Program Profile
Guyana is the only English speaking country in South America and the language of instruction in schools is English. The Guyanese Ministry of Education (MoE) sponsors volunteers to teach in public schools scattered throughout the country and will be asked to teach in a variety of subject areas, with a focus on math and science teaching. As volunteers engage in the lives of their schools and local communities, they will gain deep insight into Guyana's culture, economy and history and come to closely understand the challenges faced by this unique and diverse nation.
Volunteer Role
Volunteers will be placed at schools according to their needs and the skills and interests of the volunteers. Most schools will be assigned two volunteers. All courses will be taught based on textbooks provided by the MoE that reflect the national curriculum.
Volunteers have been requested to teach chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics and possibly other content areas. Volunteers will be placed throughout the country-- in schools located in the hinterland and in the southern savannah region as well as in larger towns in the riverain area. Volunteers will also be teaching in larger high schools in coastal cities.
WorldTeach volunteers are also encouraged to engage in projects and activities outside of their assigned classes. You may choose to participate in or lead extracurricular activities, teach community classes, or work on health and environmental issues, depending on your interests, talents, and local needs.
You can read here about the typical WorldTeach program's life-cycle.
As volunteers in Guyana are not teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language, they will not be eligible for WorldTeach TEFL certification.
Placements & Housing
Placements in Guyana are spread out across the interior as well as the coast. Check out where volunteers currently serving are placed on the Guyana Placement Map!
Volunteers in Guyana will live in teacher housing provided by their schools through the MoE. Volunteers will be assigned community contacts and families who will help them to integrate into their communities, and will find that many Guyanese are eager to befriend them.
Financial InfoRmation
While the majority of the costs of this program are covered by the MoE, volunteers contribute a volunteer commitment of $2,500. This covers the cost of: pre-departure support and materials, round-trip international airfare from a designated US departure city, health and emergency evacuation insurance, in-country training, and field staff support. Room and board are provided in-country. A stipend of approximately $225 will be provided on a monthly basis to volunteers during the school year. This stipend is intended to help volunteers meet basic daily living expenses at the local standard of living.
Many volunteers successfully fundraise all or a significant portion of their volunteer commitment. Please refer to our fundraising guide for more information about fundraising possibilities.
Read more about our costs and services.
Requirements
Volunteers in the Guyana program must be:
- native-level English speakers
- holders of a bachelor's degree by the time of the program's departure with a strong preference given to degrees in math or science
- between the ages of 21 and 74
- highly flexible, mature, and have a genuine interest in teaching