Orientation
On the Monday after your arrival into Costa Rica you will have a comprehensive orientation meeting. This will cover all essential topics such as banks and money, transport, places to see, safety precautions and work ethics. In this first meeting, you will also have the opportunity to ask as many questions as you wish.
Accommodation and Meals
On arrival in Costa Rica, you will be taken to a hostel in Alajuela where you will be spending your first two nights for your orientation. Following your orientation you will then be transferred to your accommodation in San Ramón.
By volunteering on this project not only will you be helping these children but also spending time in a rural area with a local ‘tico’ family which is an unforgettable cultural experience. By staying with a host family you will be able to truly immerse yourself in Costa Rican culture and experience their way of life. With these local families you will be staying in a semi private room (up to three sharing) and shared bathroom. For both project locations the host families are members of the community the project is based in. This means that they are close to the projects, giving you the chance to make the most of your time while volunteering as well as making it easy to help at the project during your free time if you would like to.
Also included in the programme are three daily meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner which will be provided by the host families. The meals are based on a Costa Rican diet, food is fairly basic, includes rice, beans, corn, meat, pasta, vegetables and seasonal fruits.
Free Time
You will have free time in the evenings and at the weekends. During your free time you may like to explore the beautiful surrounding areas of San Ramón or relax and get to know your fellow volunteers and your host family. For those that want to explore why not head out of town to one of the amazing places that Costa Rica has to offer. You will be able to travel out over the weekend to visit stunning beaches that Costa Rica’s coast is renowned for, visit Arenal volcano or the rainforests at Monteverde. You will not be short of things to see and do in your free time and the in-country team will be more than happy to give more exciting ideas.
Project Support
Throughout your stay you will have the support and guidance of a volunteer work coordinator and their team. They will be able to help you with any questions or advice you may need during your time on the project.
In addition, you are also able to contact our UK staff 24 hours a day should you need to, via our emergency contact number.
Project Age Limit
The minimum age to participate is 18 years and there is no maximum age.
Project Requirements
Having an intermediate level of Spanish is very important and experience of working with children is preferred but not essential. This means you need to be a creative self-starter who enjoys working with children, as well as possess flexibility, perseverance and tolerance. You also need to be able to handle difficult situations as children come from very difficult backgrounds.
