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Institutional Member of
The College of Teachers
London, UK
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Volunteer Programs: Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
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About Costa Rica |
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2008 Programs Not Available
Costa Rica, in the heart of Central America, is a country of contrasts with a strong mix of landscapes and cultures. With a fine range of volcanoes, tropical rainforests, magnificent waterfalls and beautiful sandy beaches, Costa Rica is an environmental wonderland. It is renowned for its biodiversity and its many national parks. Costa Rica boasts an array of wildlife, from crocodiles and monkeys to whales and dolphins.
Costa Ricans, commonly known as Ticos, are well known for their friendly hospitality. For over 50 years Costa Rica has been without an army and unlike many neighbouring countries, peace and stability has lasted. Time and effort has been dedicated to improving the standard of living and sustaining the wildlife.
Visit the cosmopolitan capital, San José, a city with a vibrant atmosphere and energy close to some great volcano hikes. The city is full of lively plazas overlooked by colourful colonial buildings, museums and restaurants.
The laid-back life of Costa Rica is infectious and you will find it hard to leave. Spoilt for choice by the number of palm fringed beaches, its Pacific coast offers great spots for surfing, while the Caribbean coast is best for snorkelling and diving. The projects we offer in Costa Rica allow you to experience its true essence. You will really become a part of Costa Rican community life.
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About Manuel Antonio |
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Within a relatively small corner of Costa Rica, tourists can find the excitement and adventure of a vacation in the tropical forest, surrounded by one of the country’s most beautiful natural environments, without sacrificing life’s modern conveniences. There’s magic to Manuel Antonio that is hard to explain. One thing, however, is absolutely certain: once you’ve been here you’ll want to come back again.
Manuel Antonio, with its 1700 acres of land mass and 135,906 acres of marine reserve, is the smallest of the 20 national parks Costa Rica has put aside for total protection. Even so, it is the country’s second most visited conservation area, after the Poas Volcano.
Last year alone, 143,520 tourists visited the park. Conservation officials have fixed the park’s carrying capacity at 600 people per day from Tuesdays to Fridays, and 800 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. On Mondays the park is closed to the public. ‘If there are already 600 visitors at 10 a.m., we close it right then, said Javier Herrera, in charge of environmental education at the park, which is usually open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Located 100 miles south of San José ¯n the Pacific Coast (a pleasant three-hour drive, or a short 20 minutes by plane), Manuel Antonio, which was declared a national park in 1972, is the natural habitat of species such as the endangered squirrel monkey (endemic to the area), white faced capuchin monkey, raccoons, three and two-toed sloths, white-nosed coaties, brown pelicans, black-collared hawks and green kingfishers. They share the space with primary and secondary forests, bursting with cedars, bully trees, locust surá³”, black locusts and silk cotton trees. A mangrove swamp covers about 44.5 acres, adding to the biodiversity of the region. Three different species: red mangrove, buttonwood mangrove and white mangrove - around.
Further reading in the Lonely Planet
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Volunteer Placement |
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Teach English in Costa Rica
Opened in 1997, this organisation provides education for over 75 children in order to give them a foundation for a better life. Their aim is to provide schooling for the very poorest families in the area. Children from disadvantaged families or broken homes are the ones who benefit from this incredible organisation.
In addition to education & vocational training skills, the School offers a home to currently 45 children. The background of these children often tells a very sad story. They stay at the school because they have no one who can take care of them properly. The school has two dormitories, with roughly equal number of boys & girls. The age range in this shelter is 6 to 15 years old.
The school financially independent with limited government funding and rely mainly on outside donations. Financial and material sponsorship not only pays for teacher’s salaries, textbooks and food but it also allows other initiatives to come to fruition, such as a computer room, sports equipment and an English program.
Your program fee will help fund this English program and provide the school with some valuable teaching materials. It will also provide them with a teacher they would otherwise not be able to afford.
You will receive a monthly allowance of $100 USD, which will be sufficient to cover your basic food and other general costs. You should however, bring some more funds to subsidise your social life and any activities that you might want to peruse!
There will be a small group of volunteers based at the same school or in the same area so you will have a group of friends and fellow teachers to help you get settled quickly. You can then focus on making a positive difference to the children and enjoying a truly life changing experience.
While your pupils want to learn English, you will probably find that local teachers are just as keen - and they will practise their spoken English on you. This is, of course, part of the benefit of your placement - the better local teachers speak English, the better they will be able to teach their pupils.
You will receive a monthly allowance of $100 USD. This will be sufficient to cover your basic food costs. You should however, bring some more funds to subsidise your expenditure, social life and any activities that you might want to peruse!
Duties
Teaching conversational English and assisting local English teachers; lesson planning, Activities etc.
Working Hours
You can expect to work approximately 4-5 hours a day between 8.00am – 4.00pm, Monday to Friday. Additional time will be spent lesson planning. An average working week is around 35 hours.
Resources
Some teaching materials are provided however volunteers may want to bring additional materials such as simple reading books, postcards, photos, games etc.
Food
You will receive a living allowance of 100 USD Per Month to cover your basic living costs however some meals will be provided on campus, and also if you’re living with a home-stay family.
