English Opens Doors Program - Chile - Volunteers Base - Free Volunteering and Work Exchange Opportunities.

Location: Chile

The English Opens Doors Program is supported by the Chilean Ministry of Education and the United Nations Development Programme – Chile. The Program is a national initiative that was created in 2003 to help support the improvement of English language learning and teaching in the Chilean public school system. The program has many aspects, including Spelling Bee, Public Speaking and Debate Competitions, English Summer and Winter Camps, student scholarships for future English teachers, Rural English development, professional development for Chilean English teachers, and the National Volunteer Center.

The National Volunteer Center of the English Opens Doors Program recruits native and near-native English speakers to work in public and semi-private schools throughout Chile. These volunteers teach and encourage the study of English while living with Chilean host families and interacting with members of the local community. There are over 1,800 volunteer alumni in the program’s history.

Volunteer Information

Volunteers participating in the English Opens Doors Program receive the following: home-stay with a Chilean family, meals, in-country health insurance, TEFL training, access to an online Spanish course, and a volunteer allowance of 65,000CLP (about US$120) for each month of completed service. The Program does not charge volunteers a fee for participation.

What do volunteers do?

Volunteers work with a Chilean head teacher in either municipal (public) or particular subvencionado (subsidized) schools. Volunteers are placed all throughout Chile, and work with students ranging from quinto básico (5th grade, approximately 10-11 years) to cuarto medio (12th grade, approximately 17-18 years). The volunteer’s main responsibilities are:

To focus on improving the students’ speaking and listening skills
To motivate the students to take an interest in learning English
To share their culture with the students, thus broadening their worldview
To spend 25 hours a week in the classroom and another 10 hours a week lesson planning and leading an extracurricular activity. Each volunteer has the flexibility to determine what specific extracurricular activity they’d like to lead with their students.
Additionally, volunteers participate in English Camps, Debates, Public Speaking Competitions, Spelling Bees, and other initiatives of the English Opens Doors Program.

The fundamental responsibilities of each EODP volunteer:

Act as an ambassador for their home country and for the Chilean Ministry of Education. As such, to be responsible for their personal conduct and behavior as well as their level of professionalism at all times.
Be proactive in exercising their judgment in regards to their personal health, safety and well-being.
Regard their students, colleagues, host family, and fellow volunteers with an attitude of mutual learning, cooperation, and respect.

All volunteers must:

Be a native or near-native English speaker.
Have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and be between 21 and 35 years old.
Be mentally and physically capable of teaching children.
Have experience living or travelling in another country.
Have an interest in Chilean culture and living in a developing country.
Be highly committed, responsible, and flexible.
Have access to sufficient funds in order to cover personal expenditures throughout the duration of the program.

Volunteers will receive:

A volunteer allowance of CLP 65,000 (approximately $120) per month served.
Accommodations and meals with a host family.
Pre-departure information and support.
Airport transfers to designated accommodations upon arrival for volunteers who arrive on official program start dates.
Assistance obtaining a Chilean I.D. card.
Round-trip transportation from Santiago to the regional placement site

Additional Information

The English Opens Doors Program is currently looking for qualified individuals interested in coming to Chile to participate in our 2014 Volunteer Service. For more information about this volunteer opportunity please visit their website at www.centrodevoluntarios.cl.