Overview

Want to really get to know the Galapagos Islands?

Living on an island that has been voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, it’s not surprising that the residents end up taking second billing to the natural surroundings. It’s a shame though as they have a rich and unique culture to share and can provide a hugely interesting insight into the island. By living and teaching here you’ll get the chance to learn about the island without missing out on seeing it either, as its size makes it easy to explore. With so many tourists visiting every year, it’s imperative that the residents learn English both to improve their own futures and that of the island.

Trip Highlights:

Being a real part of these incredible islands - rather than just taking photos!

Exploring the islands on your days off

Really understanding the challenges facing the community on these world famous islands

What our projects say

Receiving volunteers from i-to-i is very important for us because with the help and knowledge of the volunteers our students are able to improve their English, share another culture, have a more global point of view and improve their human relations

The latest achievement is that our school was able to establish an International Secondary School status. With this status, our students will very likely be able to continue their studies in Universities and even apply for scholarships abroad

Another important achievement is that our school has reached the first places in the country in English contests such as essays contests

Itinerary & Details

Day 1 (Monday): Arrival into Quito (Airport Code UIO)

Welcome to Ecuador! You will be collected from the airport by our i-to-i team who will be waiting in the arrivals hall for you; you’ll know who they are as they’ll be carrying our logo and they’ll be ready to give you a warm welcome!

You’ll be transferred to your home stay accommodation for tonight. Our home stay families are fantastic and so welcoming; it’s also your first opportunity to test out your Spanish skills!

You’ll stay with your home stay family for the next two nights so feel free to unpack, get stuck in with family life and enjoy the lovely home cooked local food!

Day 2 (Tuesday): Orientation time!

Today you’ll have an early start, tuck into a hearty wholesome breakfast then head off to your orientation, which will be held at one of the home stay accommodations.

This will give you a good insight into Ecuador - the culture, things to do and see, what to do in case of an emergency and much more! It can also be a good way to meet other i-to-i travellers and ask any questions you may have. You’ll then be given some lunch and will have the afternoon free to explore or relax.

Day 3 (Wednesday): Transfer to the Galapagos Islands

Today is the day you’ve been waiting for! You’ll be transferred back to Quito airport in time for your flight to the Galapagos Islands! The flight from Quito to Santa Cruz is about 3,5 hours (normally there is a layover in Guayaquil), this flight will be booked for you and the flight cost is included in the price of your trip.

You’ll then take a taxi from the airport to the accommodation and this usually takes around 1 hour, so sit back, enjoy the ride and welcome to the Galapagos!

When you get to the project, you’ll have a chance to explore the area, you’ll be introduced to everyone and, depending on what time you arrive, you may be able to get stuck in to some activities this afternoon!

Days 4 – 5 (Thursday – Friday): Let’s get teaching!

Today is your first full day of volunteer work and we’ll make sure you get involved in everything! You’ll be accompanied to your school on your first day and introduced to everyone – don’t worry if you don’t remember everyone’s name, you have plenty of time to learn them all.

Take time to learn the aims and plans of the project, you’ll enjoy it so much more when you learn what you’re a part of, and the staff there are always willing to tell you stories about the children!

Days 6 and 7 (Saturday to Sunday): Free time

It’s the weekend! Hooray! You’ve earned yourselves a nice little break from work so kick back and relax! You might like to take some of our suggestions or just head off on your own adventures…

Head out on a yacht cruise around the island, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, learn about the history of the islands and see the tortoise breeding and rearing at work. It’s also worth having a day trip at other islands to have a go at diving, mountain biking, kayaking or horseback riding! Imagine how much fun you can have!

It’s also possible to visit the most beautiful of all of the Islands – Isabella Island! Even the name is beautiful! The Island is named in honour of Queen Isabella of Spain…lucky lady.

Following weeks

Settle down in to the local pace and way of life on the Islands as you spend your days teaching eager children and making new friends every day, learning more Spanish and teaching more English.

However many weeks you have booked for, you’ll be making a difference every day in your classroom as you see your children learn more before you and see tangible results from what you are doing!

The day before your Last Day (Sunday)

Oh no! It’s your last day on the Galapagos and you’re terribly sad to be leaving! Don’t worry; you’ll have lots of amazing memories to take with you and new friends you’ve made and around 1,000,000 photos too!