Travel & Health Care Insurance
Travel & Health insurance is not so much an optional extra as an integral part of any program. Our Insurance Policies cover the obvious problems, such as a stolen wallet or purse, an accident or an illness. They also provide compensation for delays and cancellation, for damaged or lost luggage, and even a telephone help
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Program Package |
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Your Volunteer Program Package Includes:
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A Four-Week, 125 Hour, Fully Certified TEFL/TESOL Training Course - including cultural orientation at our internationally accredited training centre in Manuel Antonio. |
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Internationally Recognised, Uniquely Numbered TEFL/TESOL certificate - Fully accredited and certified by the Ministry of Education, recognised worldwide. |
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Guaranteed Volunteer Teaching Placement - at one of our volunteer centres in Manuel Antonio and nearby |
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1-2 Months Volunteer Teaching Experience Leading to TEFL/TESOL Diploma Certificate - From the World TEFL School. |
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Travel & Living Allowance - of USD100.00 per month. |
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Spanish Language Course & Customs - 10-hour Introductory language course. |
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Visa Forms & Support Letter - 100% Acceptance Guaranteed. |
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Private Furnished Accommodation - during training with fan, shower/wash room, fridge, room safe. |
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Placement Accommodation - Basic private accommodation or shared dormitory-style accommodation on campus or home-stay accommodation with a local family. |
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Airport Pick Up & Transfer - to your prearranged hotel. |
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Travel Insurance & Private Health Care Insurance - Comprehensive insurance cover for the duration of your placement. |
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24-hour Support - you will receive full support, advice & assistance from your experienced program coordinator throughout your stay. Our coordinators are from the UK and have over 3 years experience living in Central America. |
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International Calling Cards - keep in touch with your folks back home. |
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Lonely Planet Travel Guide - in-depth guide book. |
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Spanish - English Phrasebook - essential & useful for many years. |
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Starter Pack - including adaptor plug, maps, first-aid Kit, teaching materials, lesson plans, tiger balm, shoulder bag, flashlight, pens, notebook & more. |
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Excursion - to the national park. |
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Accommodation |
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Basic private accommodation or shared dormitory-style accommodation on campus or home-stay accommodation with a local family is included in your program package. Your coordinator will allocate suitable accommodation for you depending on availability and location. We will endeavour to arrange private or home-stay accommodation for you but this may not always be possible - please be flexible.
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Basic Living Costs |
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As long as you stay away from the tourist traps, the basic costs of living in Costa Rica are significantly less than those of the UK or the US. If you're careful and on a shoestring budget, you could manage on around GBP 5.00 pounds a day, including food and accommodation. One can have a very nice meal with a drink for less than GBP 0.50 Pence. Eat western food and you can expect to pay at least GBP 1.50. A beer in a restaurant will cost between GBP 0.50 pence to 1.00 pound depending on the brand. Staple groceries also come cheap in supermarkets - a dozen eggs: 10 pence a litre of milk: 30 pence, baht, bottle of beer: 50 p, loaf of bread: 10 p, soft drink: 15 p. Imported wine is expensive at GBP 5.00 for a cheap bottle. Backpacker accommodation is available for GBP 2.00 per night! Exchange rates www.xe.com.
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Health & Safety |
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Again, Costa Rica is a relatively safe country to visit but we wouldn't be doing our job if we didn’t provide you with the downside. Do not wear jewellery or carry large amounts of cash. Avoid street moneychangers. Avoid stopping in poorly lit or low-populated areas to make telephone calls or seek directions.
You should take great care against theft at all bus stations. Theft of bags from the overhead compartments inside buses is common and efficiently carried out. Thieves have simple but effective ways of distracting a target - be watchful.
Avoid leaving unattended drinks in bars and places of entertainment as reports have been received of "spiked" drinks resulting in assault and theft.
Loss of passports and travel documents through theft is a serious problem, which appears to be on the increase. Ensure you take photocopies of your passport and, more importantly, airline tickets and travellers cheques, as these can be difficult to replace if stolen. It is permissible to present photocopies of your passport for identification purposes and, wherever possible, documents should be locked in a safe place (eg hotel safe). If this is not possible, carry your documents on your person rather than in bags, which are likely to be targeted by thieves.
Malaria is endemic to some regions of Costa Rica. You should take strict prevention measures against mosquito bites; i.e. the use of repellents and by wearing long sleeved shirts and long trousers. Seek medical advice about the use of malarial prophylaxis. Only emergency medical treatment is available without charge for visitors.
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General |
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All applicants must be aged 20+ in excellent health with energy, enthusiasm and a positive outgoing attitude. No complainers please!
**Criminal record check required for all applicants**
Since many trips to Costa Rica are made via the United States, it is important to note that with effect from 26 October 2004, all passport holders who wish to enter the US under the Visa Waiver Programme (See Entry Requirements in the Travel Advice for the United States) must present an individual machine-readable passport.
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Prices & Dates |
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Volunteer 2 x Month Program (Including 1 X Month Training)
= USD 3895.00 or GBP 1995.00
Extra Month
= USD 370.00 or GBP 190.00
Exchange Rates
| Start Dates for 2007 |
2008 No longer Available |
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14th May |
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16th July |
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17th October |
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You can select your preferred start date from the application form
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Apply Now |
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No fee is required to apply for a place on the program. Due to the high number of applications we receive each day we are only able to hold your reservation for 30 days. Once your application has been accepted we will require a non-refundable deposit of GBP£299 or approx USD$580 to secure your placement. The remaining balance will then be due 2 x months prior to the program start date. We will process your application immediately and contact you within 24 hours.
Disclaimer: We've tried to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety, customs and transportation) with the relevant authorities before you travel.
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