Central America Childcare Expedition

Overview

Travel to Latin America and explore the lively towns of Playa del Carmen and Quepos on this multi country project! Contribute to valuable childcare initiatives in both regions with our partners Save the Children and the local community of Quepos with the aim to give disadvantaged children a safe place to learn, play and grow.

In Mexico, you will be volunteering in a children’s centre run by Save the Children. Your responsibilities will be extremely varied on this project, but will be focused on empowering young children to know and apply their rights and how to handle various situations.



In Costa Rica you will be placed in a local school in the nearby town of Quepos where your time will be spent giving English classes to children and other community members and organising art workshops, games and sports sessions. You may also get involved in music lessons, academic support and extra-curricular activities.

Through volunteering in both of these regions, you will experience an intimate look into the communities and their culture, while learning Spanish and improving the education and support available to local children.

If you do not speak Spanish, don’t worry! This programme provides you with an excellent opportunity to learn a new language and work with children at the same time. Speak to your coordinator about arranging Spanish lessons (extra to the program) that will fully prepare you for life on the program.

Please note travel between Mexico and Costa Rica is not included, but please speak to your Country Expert who will be able to advise you on your options and costs involved.

Highlights

Contribute to valuable childcare initiatives in Latin American countries; live with volunteers from all over the world; explore ancient ruins, tropical rainforests and pristine beaches; contribute to dimensioning child violence and abuse; support disadvantaged children; make a sustainable impact on communities; practice your Spanish; get up close and personal with fantastic wildlife and take part in a myriad of optional side trips during your free time.

Program Details

Project Life

Mexico

Throughout your time on the programme, you will be working from Monday to Friday helping the children with their homework, preparing posters, creating educational resources, keeping the centre clean and playing games with the children. A lot of the work will be focused around teaching the children their rights, making them aware of how to keep safe and teaching them how to identify different forms of violence.

Accommodation will be shared rooms with other volunteers in a house or apartment as well as shared bathroom and communal areas. On weekends you will be able to explore all that the Rivera Maya has to offer! Explore the Mayan ruins, snorkel in a cenote or simply relax on the pristine beaches of Playa del Carmen.

Costa Rica

Your time volunteering in Costa Rica will be divided between the following:

Childcare and Teaching
Working in a local school, you will be planning and leading your own basic lessons in small groups and assisting teachers with their classes, both in Spanish and English. You should expect to get involved in arts and crafts classes, environmental education and educational games.

Sports
By assisting with sport activities you will be able to teach the children good values and encourage them to lead a healthy, active lifestyle, which will help to enhance their personal development. Volunteers should expect to be extremely active during this program and will be leading a wide variety of sport activities such as football, volleyball and active games for small children such as hide and seek

Accommodation will be shared with your fellow volunteers, with shared bathrooms and general communal areas. On weekends you are encouraged to explore the nearby area by taking part in one of the many optional side trips in order to make the most out of your time in Costa Rica.

Accommodation Upgrade

If you would prefer to stay in private accommodation while on this project, these locations do offer upgrades. Contact us for more information, or mention to your Country Expert who will be able to assist you.

Project Details

Our project aims vary between countries, but are all focused around building a better future and support structure for these children.

In Mexico, our partner Save the Children, is absolutely committed to ensuring children are safe and know their rights. The majority of parents in Mexico have to work long hours in order to support their families, meaning young children are often left alone for large parts of the day. Others have been victims of aggression and are in need of support. The centres run by Save the Children creates a safe environment where these children are able to play and learn.

Our goals for our project in Costa Rica is to establish long-term sustainable educational programs; address the shortage of teachers in the Quepos community; ensure basic student needs are met so they can pursue enrolment and establishing other school activities to encourage students to finish their primary and secondary education.

Quepos and Playa del Carmen' s short, mid, and long-term objectives:

All of our programs have short, mid and long-term objectives that fit with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This enables us to report on our collaborative impact across the world in a streamlined manner, measuring which UN SDGs we are making a substantial contribution to. Furthermore, this will help our local partners and communities measure and visualize their contribution to the UN SDGs.

Upon arrival to base, you will be educated about the history of the UN SDGs. You will learn about the specific goals of your location, the long-, mid- and short-term objectives, and also clarification of how your personal, shorter-term involvement contributes to these goals on a global level.

Our aim is to educate you on local and global issues, so that you continue to act as active global citizens after your program, helping to fulfill our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.

