25 trees will be planted on your behalf for every experience purchased, via our partnership with One Tree Planted.
See more at onetreeplanted.org
Overview
The local government and Educational Supervisor are fully behind our project, giving us access to many schools and community buildings in the area. Environmental projects are also eager for workers when their funds allow for projects to commence. We aim to be flexible in response to the needs of the community; painting and maintaining buildings, assisting with construction, maintaining green areas and helping with local agronomy and environmental projects. If you are staying for longer than a week, you can expect a varied workload.
Objectives
- To provide practical assistance to the local community wherever needed, whilst fostering cultural interchange.
Impact
Volunteer experiences have a direct and positive impact on local communities by injecting money into the local economy through the purchase of food, transportation, and tourism activities. Volunteering is a great way to give back to the comunity and make a difference in the world. Depending on the type of volunteer experience you are interested in, your time can be spent improving educational resources and opportunities, providing medical services to underserved communities, or promoting environmental conservation and sustainable farming techniques.
1% of gross sales will be donated to 1% for the Planet-approved charities via our partnership with 1% for the Planet.
See more at onepercentfortheplanet.org
Location
Esparza, Costa Rica
Esparza is a medium-sized agricultural town nestled amongst the mountains above Rio Barranca, in the Central Pacific Coast area of Costa Rica. The area was first settled by the Chorotega and Huetar peoples. The Chorotega people fled from Mexico 1,500 years ago and brought their traditions with them. This is a possible reason why there are Mexican words which jump several countries and turn up again in Costa Rica.
Itinerary
Saturday / Sunday - Arrival
We will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to our center. Saturday arrivals need to book one extra night at our accommodation.
Monday to Friday
Your workload will vary depending on the project, and you may not be at the same site all day. You can expect to work for 3-6 hours as manual work in Costa Rica is demanding, due to the humidity. You will have lunch either on or near the site or at the centre, and can expect to be away from the centre between 07:00 in the morning until approximately 16:30, depending on your schedule, giving you plenty of time to immerse yourself in the project and to get to know other participants and local contributors.
Saturday - Departure
Take a bus from Esparza directly to SJO Airport (2 hours). Buses depart every hour for earliest flights on Saturday afternoon.
Inclusions
- Shared Accomodation
- All meals included
- Free beverages
- Wifi in public areas
- Arrival Transfer (included with 2 wk+ trips)
- Departure Transfer
Options
More Information
Requirements
- minimum age18
- minimum english levelBasic
- CRB RequiredOn signup
- passport copy requiredNo
- resume copy requiredNo
Other Requirements
- Casual dress is appropriate during your time at the school. Please don’t wear ‘beach wear’ or any other outfit that is too revealing. Long trousers or long skirts are ideal, as teachers usually dress conservatively.
- Please bring clothes appropriate for construction work if you will be here during holidays, so you can take part in school renovation and other community work.
Food
Three meals a day on weekdays (two on weekends) are included during your stay. The meals will mainly be a mix of traditional and modern Costa Rican food, so you may experience the Costa Rican take on foods you will be familiar with. Most meals will include either fish, chicken, pork or beef, but vegetarians can be catered for.
Accommodation
Your new home will be one of two newly built eco houses in our centre in Esparza: Jaguar House and Toucan House.
The two houses sleep up to 22 people. Most rooms have bunk beds and are shared on a single gender. One room in each house has a bunk bed with a double bed below, single above, suitable for couples or small families, if needed. (Private rooms can be obtained at additional cost; this must be arranged before arriving for your program).
All doors are lockable, but as rooms are shared, and we carry out regular cleaning, we recommend that you don't lock your rooms.
There is also a large dining hall/games room/communal area shared by both houses, with free WiFi, and table tennis, and a large garden of tropical plants, including coconut palm, papaya, banana, and citrus
Cancellation Policy
Bookings can be amended and cancelled 30 days before the program start date without any costs. Bookings that are cancelled less than 30 days before the program start date will be charged the first week of the booking.
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