Do you want to improve your teaching skills in the home of the Incas?

Peru is a country with one foot in the past; well aware of its ancient history it has managed to hold on to its identity despite invasions first by colonials and then tourists. That’s what makes Peru such an appealing country, along with the mountains, beaches and jungles of course. Cuzco was the heart of the Incan empire, and it’s very proud of it, so if you happen to be a 16th century Spanish colonialist be warned. It’s also a great place from which to explore Macchu Piccu as well as the foothills of the Andes. You’ll be working in an Andean school which teaches more than 300 students ranging in age from 6 to 12. Most of your time will be spent teaching English but you may also be given the choice to get involved in arts, music and even karate.

Trip Highlights:

Itinerary & Details

Day 1 (Friday) - Welcome to Lima (Airport code LIM)

Today you’ll fly into Lima airport and be collected by our local i-to-i team who will be waiting in the arrivals hall holding our logo!

You’ll be transferred to a friendly home stay for your first night in Peru, who will welcome you into their home and tell you all about Peru! Our feedback shows that this is one of the highlights of the trip and a great opportunity to learn more Spanish! Depending on what time you arrive into Lima, you’ll have time to unpack and see the sights of Lima.

Tonight though, you’ll most likely be needing a good night’s sleep, so relax and we’ll check in with you in the morning.

If you aren’t able to arrange a flight to get you into Peru on the designated arrival day then we’d recommend you fly in a day early. We can arrange an early airport pick-up for you including one night’s accommodation for an additional fee. Please call us for more information.

Day 2 (Saturday) – Orientation time!

Good morning! Welcome along to your first day in Peru and an orientation to get you started.

The orientation will take place at your in country team’s residence and will take you through what it’s going to be like at your project, do’s and don’ts, how to stay safe and it’s your prime opportunity to ask any burning questions that you haven’t yet had answered. After the orientation you’ll have some time to relax and explore the local sights.

Day 3 (Sunday) – Transfer to Cusco

Today you’ll fly to Cusco (you book your own flight before arriving in Peru) and we’ll make sure that there is someone to meet you at the airport upon arrival into Cusco. The flight takes around 1.5hours and you are in for some stunning views!

If your project is based in Calca you will be met at Cusco airport and accompanied to the bus station for your Cusco to Calca bus journey, the cost of this bus trip is not included and you should budget approximately US$2 to US$3.

On arrival, you’ll be taken to your new accommodation and have time to settle in and unpack before your first day at your new project tomorrow! Sleep well!

Day 4 (Monday) – First day of your project

Well here it is! The day you’ve been waiting for! You’ll be accompanied to the project by one of our team in the morning, and introduced to the staff and children at the project. Take time to get to know everyone talk with the staff about recent findings and what is expected during your time here, it’s your fastest route to getting settled in and getting the most out of your time.

By the end of today you’ll have made new friends and have learnt several new things and skills to take away with you; and it’s still only your first day here!

Following days (Tuesday to Friday) – Carry on at your project

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself for the first few days; everything will fall in to place naturally over the time you are here and you’ll soon feel part of the furniture. The first few days are purely set out to get to know everyone and find your way around. You’ll fall very quickly in love with the place though!

Days 9 and 10 (Saturday to Sunday) – The weekend is here!

Well it’s the weekend! Hurrah! How do you like the sound of visiting the Sacred Valley, climbing Machu Picchu, or heading to Lake Titicaca or the ancient ruins of Ollantaytambo (we could say those words over and over again without getting bored!) There’s so much to do, it’s just a matter of squeezing it all in! Cusco itself is a gorgeous place to just wander, take photos, enjoy a relaxing drink or just sit and watch the world go by!

Following weeks

However long you are booked to stay here, the following weeks will pass by in a blur, so make the most of every day, every opportunity, and every person you meet and make lots of memories to keep with you, long after your trip has finished.

You’ll fall in love with the children and establish a routine with them over the weeks of your stay. You’ll find your way around Cusco, haggle over purchases and start to feel like a local!

Your Last Day (Friday)

Your last day has come around already! We told you it would whizz by! We hope you’ve had the time of your life with us and wish you a safe onward journey from here, wherever you are heading.

Please note that the return airport transfer is not included but is easily arranged by taxi. A taxi to the airport costs around US$15 and will take around thirty minutes so please budget for this. You do not need to head back to Lima after your project finishes, wherever you go from here is your decision, but if you need our help with any travel plans, just let us know!

Project

What does the project do?

We work in a number of schools, and there is the option to be based in Cusco or based just outside in Calca, the sacred valley of the Inca's, 50km north of Cusco.

San Luis Gonzaga founded in 1954, is a primary school with about 550 pupils from the ages of 6 to 12. There is currently no budget to pay English teachers in this school. However, Calca is located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Cusco and is therefore a destination for tourists, where some families accommodate them in their homes. Children could play an important role in helping with the tourists if they spoke English. Also, when they grow up they would find better jobs if they spoke English.

Maximo San Roman Caceres was founded in 1940 and has approximately 650 chldren with around 20 teachers and is located in Calca. Children are from the age of 6 to 14 years and are in grades 1 to 6.

Nuestra Senora de Fatima is a school located in Calca and is a mixed school founded in 1845 and has around 400 children with around 13 teachers. Children are aged between 6 to 13 years of age and there are 13 classrooms with approximately 30 children in each class. You will be the main teacher in the class so you will get some great experience but don`t worry as the Peruvian tutor will be with you!  

We work with Colegio Andino Khipu in the magical heartland of the old Incan Empire in Cusco. Andino Khipu is a non-profit making, mixed male and female school that teaches around 300 children between the ages of 6 and 16.

