Explore Ecuador and South America while teaching youth and improving your Spanish skills

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Program Overview
Life on the Program
Program Details
Volunteer Testimonials

Program Overview

Explore the scenic and colorful Andean town of Otavalo in Ecuador while teaching basic subjects to indigenous children.

Your focus will be to plan for and teach Spanish classes primarily for young children starting at the age of four. Your curriculum will cover a varied amount of subjects such as mathematics, sports, art and games. The role you play is critical, as you are shaping the initial stages of the children’s educational development.

GVI’s in-country partner, Phoenix operates this program and has been located in Ecuador since 2005. They provide educational support to the indigenous communities of Otavalo and the surrounding areas.

Life on the Program

You will teach at one of three partner communities, and take Spanish classes in Otavalo, splitting your time between the two locations.

The children in the communities are fun-loving and the experience working with them is highly rewarding. However, you are expected to put in every effort to plan interactive and effective lessons for your students. Each day you will wake early to meet the team before 7:00am to return by mid-afternoon. After working in the communities you will have the opportunity to relax with your fellow volunteers and plan your lessons for the next day.

Your home base will be located in the town of Otavalo where you will live with a local host family. This experience provides you the ideal opportunity to gain insight into Andean culture and practice your Spanish on a daily basis.

Program Details

A mere 12% of children in this region transition from primary to secondary school. Our primary goal for this program is to improve this percentage by ensuring children are sufficiently prepared with the knowledge and supported financially to further their education.

Phoenix is an ideal model to demonstrate the sustainable ethos of GVI. Based on a 25-year plan where the youngest child is assumed to have their own family, it is believed that with the education provided the scope for professional opportunities will widen, allowing them to afford the same education for their future children. Thus, Phoenix programs become sustainable and everlasting.

Volunteer Testimonials

I left Australia expecting to spend 16 weeks of my life volunteering with GVI in Ecuador. Instead, those 16 weeks were just the beginning. GVI has inspired me to dedicate my life to improving the...

Victoria Allison, Australia

I left Australia expecting to spend 16 weeks of my life volunteering with GVI in Ecuador. Instead, those 16 weeks were just the beginning. GVI has inspired me to dedicate my life to improving the quality of the lives I touch through my volunteering both overseas and here in Australia. To be involved in the GVI community where everyone has the same passion and determination to be the difference is truly something unique.

Many past volunteers have had amazing experiences traveling with GVI. Read what they have to say here.