach.org, www.worldteach.org

Volunteer in Veraguas, Panama with Amigos de las Américas (AMIGOS)
Amigos de las Américas (AMIGOS) volunteers will make a lasting impact while improving their Spanish and leadership skills. They will experience a new culture on a personal level by living with a host family and collaborating with community members to achieve shared goals. Volunteers will co-facilitate educational health and environmental workshops for children and teenagers in their host communities in Veraguas, Panama. AMIGOS offers programs in seven other Latin American countries. See the website for details.

Dates: June 11, 2008 - August 6, 2008
Cost: The participation fee is $3,995. This includes:

• Round-trip international airfare to/from your gateway city
• Food, lodging, and transportation in Latin America
• All project related supplies
• Training materials and workshops
• Veteran supervisory Project Staff
• 24-hour emergency On-Call Communications System during the program
• Supplementary short-term international medical insurance

Fundraising support and scholarships are available.

Contact: Amigos de las Américas, 5618 Star Lane, Houston, Texas 77057.
Phone: (713) 782-5290 or (800) 231-7796. Fax: (713) 782-9267.
Email: info@amigoslink.org
Website: www.amigoslink.org

How Will You Touch The World?
Volunteer Projects in Central America - Belize and Mexico
REAL projects….REAL experience! Your development project is determined by matching your skills with the needs of the local community. Hands on service work, weekly adventures, homestays, and local culture and language classes create an unforgettable experience. Volunteer projects include: health care, environment, journalism, teaching, and human rights.

Dates: Programs start every month of the year and run from 2 – 26 weeks in duration.
Cost: Program fees are based on the location and duration of your volunteer project. Please inquire or visit our website for current pricing. ProWorld scholarships and many private scholarships are available. We also offer fundraising support.
Program fees support our host community economies in the forms of project materials purchases, local salaries, host family payments, and local purchases. Program fees include: full room and board, domestic transportation, 24 hour safety and medical services, local culture and language classes, and funding of development projects and internships. The program fee also includes multiple cultural and adventure activities.
Contact: ProWorld Headquarters, ProWorld Service Corps, 1215 Taylor Avenue, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
Tel: 877.733.7378 (toll free); 406.245.7348 (direct line). Fax: 406.252.3973.
Email: info@myproworld.org
Website: www.MyProWorld.org

Volunteer in Guatemala with Volunteer Adventures!
Volunteer Adventures gives you the opportunity to live and volunteer in Guatemala. As a volunteer, you will be able to take care of rescued animals in the Petén rainforest, or help hatch and release endangered sea turtles on the black sand beaches of Hawaii, Guatemala. Both projects allow you to participate in the protection of these animals and restoration to their natural habitats.

Contact: volunteer@volunteeradventures.com, www.volunteeradventures.com.

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).

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.

Experiential Learning International: Volunteer in Central America. Volunteer projects in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. See website for more details. Contact: info@eliabroad.org, www.eliabroad.org.

Global Crossroad, www.globalcrossroad.com/costarica. The volunteer Costa Rica Program offers you amazing opportunities to experience one of the most exotic and undiscovered vacation destinations in the world, while volunteering in unique conservation and social projects. Global Crossroad invites you to consider this Peace Corps alternative, where you can help the children, teach indigenous peoples, and put your skills to work in grass-roots level development and conservation efforts. During your free time, explore towering and fiery volcanoes, pristine beaches, raging rivers, and virgin rain forests. Observe the abundant wildlife, or get to know the warm and hospitable people of Costa Rica.

Global Volunteer Network in Latin America: Volunteer in El Salvador. Join a team of teachers promoting solidarity and exchange among El Salvador's people in a progressive English School in San Salvador. Contact: info@volunteer.org.nz, www.volunteer.org.nz/elsalvador.

Global Volunteers, www.globalvolunteers.org/1main/costarica/conservation.htm. Serve on village development projects in Costa Rica! "Pura Vida" -- Costa Ricans' traditional greeting meaning "pure life" -- speaks of walking lightly and giving back to the earth.

Globe Aware in Central America: Costa Rica--The Road Less Traveled Village Experience. Costa Rica is a cultural and natural paradise, but most travelers see only the large, touristy resorts. This Road Less Traveled program, however, offers a unique opportunity in the middle of a secluded natural rainforest to help an untouched community create a sustainable future. While helping the community to help themselves, volunteers will be treated to enormous cultural learning and spectacular contact with the lush rainforest. A decade ago, the government set aside a national forest reserve for the spectacular Carara Rainforest, which borders the village. The villagers love their nature paradise and appreciated the action. However, since then, the tiny village has struggled for sources of income, as their crops are being eaten by protected wildlife. As a first step toward creating sustainable eco-tourism, the community needs help clearing paths, marking trails, learning English, etc. No special skills are required. Contact: info@globeaware.org, www.globeaware.org.

Projects Abroad
Volunteer in Central America
Volunteer Care Work in Costa Rica
Work with Orphans in Liberia, Costa Rica.
Volunteer Conservation Work in Costa Rica
Located at a wildlife research station on Playa Ostional, three and a half hours south of our main base in Liberia, volunteers work alongside scientists at the camp to assist with the protection of sea turtles.
Volunteer Sports Coaching in Costa Rica
You will join one of the many teams competing in the Little League after school program in Liberia (a district in the north west of the country), as part of our soccer project in Costa Rica. There are over 400 children aged between 5 and 11 years old who mainly come from low income families.
Volunteer Teaching in Costa Rica
Teach English to school children in Liberia, Costa Rica.

Contact: info@projects-abroad.org, www.projects-abroad.org.

Service Civil International Workcamps SCI US is an exchange organization that sends volunteers on 2-3 week international work projects and long term 3-12 month opportunities in over 50 countries, including many in Central America. The $250 application fee covers lodging, meals, and minimal health insurance. SCI promotes voluntary service to impact social, environmental and humanitarian issues. Contact: Service Civil International (SCI), 5505 Walnut Level Rd, Crozet, VA, 22932; Tel. 1-206-350-6585. Email: sciivs.placement@gmail.com. Visit www.sci-ivs.org for an application.

Volunteer Latin America: Volunteer in Central America. Provides international volunteers with a comprehensive and affordable solution to finding volunteer work opportunities in Central and South America. You tell us where and what you would like to do and we will provide you with everything you need to get involved via your own personalised information pack. Our extensive knowledge of the region ensures you are unlikely to find some of the projects we offer elsewhere. Volunteer Latin America is not only a great source of affordable voluntary work but a means to finding some of the best schools to learn Spanish. Contact: info@volunteerlatinamerica.com; www.volunteerlatinamerica.com.

VolunteerSouthAmerica.Net: Free and Low-Cost Volunteering in Central America. Website lists free and low-cost volunteer opportunities in South and Central America. The site is designed for backpackers / independent travellers looking for a real volunteer experience abroad, without paying any middle-man or agency fees. Contact: www.volunteersouthamerica.net.

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, Guyana, and Grenada.