We also work with a school near to Andino Khipu which offers pre-school education to approximately 80 children aged 3 to 5 years, and there are also opportunities for teaching approximately 225 children aged between 6 and 12 years old.

What are the projects like?

All of the schools that we work with are positively bursting with beautiful children, desperate to learn English and have a better future for themselves and their families. Tourism is a huge industry in this area and by learning English from an early age the children have a better chance of gaining employment in this area and earning a better wage.

The children and teachers do not speak much English, so we would strongly recommend that you learn as much Spanish before you arrive as possible. This will enable to you to settle in and feel comfortable in the school.

Why does the project need volunteers?

The schools that we work with are all basic with a lack of resources and require help from international volunteers to create education through creative learning. The curriculum is fairly stale and needs assistance to plan lessons that encourage children to learn through play and generally motivate children to want to do well in their education. There simply isn’t the resource locally to help with this – but you can help!

Activities and schedule

The main reason you are needed here is to teach English to children of different ages, from different backgrounds in the community. Your help would be appreciated for around five hours a day, Monday to Friday and the weekends are yours to spend as you please!

Project resources and advice

Our experience has taught us never to enter a classroom without stickers! Children around the world go mad for stickers in their workbooks and will work hard for them too!

Other useful ice-breakers are feathers, footballs, balloons, plastercine, flash cards, and also photos of you, your family, house and pets to incorporate in your lesson plans.

You will need to fill out a standardised CV/resume form before starting at your volunteer project which will be sent to you by email from our in-country team. Please make sure you complete and return it promptly to avoid any delays.

What exactly do i-to-i provide?

It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you fora the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.

Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….

Project sourcing and assessment

We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More

Expert help-desk

Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.

Thorough project briefing materials

Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.

Airport pickup

It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time - especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.

Arrival orientation

Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!

Accommodation and meals

Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More

Local in-country coordinators

Your in-country team will arrange a pick-up for you at the airport and will conduct your orientation upon arrival. All coordination teams are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More

24/7 emergency support

Aside from the local support from your in-country team you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More

Ongoing training

The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. We also fly in our in-country coordinators to the UK regularly for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More

Supporting our projects

We don't fund our projects directly from the project fee that you pay us. Instead we choose to support a number of projects every year through a grant scheme for tangible long-term initiatives. In the last 3 years we have distributed over US$250,000 to our most needy projects to help them in the great work they do. 

Recruiting people like you

We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.

The intangible benefits

Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here

Next Steps

What we will do after you've booked:

Orientation Information

We aim to provide you with a safe and soft landing into your destination by picking you up from the airport, giving you an orientation that helps to settle you into the country as quickly as possible. It's also the best time to ask any questions you have about your time in Peru.

You will arrive on the Arrival Date : Friday and will be met at the airport on that day (whether it is 12 in the morning or 11:59 at night. You will be taken to your accommodation for orientation, a local homestay in Lima, where you will have the first day/night to recover from your flight.

Note: If you're arriving early we can arrange a meet and greet for you. If you require this please contact us to arrange this service. If you wish to make your own way please contact Fiorella directly for your allocated accommodation in Lima.

Your orientation will take place the next morning and will introduce you to life in Peru as well as important information about staying healthy and safe and information on getting to your project. Over lunch you will have the chance to ask any questions of the team before starting work.

You should book your flights to Cusco for Sunday morning and will be met In Cusco by your host.

Flights & Insurance

Insurance

It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.

The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.

EU Customers – find out more here >>

Australian customers - find out more here >>

All other customers - find out more here >>

Flights

As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.

Early Airport Pick-up

If you are arriving before your designated arrival date, we can arrange for an extra meet and greet service for you. For an extra supplement we will be there to meet you at the airport and take you to your orientation accommodation. One additional night a

The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 30.00

Accommodation

What type of accommodation will I be in?

Your accommodation in Cusco is based within home stays with a local family. They are all comfortable and well equipped with electricity, running water and hot showers – it’s your home away from home!

Accommodation facilities

You’ll have a shared bedroom with another participant of the same gender as you. If we aren’t able to place two people together, we’ll make sure you’re as close together as you can be. Each bedroom has two single beds and storage space for your luggage. Basic bedding will be provided but you are welcome to bring a sleeping bag if you plan to go travelling at the weekends. We’d recommend that you bring your own padlock to keep your valuables secure.

There is a shared family living space so you might like to take items such as playing cards or books to bring in to the family space. Your new family will be keen to spend time chatting and getting to know you and we’d encourage you to get as involved in family life as much as possible. The bathrooms will be on a shared basis with the family and have running water, shower and Western style toilet. There isn’t a huge demand for hot water because the weather is already hot, and you’ll find that you won’t miss hot showers all that much!

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included; expect traditional (and delicious!) Peruvian meals such as: rice, beans, salad, meat, poultry, pasta, fish, etc.

Things to bring from home

Based on previous volunteer feedback, we’d recommend bringing the following items with you from home:

Where is the accommodation?

You’ll be based in Cusco during your stay – a gorgeous city to explore on foot! There’s so much to explore and see during your stay here that you’ll struggle to see it all.

You are within walking distance of every kind of amenity you’ll need; whether it is banks, shops, internet cafes, restaurants, bars or even hospitals, there’s nothing you’ll miss from home!

Cusco itself is a stunning city and easy to navigate. Don’t forget that you’re living with a local family who will also happily show you around and show you sights that you wouldn’t find in your guidebook, so throw it out the window!

How far is it from my project?

Oh yes this is nice. It’s around a 20 minute walk to your school every morning. We’ll bet that you won’t have had a commute like this before! You’ll have people waving to you and children following you as you head to your school. Don’t worry about getting lost; you’ll be accompanied to the school on your first day!