Assistant at English School

The institute is located in Ciudadela, a small middle class town just outside the city of Buenos Aires. You can take either the bus or train to get there, which will take approximately 1 hour. On your first day, you will have an informal chat with the director, Laura, where she will explain how the school runs and tell you in which classes you can help.

The second location is Pablo Nogues English School which is located in a humble town approximately 40 kilometers from Buenos Aires. The school’s owner and director has cultivated a recreational environment where children can study English and enjoy a cup of tea in a relaxed, family atmosphere after their regular school day.

This project was created in 2005, to create an institute where students could take international exams and have a strong schedule just like every good English institute but with accessible fees for the kids of the neighborhood. It began with three teachers through the concept of an affordable school for the children of the town whose parents belong to the working class. However, because the school functions without any funding from the government and because of the economic crisis, the lack of financial support almost forced the owner to declare bankruptcy because she could no longer pay the teachers. Without change, the school would have had to close but thanks to a new idea, they were able to find a solution and keep the doors of this invaluable place open. Instead of paying teachers, they created a cooperative that will allow older students to teach younger students with the help of volunteers. So now the school hires their own graduate students to teach in the classrooms and thus allows them to have the experience to find a formal job.

- Volunteers use their knowledge of English to help the students in group classes. The presence of native speakers evidently is very helpful to the children's learning of the language and also for the younger teachers.
- Your role in the school will be proportionate to your level of Spanish and the amount of time you can volunteer for. Consequently, this program is ideal for undergraduate students of modern languages in a year abroad, particularly those interested in teaching. If your Spanish and/or time is limited, you will be able to assist in classes.

All volunteer projects start on Mondays. You should, however, plan to arrive in Buenos Aires on a Friday as you have a Welcome Package. This is an excellent introduction to the city of Buenos Aires and a great way to start your volunteer project. It includes a welcome drink, free Wi-Fi, a bike tour and a walking tour of either Recoleta, Palermo or San Telmo.

Your first day at work will be very relaxed, just observing and getting to know everyone and how it all works. You will have an informal chat with the program coordinator who will tell how the school runs as well as explain more about your specific tasks and which classes you can help teach.

Generally the working hours are Monday-Friday from 17:30 to 20:30, but you can discuss this in your introduction meeting, and agree to work more if you want. However, once you commit to working more hours you have to respect the schedule you have chosen and never miss work. You should always work the minimum number of hours required and in some cases the NGO also recommends a maximum number of hours. Please remember you will also use time travelling to and from your project.

There is an informal meeting every week where you will have an opportunity to talk with the team about your volunteering program. Volunteer activities include:

Planning lessons and keeping up with the curriculum set by the head teacher
Setting and marking homework
Monitoring progress through tests
Writing school reports
Preparing students for international exams when necessary
Serving as a role model and mentor for the students by acting as a responsible adult and maintaining discipline. Being creative and enthusiastic with the students is very important so that they continue studying and wanting to learn more. The volunteers are teaching them so much more than just a language.

This project is not available during school holidays from mid-December to mid-March and the last two weeks in July. Please note though that the timing of the school holidays is subject to change from year to year depending on the school's calendar.

You have the option to add either 4-or 6-hours of Spanish lessons per week. Lessons are one-on-one or in pairs, and each lesson is 2 hours long.

Minimum age of 18
Volunteer application form that is approved by the volunteer organization
Police Clearance Certificate
Very good English. You need to be able to speak English clearly as you will be helping the students with their pronunciation.

Arrival transfer
Welcome Package
Accommodation during the volunteering weeks
Breakfast
Free internet and Wi-Fi access
City bike tour
Walking tour (Recoleta or Palermo or San Telmo) or a nightclub ticket
Briefing and 24/7 assistance from the volunteering organization
Donation to the project
4- or 6-hours of Spanish lessons per week, either one-on-one or in pairs (if chosen)

Daily transportation to/from the project (you can use public transportation)

Our projects range from 1 week up to approx. 30 weeks. Projects have a specified minimum stay, then it’s up to you how long you can commit. In our experience the longer you stay the more you will gain, as your understanding of the project broadens and you take on more responsibilities.