We’ll book your return flight to Quito in time to make your flight back home don’t worry. We book your return flight the day before your official last day with us and we’ll put you up in a local hostel. If you are travelling in 2012 then your accommodation for your last night in Quito will be in a homestay.

You’ll need to make your way from Quito airport to the hostel or homestay but you’ll have been given directions from the team on the way to the Galapagos anyway so it will be fine!

Your last day (Monday): Time to head onwards

Well, what can we say? We hope you’ve had an amazing time and we’ll miss you. If you’re heading back to the airport, the transfer is not included but our team will be on hand to make sure you know where you are going. The cost of the transfer is around US$40 so please budget for this.

If you are heading onwards around Ecuador or exploring more of Latin America, don’t forget to ask our in country team for advice or help if you need it!

Project

What does the project do?

You’ll be based at one of two schools of the island of Santa Cruz and this is a chance to assist in the education of children whose future is likely to be involved in the tourist industry.

Galo Plaza Lasso School was founded in 1953 to provide primary school teaching to the children of Santa Cruz. As a volunteer teacher, you'll play a vital role in enriching their education and helping them to build brighter futures.

Alternatively you may be based at a public school whose aims are to form students integrally in conservation, identity, science and Sports. This school is associated with UNESCO with the aim of educating their students in order to preserve the Galapagos Islands, Natural Heritage of Humanity. The students are also educated so that they can be an integral part of the activities of the island. The school holds approximately 700 students aged between 5-14 years old.

What’s the project like?

Both of the schools that we work with are positively bursting with eager students, desperate to 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 students 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.

You will normally be working with students aged 12 to 20 years old.

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 students to learn through play and generally motivate students 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 students 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. During evaluation weeks you will be helping the teachers grade exams and taking tests with the students so you will need to be flexible during this time, during school holidays you can get involved in extra curricular activities or help in the community development projects.

Project resources and advice

Our experience has taught us never to enter a classroom without stickers! Younger students 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.

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:

Once booked on you will instantly receive a welcome email confirming your booking with access to your online account

We will send a Welcome Pack in the post containing a t-shirt and a police check where required (UK only)

Community Development and Teaching customers will be requested to complete a police check (where relevant)

We will contact you if we require anything else e.g. CV/resume for some projects, doctors note for medical conditions etc.

We will prepare for your trip and you will receive all information required to prepare yourself in your online account 

We will ask you to complete personal information and pay your final balance if they are still due when required

We are available for any questions you may have on 978 587 3650 or support@i-to-i.com

What you need to do after booking your place with us:

Book your flights

Arrange suitable travel insurance

Fill out your personal details through our online interface:

Complete your police check if requested

Make final payment at least 90 days before you go

Make sure you have a visa for your trip if it's needed

Visit a nurse or travel clinic for advice on inoculations and malaria prevention

Read all details and prepare as much as you can for your trip

Take contact details of the in country team and where you're going in your hand luggage - just in case!

Get on the plane!

Orientation Information

Having arrived on the Monday, you will be taken to your orientation accommodation in Quito, this will be in a comfortable homestay and likely to be a shared room with another volunteer. You will have a group orientation meeting with the in-country coordinator on the Tuesday morning, and a trip to Mitel del Mundo in the afternoon. Your flight to the Galapagos will be booked to leave on Wednesday morning and arrive in to start your project on Thursday.

If you choose to take the language lessons add-on you will spend the remainder of the week in Quito - please contact the us for more information on what this involves. You will then start your placement the following Monday, travelling on Saturday if outside of Quito.

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$ 90.00

Accommodation

Your accommodation

Your accommodation on Santa Cruz Island is based within home stays with a local family. They are all comfortable and well equipped with electricity, running water and based on cold water showers.

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, cold water shower and Western style toilet.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included; expect traditional (and delicious!) 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:

Books and playing cards to entertain you and your family in the evenings

A warm jumper during the cooler months as it can be quite chilly!

Lots of Spanish speaking skills to get you settled in!

Where is the accommodation?

You’ll be based in Santa Cruz during your stay – a gorgeous place 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, bars or even a doctor.

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 10 - 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.