10,192 Awesome Followers!
0 Reviews
0%Overall
Rating
Program Description
WorldTeach - Volunteer Teaching in Colombia
Description
Colombia is fast becoming a major international tourism and trade center. The Colombian national Ministry of Education, as well as various private educational organizations, have targeted English language instruction and interaction with foreign teachers as keys to enabling the people of Colombia to become self-sufficient participants in a changing environment. WorldTeach is the first major international volunteer organization to partner to join the effort in the millennium.
In the Fall of 2008 WorldTeach was invited by the Colombian NGO, Volunteers Colombia, in coordination with the Colombian Ministry of Education and other regional partners, to bring native-English speakers into schools on Isla Baru, near Cartagena on the Caribbean coast. There, new ocean-front homes and beautiful tourist attractions stand in stark contrast to the poverty and underdeveloped facilities that characterize most residents' daily lives. Although English is already on the local school curriculum, students have little chance to interact with native speakers. During the 2009 calendar year, the first group of five volunteers worked in coordination with local teachers to bring listening and speaking comprehension activities into English classroom instruction.
The response to the WorldTeach program within Colombia has been overwhelming, with requests for volunteer teachers coming from all corners of the country. With the help of partner organization Volunteers Colombia the program has expanded to schools in Cartagena, Soledad and Monteria on/near the Caribbean coast, as well as to Bogota (Colombia's capital) and Manizales (in the beautiful coffee growing region).
Highlights
The program in Colombia begins in January with a 3-4 week intensive orientation run by WorldTeach staff and our in-country partners. Orientation includes TEFL training, Spanish language instruction, a range of guest speakers, and discussions about Colombian culture, politics, health, safety issues, and cross-cultural adjustment. During the last week of orientation many volunteers will participate in on-site staff meetings and training sessions alongside their Colombian teaching colleagues before classes begin.
Volunteer assignments range from early elementary school team teaching with local educators, to single-handedly leading ESL classes for low-income technical college students. Volunteers are usually responsible for teaching 20 hours a week, in addition to allotting time for planning lessons, developing new language instruction materials, and coordinating some activities, such as providing introductory English instruction to younger students at the schools.
In addition to their teaching responsibilities, volunteers are encouraged to actively participate in community life and engage in additional activities or projects of interest.
Qualifications
Volunteers must be native English speakers with a Bachelor's degree. Volunteers must also be between the ages of 18 and 74 and have a desire to teach children and young adults and become immersed in a rural Colombian coastal community. Spanish language knowledge is helpful but not required.
Ratings and Reviews
Oh no! This program has not been reviewed. We think it's a pretty cool program, but we want to know what you think. Be the first to rate this program!
