Scholarship Available

6 month program as Volunteer Teaching Assistant in a rural school

Description:  The volunteer will assist the only teacher of a rural and rudimentary elementary school with 38 students  near the tropical town of Puerto Rico.  Students are the children of farm hands and peasant  farmers in the area.   The volunteer  will work  with the teacher in developing and  organizing  school lessons and  activities.  In one- teacher schools  the teacher works with subject matter with one grade level and assigns tasks,  then moves on to another level until all levels have been attended to.   Sample volunteer activities can include  tutoring  children in each level to assure that they have understood the day´s lesson and can fulfill tasks, teaching basic English, implementing and supervising recreational activities.   During the program an ecological lodge of the area will support  the Volunteer with room and board  as a contribution towards the improvement of education in the school.  At the beginning of the program the volunteer will have two weeks of  homestay in Quito for  Spanish classes and  project orientation.  In the field the Volunteer will be supported and supervised by an experienced local EIL Coordinator and the EIL office in Quito.

Volunteer Role:  In addition to working closely with the teacher, the volunteer should be interested in  the area, students´ backgrounds, and in  gaining an understanding of education in rural Ecuador, how this affects the children´s further education, and detect with the teacher any possibilities for preparing students in  the often  traumatic transition from rural elementary school to high schools in larger towns. 

Duration:  6 months.  The volunteer must commit to this entire time. 

Program Dates:

Arrival Quito:  April 20, 2008 

Homestay, Spanish lessons and orientation: April 21-May 2

Project:  May 5 to October 4, 2008

End of Program:  October 6, 2008

Location:  Puerto Rico is in  northwestern  Ecuador in a tropical area 200 ft. above sea level.    From Quito, Ecuador´s capital city, it is reached after  descending 3.5 hours through the cloud forest of the Andes and further down  the cattle and farming regions in the sub-tropics. Main crops in the Puerto Rico area include pineapple, pepper, cocoa, rice, bananas, macadamia nuts, cattle and pigs.  In the 1960´s and 70´s the area was colonized by peasant farmers from other areas of the country affected by  drought and erosion. In the last decades the area  has become very popular with eco-tourists because of it´s great  biodiversity, rivers,  beautiful waterfalls and lagoons.  The climate is humid but not extreme; mornings and evenings are fresh but at noon and until around 4:00 p.m. the temperature can reach 40ª degrees C. 

What we expect from the volunteer:  enjoyment and creativity in working with children; willingness  to use  Spanish for immersion and participation  in local culture;  ability to  learn from and enjoy local people, initiative,  patience, adaptability/flexibility in living in a developing country where expect the unexpected is the norm.  

What is included:

-Airport Transfers In and Out

- 2 weeks in Quito for Spanish classes, orientation including homestay

- 5 months and a half stay in Puerto Rico with room and board

-Transportation to and from Puerto Rico at beginning and end of program

Not Included:

-International Airfare

-Airport Taxes

-Mandatory Health and Liability Insurance

-Pocket money; personal expenses

Volunteer requirements:

-Age 21 – 45

-Minimum low intermediate level of Spanish

Application Packet should include:

- VIP Application form

- Notes from personal interview carried out by each individual office

-A short written essay on the volunteer´s experience and expectations

-3 Photos of volunteer

Fill out our Inquiry Form and mention "Wallace Scholarship to Ecuador" in the comments box, or Contact the VIP office in your country for application materials.

Deadline for Applications:  January 15, 2008

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