Q: Where will I be living?
A: Current volunteers live either in a dormitory on the campus of the school at which they are placed, in a private apartment, or with a host family.
Q: Will my host community speak English?
A: Although some Columbians are actively learning English, few people speak it fluently. A few English teachers at both schools speak English.
Q: Will I have my own room?
A: All volunteers will have their own room except those on Isla Baru where volunteers live in double occupancy rooms.
Q: What will I do for meals?
A: Most volunteers shop and cook for themselves. However, some sites offer school meals, and some host families offer three meals a day in exchange for a fraction of the volunteer living stipend.
Q: What is commonly eaten in the country?
A: Diet varies across Colombia. Breakfast foods may include bread, cheese, coffee, hot chocolate, eggs, arepas (similar to a very thick corn-based tortilla and often stuffed with cheese), fruit and oatmeal. Lunch and Dinner foods may include rice, meat, fish, lentils, beans, spaghetti, plantains, potatoes, soup and salad. Dinner is a lighter meal than lunch. Colombia is known for its wide variety of fruit, freshly squeezed juice and coffee. A classic Cartagenian meal includes patacones (flattened and fried plantains), coconut rice and fried whole fish.
Q: Is it difficult to accommodate special diets there?
A: Groceries are limited in more rural placements. Although volunteers can prepare their own meals, they must be flexible and monitor their diets to ensure that all are meeting their basic dietary needs. Volunteers on Isla Baru, for example, take time on the weekends to purchase extra food at grocery stores in Cartagena.
Q: Is there electricity/running water?
A: Yes, there is electricity and running water at all sites. The electricity may go out once or twice a week for a couple hours at a time. WorldTeach recommends that its volunteers drink bottled water or boiled water at some placements.
Q: Does WorldTeach arrange travel to Colombia?
A : WorldTeach arranges travel for each group departing for Colombia from a designated departure city in the USA. The group will meet at the departure city airport and then travel together to Colombia. The international round-trip flight from the departure city to Colombia is covered by the WorldTeach program fee. WorldTeach purchases round-trip tickets valid for one year at a discounted group rate. More details of the group flight arrangements will be available about 1 month prior to departure. Volunteers will then be asked to confirm their travel plans by a certain date so that WorldTeach can finalize the group air tickets.
Volunteers are responsible for traveling to the departure city (usually Miami, but this will be confirmed for your group). Many volunteers are able to find discounted or teacher/student fare domestic connections from the internet or student travel agencies such as www.studentuniverse.com or www.statravel.com.
Q: Can I make my own travel arrangements?
A: A volunteer may opt out of the WorldTeach group flight and should do so if unable to leave from the United States. If a volunteer wants to travel after the program, he or she can still use the WorldTeach return ticket since it is valid for one year from date of departure. However, a voluntter will be responsible for any fees created from changing the return date.
If a volunteer chooses to travel independently to Colombia, he or she must plan to arrive at the orientation site on or before the date of the group flight's arrival, so that he or she does not miss any orientation activities. Also, a volunteer should make sure to buy a round-trip ticket that is valid for a full year and has a changeable return date, in case travel plans change. Please inform the Program Manager in writing of your travel plans. WorldTeach will refund to independent travelers the cost of one ticket on the group flight.
Q: Can I come home during the year?
A: Yes. Volunteers do have the opportunity to travel home during school breaks. Volunteers may also go home in the case of a medical or family emergency. In this occurs, volunteers must clear their absence with the school director and arrange coverage for their classes. However, volunteers are under contract with the host school and are responsible for teaching full fime for the duration of each school year and thus may not miss school for other reasons. Any trips home or other personal travel will be at the volunteer's own expense.
Q: Can family and friends visit me during the year?
A: Yes. Visits from family and friends can help volunteers relate to the experience and provide an important connection with home. Volunteers should try to schedule visits during vacation time so that they will be able to spend more time with their family and friends.
Q: What are the vacation times I will have?
A: Schools have a week long vacation for Semana Santa (Easter Break) in April. A second two-week break takes place in late June and early July. Occasional holidays are observed in Colombia on Mondays, so volunteers have some long weekends.
Q: Will there be a chance to travel to other places?
A: Volunteers will have the chance to travel with the group during orientation, a mid-service conference, and at the end of the year for an end of service debriefing meeting. These conferences may be in different locations as decided by WorldTeach staff, and any travel to attend those conferences will be covered by WorldTeach.
Any travel volunteers choose to do beyond these program activities will be at their own expense, and must transpire during weekends or school vacations. Volunteers should bring their own spending money for personal travel.
Q: Do I need a visa?
A: Yes, volunteers will need a visa to teach in Colombia. WorldTeach provides instructions to its volunteers concerning how to apply for a visa after their acceptance into the program. Volunteers are responsible for collecting the required items for their visa application. Volunteers should keep in mind that some documents can take time to get and may have associated costs, such as a police clearance certificate, and health exams and tests.
Q: What are the requirements for my passport?
A: Passports should have at least three blank pages and should be valid for at least 6 months past the program end date.
Q: What immunizations are required?
A: The most comprehensive source of information on immunizations and travel health is the Centers for Disease Control. This site provides recommendations for travel to South America as well as detailed information on specific diseases. The Staying Healthy in Asia, Africa, and Latin America book that WorldTeach sends its volunteers after they confirm their participation in the program also contains useful information about this subject. Furthermore, volunteers must consult their doctor or a travel health specialist about immunizations and other health needs. WorldTeach staff can only tell its volunteers what immunizations are recommended for travel to Colombia and are not qualified to give specific medical advice.
As for travel to any developing country, it is generally recommended that you get immunized against Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Typhoid. For Colombia (and other countries in South America) travelers are advised to get immunized against Yellow Fever (some countries ask for proof of Yellow Fever vaccination upon arrival). Check with your doctor that your Polio, Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR), and Tetanus-Diphtheria (TTD) vaccinations are up to date, or get a booster shot if necessary. Also check that you have had a recent TB test.
There is risk of malaria in Colombia's lowland regions but to date malaria has not been a threat in the program sites. Malaria is a serious mosquito-borne disease that can be fatal. See the CDC website for the latest information. Volunteers planning on traveling elsewhere in Latin America should discuss malaria medications with their doctor.
Q:What if I get sick? Are there doctors and hospitals?
A: Each placement site has a medical clinic that can handle most medical issues. Private hospitals in larger cities are equipped for more serious medical issues.
Q: Will I have health insurance?
A: WorldTeach provides volunteers with health insurance that covers most incidents that occur in country. However, this coverage does not encompass any pre-existing conditions and thus volunteers are encouraged to retain personal supplemental or catastrophic insurance while in Colombia.
