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City/State: many cities |
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Country: COSTA RICA
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Program description: |
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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.
ONGOING VOLUNTEER PROJECTS
Help At-Risk or Orphaned Children:
This Volunteer Costa Rica project to help at-risk or orphaned children offers volunteers the opportunity to help children who live in impoverished conditions or unsafe neighborhoods and give them love, care, and education. You will use your skills and your love to help these neglected kids become good citizens and productive members of society. In the morning, you will help the children get ready for school. In the afternoons, you will help them with their English, dancing, drawing, and other creative activities. In the evenings, you will help them do their homework, organize arts and crafts activities, and teach them social skills. By working with destitute kids, you will help shape the future of young people who otherwise would face serious struggles. Opportunities are available to work with these children in community centers, orphanages, churches, and other sites.
HIV Positive Patients:
Public health care in Costa Rica is inadequate, even though it is one of the better programs in Latin America. Access to high standard hospitals is very limited and available only in major cities. Furthermore, only the wealthier families can afford private health care.
Health projects of the Costa Rica volunteer program offers a wonderful opportunity for volunteers or students to familiarize themselves with the challenges and health issues of Costa Rica. Volunteering to help with health projects involve supporting the local doctors and nurses. Such volunteer work ranges from observation to assistance. Depending on their level of knowledge, experience, and skills, Costa Rica volunteers will take care of patients, make beds, change sheets, check blood pressure, distribute food and medicine, weigh babies, and help with other first aid procedures. Moreover, many hospitals, local clinics, and EBAIS (small clinics in individual communities) in Costa Rica run different programs on health education, basic prevention, nutrition, and sanitation; volunteers might be asked to help in these areas, as well.
You can also work for a Hoy Por Ti Home, a private care facility for HIV Positive patients. Volunteers may choose either to live at the facility (room for just one) or to live with a host family near the project and help during the day.
Another option is working for the Costa Rica Red Cross, where you can assist with the same activities described above, as well as with office jobs.
Medical volunteers need to have some proof of qualification as a health professional, medical student, or nurse.
Teach English to Primary School Children:
Children in Costa Rica's primary schools need help from volunteers in order to receive a better education. In the Volunteer Costa Rica Primary School project, volunteers will contribute their time and energy working with younger children, especially teaching them basic English. Sometimes additional help with games, drawing, and other creative activities will be needed.
Teach English to High School Students:
The Volunteer Costa Rica Program provides opportunities for volunteers to teach English to young people attending Costa Rican high schools. As Costa Rica develops its tourism industry, it is becoming a more popular destination for English-speaking tourists. For these students to become part of this ever-growing industry, it is important for them to understand and speak English. While schools in the major cities are able to attract English teachers easily, more rural schools have a high need for English-speaking volunteers to help with these classes. In this project, volunteers will contribute their time and energy to work with teenagers teaching Basic English; sometimes additional help with games, drawing, and other creative activities will be needed.
In each class, there will be about 35 students and very scant resources; theses students lack pens, pencils, paper, etc. Consequently, the volunteer needs to possess creative skills to compensate for the lack of materials. Volunteers for this placement must be highly motivated self-starters who are able to work independently. Working with these teenagers in the Costa Rica volunteer program gives you an opportunity to share your love and skills while exploring the cultural and natural wonder of Costa Rica.
Health Projects:
Public health care in Costa Rica is inadequate, even though it is one of the better programs in Latin America. Access to high standard hospitals is very limited and available only in major cities. Furthermore, only the wealthier families can afford private health care.
Health projects of the Costa Rica volunteer program offers a wonderful opportunity for volunteers or students to familiarize themselves with the challenges and health issues of Costa Rica. Volunteering to help with health projects involve supporting the local doctors and nurses. Such volunteer work ranges from observation to assistance. Depending on their level of knowledge, experience, and skills, Costa Rica volunteers will take care of patients, make beds, change sheets, check blood pressure, distribute food and medicine, weigh babies, and help with other first aid procedures. Moreover, many hospitals, local clinics, and EBAIS (small clinics in individual communities) in Costa Rica run different programs on health education, basic prevention, nutrition, and sanitation; volunteers might be asked to help in these areas, as well.
You can also work for a Hoy Por Ti Home, a private care facility for HIV Positive patients. Volunteers may choose either to live at the facility (room for just one) or to live with a host family near the project and help during the day.
Another option is working for the Costa Rica Red Cross, where you can assist with the same activities described above, as well as with office jobs.
Medical volunteers need to have some proof of qualification as a health professional, medical student, or nurse.
Community Volunteers:
In this Volunteer Costa Rica project, you may choose one of several different communities located in different areas of Costa Rica. There you will have the freedom to develop one or more mini projects for your chosen community, while enjoying a close relationship with the people of the community.
But you won't face this challenge alone. During our Volunteer Training, we will assist you with ideas about mini projects and teach you how to develop, support, and carry out such a project.
Two very different areas addressed by several mini projects in the past include:
1. Ecological and environmental protection and conservation work
2. Community support, social and educational projects
In this amazing program you can immerse yourself in different activities of your community, working with local groups, community associations, youth groups, sports and others. You will return home at the end of your volunteer project with an outstanding appreciation and understanding of the Costa Rican people and culture, and the knowledge that you personally have had a marked influence on the quality of life of the people in your chosen Costa Rican community.
Gender Issues:
Domestic violence in Latin America is one of the biggest problems affecting this part of the world. Unfortunately, Costa Rica does not stand apart from this cruel reality.
For that reason the Volunteer Costa Rica Program sponsors this Gender Issues project, offering volunteers the opportunity to make a positive change in the lives of women in Costa Rica.
Working together with a private organization in Costa Rica, you will have the opportunity to join in several different and challenging tasks, such as:
- Women Integral Restoration
- Working with young mothers
- Working with couples or families
- Male Issues
Volunteers in this project will also be able to teach the organization's members different topics such as self esteem, empowerment, handicrafts, etc.
In each class, there will be about 35 children and very scant resources; the children lack pens, pencils, paper, etc. Consequently, the volunteer needs to possess creative skills to compensate for the lack of materials. Volunteers for this placement must be highly motivated self-starters who are able to work independently. Working with these children in this Costa Rica volunteer program gives you an opportunity to share your love and skills while exploring the cultural and natural wonder of Costa Rica.
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General program information: |
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Program open to: Everyone
Travel to site: Varies
Is opportunity more independant or group orientated: Varies
Living arrangements on the program: Varies
How long does the program last?: Various Durations
What are the dates of this program: Global Crossroad offers many exciting volunteering opportunities to international volunteers in marvelous countries, such as India, Nepal, China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Mongolia, Ghana, Combodia & Costa Rica year round
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Benefits and advantages of the program: |
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Beautiful Costa Rica has something for everybody! Although smaller than West Virginia, this country offers endless adventurous opportunities, even after a few weeks of travel. Whatever your interests - eco-tourism, bird watching, adventure, rafting, golf, or just relaxing on an unspoiled tropical beach - you'll find something exciting to do in this tropical and secure paradise.
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Cost or price of this program: |
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minimum 699.00 USD
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Terms: |
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Throughout the year
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