Learn about the long-term objectives you will be contributing to:

In Quepos:

1. Improve access to education and wellness to El Cocal community
2. Increase environmental awareness in the local community
3. Improve English literacy levels in Quepos community and surrounded areas
4. Ensure that GVI Quepos base provides volunteers and interns unique, safe, responsible travel experiences, exceptional training and career development opportunities, and facilitate the ability to make a real difference

In Playa del Carmen:

1. Improve the quality of education at the Ludoteca, Contando con un amigo and Corazones
2. Raise awareness on animal welfare
3. Increase in-country capacity by providing training to local members of the community
4. Minimize the environmental impact on the Playa base and projects, and raise awareness of environmental issues amongst volunteers and children in the projects
5. Increase the quality of the resources at the ludoteca, escuelita, Contando con un amigo, Corazones and Coco's
6. Improve the volunteer's experience in the projects.

How this project makes a difference

In Mexico, Save the Children figures indicate that 95% of children in Cancun suffer from some type of aggression either physical or verbal, 70% of the children in Quintana Roo suffer of abandonment, 43% of the children between 6 and 17 years old know a gang member and 25% of the children have seen drugs or know a child that sells them. The volunteering that you will be doing helps protect children who have been affected by abuse, abandonment or the drug trade, and equips others with the knowledge of how to be safe should they come into contact with these kinds of threats in the future.

In partnership with the local community in Quepos, Costa Rica, the childcare project was established to help reduce teacher to student ratios and help provide additional support to keep students engaged. GVI Volunteers continue to help provide assistance to the community through after school programs, sports, English classes and more.

What's Included

What's Not Included

Exploration

Volunteering with GVI not only allows you to participate on programs assisting disadvantaged communities or endangered ecosystems, but it also offers wonderful opportunities to travel in the local area in your down time or further afield either before or after your program. Many decide to travel after volunteering, solidifying the lifetime friendships established on the programme.

Our long term field staff are a great source of advice and are here to help you make the most of your time abroad. Remember to ask about discounts on local activities and side trips through your association with GVI. Our field teams have helped us put together the following information on trips and travel options in Mexico and Costa Rica!

Optional Side Trips

 

Mexico

In this region you are spoilt for choice in the number of activities you can try out! Spend the day snorkelling with turtles of all sizes in Akumal Bay; explore the cenotes (underwater river systems); visit Cozumel, an island renowned for its world class wall dives; or for a full weekend adventure, try Isla Holbox, a small island off the north of the peninsula. It’s a beautiful, tranquil place, great for a quiet weekend away. Whale sharks (the world’s largest fish) migrate up near the island from June to September and snorkelling alongside them while they filter feed is a truly breath-taking experience!

Alternatively, immerse yourself in the surviving Mayan culture of the area and visit remote and untouched Mayan archaeological sites, such as the famous and easily accessible sites of Tulum and Coba, or visit the beautiful and majestic Mayan ruins of Palenque in the Chiapas region. And finally, the colonial city of Mérida is the peninsula’s cultural capital and the local artisans of Izamal will be sure to offer you some souvenirs of your trip.

Costa Rica

On weekends and downtime, the region around Manuel Antonio is excellent to keep yourself as busy or relaxed as possible! See the pristine beaches and hike the trails of the National Park to discover the diverse wildlife the region has to offer, including four types of monkey; go on a canopy and zip-lining tour through the treetops of the rainforest; visit the small souvenir shops at the beachfront or cafes along the way and watch the world go by; take surf lessons or surf some of the neighbouring breaks in this famous surf destination.

Further Travelling Opportunities

 

Mexico

If you want to travel throughout the rest of Mexico either before or after your time with us, there is more than your fair share of interesting places that are well worth a visit. Take a trip to the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve and experience lowland tropical forests and have an opportunity to try and seek out threatened species; the island of Espíritu Santo offers kayaking with whale sharks (seasonal) and sea lions; if you are keen to try surfing, Puerto Escondido is rated as one of the world’s best surfing spots.

Oaxaca is a beautiful city to visit on the Pacific Coast, a colonial city with some of the nation’s most magnificent architecture, also offering several archaeological sites including the Zapotec ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Further south, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, is definitely worth a visit. Colourful buildings, historical architecture, and impressive nearby ecological sites with fun activities will easily keep you entertained for days.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is an amazing country with an abundance of travel opportunities further afield with the following just a snapshot of the many possibilities!

Admire the world famous and active Volcan Arenal at a distance, and relax in the natural hot springs; explore the Osa Peninsula and Corcovado National Park; for the advanced surfer, aim for Pavones, the second longest left break in the world; spot migratory raptor birds in the Talamanca Mountains and visit indigenous villages; go deep sea fishing in the Pacific Ocean; canoe or kayak along the waterways in the local area on organised river tours; visit the Caribbean coast, snorkel and go wildlife watching in Cahuita National Park; go white water rafting on the world famous Pacuare river – rapids classed III to IV; climb Volcan Irazu and visit coffee farms on the way back to San Jose; back in the capital, visit the Gold Museum or the Jade Museum, attend a play in one of the numerous theatres or take in the Latin American vibe with its lively nightlife.