In Peru, as is true all over the world, the ability to speak English opens many doors and broadens one's horizons. With English, people have the opportunity to study abroad, to work with tourists or even to work abroad. For privileged Peruvian children whose parents can afford a private school to learn English from an early stage, there is no issue. However, state-run schools and their students are not as lucky, as the government does not have enough money or skilled teachers to offer the same opportunities.
Our volunteers believed in the power of change and in 2006 set up this project to give more opportunities to poorer children. Low-income households could not afford private English lessons for their children and so our volunteers took the initiative to give free English lessons at the local library and some local schools in some of the poorest parts of Huanchaco. Nowadays, the program is getting bigger as adolescents and young adults are taking up the opportunity to learn English so we urgently need more people to support it and making a difference to the local underprivileged population.
The main goal of this project is to promote English language as a tool for development in children from low-income families. If you want to decrease the level of social disadvantages and spend some time with nice children, do not hesitate and volunteer now!
Volunteer Roles/Working Hours:
- Giving English lessons to children using approved teaching methods
- Guaranteeing that all the students are learning and moving forward.
- Setting-up extra activities and afterschool sessions related to listening, reading and writing skills.
- Developing fun and educational activities to incorporate into your lessons in order to make the lessons interesting as well as beneficial for the students.
The project is open most of the year (peak demand is in January). Volunteers work from Monday to Friday, either in the morning (08:30am till 13:30pm) or in the afternoon (15:30pm till 18:00pm). However, it might change a bit according to the needs of the group you will be in charge of. Do not forget to spare some time for planning activities and staff meetings!
Volunteer Requirements
- Spanish level: basic to intermediate
- Native English speaker or very advanced level of English.
- Minimum commitment: 4 weeks- the longer, the better.
- Able to deal with 30 streetwise children in one classroom.
- Patient, responsible and strong personality.
- Some previous teaching experience desirable
- Previous experience working with children helpful
Application Process
Please visit our website to apply: http://otracosa.org/apply-now.html
For further information about the program, please visit: http://www.otracosa.org/browseallprojects/item/176-teaching-kids-english-at-local-schools-libraries.html
