Costa Rica’s commitment to the education of all its citizens is virtually unmatched in the developing world. Some 40 schools have recently been constructed in rural areas where there had previously been no educational opportunities at all. Despite the obvious benefits of this remarkable increase in access to education, such expansion brings difficulties as well. The biggest hurdle was dearth of people who were qualified to teach in the new schools in these targeted communities. Because of the severe shortage of teachers, the Costa Rican Ministry of Education implemented a distance-learning curriculum originally called Telesecundaria. Since 2008 the program has operated under the name Liceo Rural. The new curriculum side-steps the problematic lack of teacher and uses videos to introduce subjects from math to science to English. The Ministry recruited facilitators from the local communities whose responsibilities included playing the videos and taking class attendance. While this partnership between the Ministry and rural communities enabled the program to begin successfully, schools soon needed teachers with some knowledge of English to answer students' questions about the language.
In 1999, the Ministry asked WorldTeach to send summer volunteers to Costa Rica with the specific purpose of complementing the Liceo Rural curriculum. The partnership has been a success ever since. WorldTeach volunteers have been able to provide rural students with more than just English language education. They are also offering them access to greater economic opportunity. Graduates of the Liceo Rural program enter a professional network that offers them contacts and opportunities beyond their home village.
Volunteers will be placed in different locations throughout Costa Rica. All placements will be rural and volunteers will rely on their resourcefulness, independence and initiative as they become part of the community and begin teaching in the Liceos Rurales.
WorldTeach summer volunteers working in the Liceos Rurales will become the "human element" of the video classes, teaching the English portion of the curriculum in partnership with a local educator and using the videos to supplement their own classroom lessons and activities. While the size and schedule of each Liceo Rural site will differ, WorldTeach summer volunteers typically teach 1-3 classes per day to 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students whose ages may range from 14-24 years old.
In 2010, the summer program will also place some volunteers in rural elementary schools which do not have a full-time Costa Rican English teacher. While the size and schedule of these schools will vary, volunteers will typically teach 1-3 classes per day to students in grades 1-6.
"I have learned that Costa Rican children love to laugh and I love to hear them."
Katie Fraumann,
Costa Rica Volunteer
In addition to teaching, volunteers are required to develop a community project in their host town. This may involve the school and its students, or members of the wider community. It may be an art, drama or music project, a sports event, or an environmental initiative. This year's projects included painting murals on the school, teaching adult classes, building volleyball courts and benches around the soccer field, and creating a beautiful yearbook for the school.
At the beginning of the program, volunteers receive one week of orientation, during which they review their individual teaching assignments, discuss and practice teaching methods, review Spanish, and become acquainted with the country and its culture. Orientation will be led by the Field Staff who provide training and support to volunteers for the duration of the program. Volunteers reconvene for a mid-service conference to share teaching and community project ideas, and gather again at the end of the program to reflect on their experiences.
Volunteers should be prepared for the challenges of teaching in rural schools. Many schools lack basic supplies-like books, photocopiers, and paper-that are taken for granted in the US. Furthermore, volunteers may have to teach students with a wide range of English skills. While these circumstances may be frustrating at first, WorldTeach Costa Rica volunteers have found solutions that enable them to teach effectively despite limited resources. In the process, they have helped thousands of students and learned a lot about themselves.
"I have become accustomed to the chickens, the dust, the coffee trucks, and the chisme. Little by little I have met and befriended the men who wield machetes and the women who cook tamales on wood fire stoves. I have become part of a Costa Rican family and a community that feels like home."
Anna Pfaff, Costa Rica Volunteer
Volunteers teach in rural elementary schools or high schools. While most towns have at least a pulpería (small convenience store), a plaza (grassy area about the size of a soccer field), a church, and a school, some placements do not even have all four of these amenities. However, volunteers will be placed no more than two hours from a town which will have more pulperías, some some sodas (small restaurants) and internet access.
While these placements are remote, volunteers have found that they can integrate into the community and become involved in their host families’ activities. With a little creativity, initiative, and independence, volunteers have had meaningful and fun experiences in their placement sites.
While knowledge of Spanish is not a requirement for being accepted to the program, please keep in mind that many of our sites are quite remote and, in some cases, the volunteer might be the only English speaker in town. We have had past volunteers with no Spanish background have successful experiences at their sites, but it requires a positive attitude, a sense of humor, and a willingness to use gestures and sign language.
In any case, the WorldTeach Costa Rica Field Staff works hard to place volunteers in situations where they will have successful and meaningful experiences. Please contact the admissions staff if you have any questions about placements.
Housing
Volunteers live with local Costa Rican families who receive compensation from the Ministry of Education for providing the volunteers’ meals and housing. Most volunteers have their own room and share a bathroom and living space with their host family. For added support, WorldTeach makes every effort to place summer volunteers in relatively close proximity to each other or to WorldTeach volunteers currently serving year-long assignments in Costa Rica.
Gallo pinto (rice and beans) is the staple of the Costa Rican diet, and constitutes the main portion of every meal. Other foods one might find at a host site include fried plantains, eggs, tortillas, and fresh tropical fruits. Although host families will provide most meals, volunteers may also eat some meals at the school cafeteria with fellow teachers, or at a soda (small restaurant) in town.
Length of Program
Two months (late-May to mid-August, depending on availability of flights).
Cost of Program
$3,990. This includes pre-departure information and preparation, round-trip international airfare, one week in-country orientation, supplemental overseas health and emergency evacuation insurance, transportation to your site, meals and housing during orientation and teaching service, and 24-hour field support.
Note: WorldTeach summer programs may qualify for international internship and travel funds awarded by colleges and universities. Students are encouraged to check with their schools for eligibility.
Requirements
WorldTeach summer programs are open to qualified individuals over the age of 18 (including undergraduates) who are looking for a meaningful, short-term volunteer teaching experience.
English language fluency is required. Prior teaching experience is helpful but not required. Successful volunteers will be flexible, independent, mature, resourceful, and have a genuine interest in teaching in Costa Rica.
