Chile Inside - Volunteering at a countryside school in Chile

Booking Number

CL-VOL116

Program Place

Small countryside school

Location

Frutillar, Lake District, South of Chile
Frutillar is a beautiful small town on scenic Llanquihue Lake in southern Chile, near Puerto Varas. The town offers a magnificent view of the snow-capped Osorno volcano. Frutillar is a very popular holiday resort, especially in the warm summer months. Nature lovers and outdoor sports fans in particular are drawn to Lake Llanquihue. Deep forests, raging mountain rivers, lovely mountain landscapes and unique national parks characterize this region.

Tasks

Your tasks are all about shaping and enriching the children's everyday school life. Intercultural exchange with teachers, children and families is an important part of the volunteer program. As a volunteer, you should be proactively involved in school and community life to provide full cultural integration.

The volunteers' areas of responsibility include:

Taking care of the children in school
Supervising the children while they are playing freely
Shaping and enriching the learning environment
Offering project tasks and workshops
Playing, making music, dancing, doing handicrafts, painting and handicrafts with the children
Doing sports with the children
Supporting children in their development with meaningful activities
Teaching the children in your mother tongue
Supervising the children during mealtimes
Assisting in the maintenance of the rooms and outdoor areas
Attending the weekly team meeting

As a volunteer, you have an important role model function. Please always be aware of your responsibility towards the children. A large dose of responsibility and a sense of duty are important.

(We would like to point out that the tasks may vary and depend on factors such as the number of volunteers, weather, season, current needs of the project, and self-motivation. Volunteers may not be fully involved in all the tasks mentioned above.)

Working Hours

The working time is approximately 35 hours per week from Monday to Friday.

Start Date

Flexible start and end dates between beginning of March and end of January

Duration

Minimum 6 weeks

Minimum age

20 years

Language

Spanish at communication level (book your Spanish course in Chile with us!)

Accommodation

Single room in a local homestay

Food

Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Internet

All our homestays have Internet access (Wifi) available.

In-Country Support

Our English-speaking team in the Chile Inside office in Santiago de Chile is always there for you.

24/7 Emergency Number

With the booking confirmation you will receive our 24-hour emergency number, under which you can reach us 24/7 in case of emergency.

Application

Please send us your detailed CV with photo and the completed registration form. For more information on the registration process, please see the instructions on the first page of the registration form or contact one of our experienced staff members.

Application Deadline

There are no application deadlines. We recommend submitting the documents as early as possible, at least 6 weeks before the desired start of the program, so that there is sufficient time to assure a smooth placement process. For short-term applications please contact us.

Insurance

You need to have a travel health insurance for Chile. You can buy your travel insurance, tailored to the needs of our participants, online with us, at convenient rates. See: Travel health insurance

Program Highlights

Individual project placement
No application deadlines
Flexible start and end dates
Participation possible even without prior knowledge
English-speaking in-country support
Beautiful project location in the South of Chile
Intensive intercultural exchange

This volunteer work in education/teaching takes place in a small school in the lovley little town of Frutillar. Located in the beautiful South of Chile, Frutillar is a magnet for tourists, especially in the warm summer months. The town sits right on Llanquihue Lake with picture-perfect views of the snow-capped Osorno Volcano.

The school follows the principle of self-directed learning, in which students and teachers meet on an equal footing. It is described as a strategic and self-reflective learning process in which students, with or without the help of others, take the initiative to identify their own learning needs, set goals, and identify and implement appropriate strategies. The school offers an emotionally and intellectually secure learning community where the natural curiosity and enthusiasm for learning can develop. The teachers provide maximum support with minimal intervention. The children have space to explore, play, create, jump, dance, sing, play instruments, solve puzzles, paint, do carpentry, do handicrafts, pottery, design, but also write, read, do arithmetic, and take part in workshops. That way, they're always learning, even when it seems like they're just having fun. The school is housed in a large building with spacious green areas. The school is a modern alternative to the traditional school.

The school staff consists of 4 teachers and currently around 20 boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 11 attend the small country school.