The Intercultura Volunteer Program

For those interested, we have several volunteer projects to choose from. We broadly classify them into Social/Educational and Environmental placements.

Many positions ask for:

• A minimum time commitment. The social/educational placements normally require a minimum of a month (4 weeks), the environmental placements tend to be more flexible about their minimums. We recommend going for at least two weeks.
  
  
• Students to cover their own room and board. When participating in a placement in Heredia or San Jose, the students have the option of staying with their school homestay which they can pay for through the school. The majority of environmental placements are in remote areas and require the students to live onsite and pay the fees there.
  
  
• Relevant work experience and/or degree (please bring your CV and a letter of reference)

It is important that students set realistic expectations for volunteer programs. There are several things which will help you have a more meaningful and rewarding experience, and increased interaction within your placement. These include:

• The concrete and communicable skills you bring to the position that make you a valuable resource to the organization (for example: teaching qualification; construction experience; advanced professional degrees; experience teaching technology, sports, arts & crafts; music: photography or other short-term skills; library management; community development experience; etc)
  
  
• Your Spanish level (intermediate or higher greatly facilitates training and interaction). We require a high beginner level to start (which you would acquire after 4 weeks of classes if you start in our first level).
  
  
• The time commitment you can make (the longer you can stay the better, as this helps justify the significant investment in time and human resources that is required to train volunteers).
  
  
• Your willingness to learn and work in any and all areas that need help; and the understanding that your ability to contribute is defined in large part by the above factors.
  
  
• Understanding that you are interacting in a different culture and a lot of your expectations are based in what you are used to seeing and living in your own culture. Open-mindedness is key to developing a good relationship with the people in the placement.

Intercultura's Volunteer Agency offers two program types to possible volunteers:

Option 1: We will help you arrange your placement after arrival in Costa Rica and provide a variety of support services during your program (orientation meeting and initial placement, access to local volunteer coordinator for advice, etc) for $50 per volunteer, of which we contribute 20% to local charities. If you think you may want to take this option, please bring your résumé (CV), letters of recommendation, and any other information that may be relevant to your future volunteer supervisors.

Option 2: For those who prefer, we offer a pre-arranged volunteer program, for which we charge $125. This includes pre-departure counseling for placement selection, email communication with coordinator before arrival, and the regular orientation meeting and on-site access to volunteer coordinator

Current positions include the following:

• Ministry of Education: teach or assistant teach English (EFL) in local primary and high schools.
  
  
• Orphanages: work with children at local orphanages, leading games, activities, sports & English classes.
  
  
• Drug Rehabilitation: work with local youth in addiction recovery programs (sports, English, games/ administrative support).
  
  
• Special Education: assistant teach in special ed programs at local schools.
  
  
• Retirement Centers: help care for and interact with the elderly.
  
  
• National Parks: assist with trail maintenance, construction, beach patrol and administrative support in national parks and reserves.
  
  
• Eco-Farms: support in production processes at eco-farms in rural areas.
  
  
• Women's Cooperatives: administrative and production process support in rural and urban areas.
  
  
• Animal Shelter: clean, care for and exercise animals at a local shelter.
  
  
• Turtle Protection: beach patrol, nursery care, and support services for turtle protection entities.
  
  
• Butterfly and Orchid Gardens: tours, admin and maintenance in local butterfly and orchid gardens.
  

In addition to our regular program, Intercultura co-sponsors the non-profit CREAR Foundation www.asociacioncrear.org. Started in 2005 at Intercultura's Playa Sámara campus, CREAR's After School Program (ASP) is a creative supplementary learning project designed to offer local children new educational and artistic opportunities, giving them the chance to explore and develop their talents in a variety of creative fields. Subjects include: dance, music, health, theatre, horticulture, woodwork, computer studies, English and folklore. Local students receive full scholarships for all courses. The majority of the program is funded by local businesses and individuals, and by the efforts of our volunteer teaching staff and assistants. Students are welcome to contribute their time and skills for as little as one day or as long as they choose! This can be arranged after arrival at Intercultura and involves no extra charge ($50 fee waived for this placement).