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About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
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In Costa Rica, as in most countries in the world, it’s the rural areas that need help and assistance the most; outside the cities resources tend to dry up and children are left with far less opportunities. Luckily for you, rural Costa Rica is also home to some of the most inspiring scenery this side of the National Geographic channel and these schools in particular provide a stunning backdrop to your time here. They are located in and around the small village of La Fortuna in the Central Valley, right by the stunning Arenal Volcano, although not too close! You will be working as an English teaching assistant alongside the local teachers in the schools during the English lessons schedule and you will be a welcome resource appreciated by children and staff alike.
Fancy learning some Spanish to give you a good start in country? Why not add on two weeks Spanish Language school before you start your volunteering. Call us now to find out more.
You will met at the airport by a member of our friendly i-to-i Costa Rica team, and taken to the Alajuela Backpackers hostel, where you’ll be spending your first 2 nights in Costa Rica. If you arrive before 6:30pm a tasty welcome dinner is provided, and the rest of your time is yours to spend as you chose – exploring Alajuela’s bars and shops, getting to know your fellow volunteers or catching up on some sleep!
If you are on a flight departing Mexico on Saturday evening that arrives into San Jose at 10 minutes past midnight on Sunday morning your airport pick up will be included however you will need to pay for an additional night’s accommodation - please arrange this with our office in advance.
As volunteers are not able to check into their rooms before 2pm on the arrival day, anyone arriving earlier than 12 midday that would like to have a room available for them will need to pay for an additional nights fee for accommodation - please arrange this with our office in advance.
At 8:30am a member of the in-country team will pick you up from the hostel and take you to the i-to-i office for orientation. This will give you a good insight into Costa Rica - 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. A tasty dinner will be served in the offices in the evening!
You’ll transfer to La Fortuna early in the morning. An i-to-i representative will take you to the bus stop, and make sure you get on your way! Your family will be waiting for you at the other end. We like to get you to La Fortuna today; instead of straight after the orientation as it is a long journey and we don’t want you to arrive at the project after dark (you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression!). The transfer to La Fortuna takes around 4 hours by public transport.
Today you’ll start your first day of teaching near La Fortuna. You will meet all the kids at the school so don’t worry if you don’t take in everyone’s name on the first day! You’ll be taken to the project on your first day by your home stay family and introduced to the staff and children. You can work out a schedule together with your class teachers and get stuck in – there’s no time like the present!
Yahoo it’s the weekend! So what you do want to do? Oh I don’t know… you could choose between a tree top zip wire tour, or hike around the Arenal volcano, trek through a tropical forest, swim around a waterfall, or have a disco in the Baldi hot springs – Costa Rica is cool man!
Build an unbreakable bond with the children and staff of your school as you become more and more involved in the school and community of this close community. Whether you’re here for four weeks or four months, you’ll find it equally hard to leave and return to your everyday life.
Some schools teach from 7.00am through to 5.30pm with a break for lunch – but you’re not expected to be there all that time though! You’ll tend to follow your English teacher’s schedule which is discussed on your arrival. Depending on which school you are placed at you could work from 4 to 8 hours per day. The Schedule will be discussed with you in more detail during orientation.
Boo hoo it’s your last day. On departure day you will be having your last adventure as you make your own way back to the hostel in Alajuela. Directions are given inside your welcome packs. We offer one free night in the Alajuela hostel before departure and the hostel also offer free transfer back to the airport.
We work with several schools in the La Fortuna area. These are schools run by the government of Costa Rica, the Ministry of Education. You will be working as teaching assistant alongside the English teachers in the schools and during the English lessons schedule. As well as spending time teaching, you might also spend time helping to plan and prepare lessons for all age groups (from first to 6th grade).
Student population varies from school to school; ranging from 150 to nearly 800 students. Kids are aged from 4 years to 12 years.
There is a need for English language education as the community is gearing up to be the future eco-tourist guides for the area and English is an essential skill for such a role.
Either of the schools that you’ll be working at is in a scenic, rural location that has quite a tourist trail running through it, to learn English for these kids is extremely important in order to better their chances at employment in later life. Depending on the school, there are one or three teachers who work full time but need plenty of assistance in the form of volunteers to improve their English and give the children the best education possible!
The schools appreciates volunteers because there is a need for English language education as the community is gearing up to be the future eco-tourist guides for the area and English is an essential skill for such a role. Plus, you won’t just be helping the children; you’ll be helping the teachers and the community too! Phew!
An important key for being a successful volunteer is the flexibility. Starting with your work schedule, it will probably be disrupted at some point. The English teachers have to follow a syllabus given by the Ministry of Education, do not expect this to be changed. Also, you need to be a creative, self-motivated and self-starter person who enjoys working with children. Perseverance and tolerance of working in a new environment is a plus; however, the student's genuine need for tuition and conversational English practice make this project really rewarding. Have patience and go with the flow!
Your assistance is needed from Monday to Friday anytime between the hours of 7am and 5.30pm as this is when lessons take place. However, you’ll be working out a schedule with the teachers when you arrive, so be prepared to get stuck in and working long rewarding days!
Please note that there are several cultural considerations to note when working at the schools. We ask you to cover any visible tattoos, piercings and ‘outrageous’ hairdo’s (we love them, don’t get us wrong, but they don’t tend to fit in with rural areas overseas as much…). Any resources that you bring with you will come in useful - but dont forget you can buy many things locally!
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….
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
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.
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.
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.
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 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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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
You will arrive on the Arrival Date - Sunday and will be met at the airport on that day. You will be taken to the Hostel Backpackers (see address below) where you will have the first day/night to recover from your flight. Dinner is provided on Sunday at 6.30pm if you are arriving in before this time. The hostel is within walking distance from the main shops and access to internet if you wish to have a wander.
Your orientation will take place the next morning and will introduce you to life in Costa Rica as well as important information about staying healthy and safe and information getting to your project. This is your chance to ask any questions of the team before work. You will be given lunch at the office and then the afternoon to rest or explore Alajuela.
You will stay at the Hostel Backpackers again on the Monday night before transferring to permanent accommodation on the Tuesday. This will also be the first day that you meet your project and depending on your arrival time will start working as a volunteer.
During your time near La Fortuna you will be staying with a Costa Rican family. These families provide not only breakfast, lunch, dinner and a bed for those lodging with them, but also an interesting insight into Costa Rican culture.
All the families chosen provide clean and safe accommodation; we also know them to be good and friendly people who will not only welcome you into their home, but also their family.
We let the home-stay families know in advance if you have special dietary needs, but please also remind them on your arrival. Rice and beans is going to be your main diet, it is often eaten 3 times a day here- you will learn to love it!
You can drink water directly from the tap in most of Costa Rica including in smaller villages. Your family will make juices and drinks using this water. Should you wish to have bottled water it is available in the supermarkets
Your families will also wash your clothes once a week.
Set in a scenic area, La Fortuna is a stunning small town (on the backpacker and tourist trail) and connects the Volcan Arenal area with the cloud forests of Monteverde and Santa Elena with the northern lowlands of the country. Costa Rica’s most active volcano (Arenal), around 30kms away, can be seen quite clearly and offers some spectacular views - particularly on a clear night when you can see it glowing away. The volcano is one of the country’s top rated tourist attractions and regularly spews out it's smoke and ash. La Fortuna itself is around 150kms north of San Jose with the journey taking around 3-4 hours by bus.
You will be staying in a home stay accommodation near to your project, which will be in the La Fortuna area. You'll stay with a local family of at least two generations and a few animals too, giving you a great cultural experience and real opportunity to understand and get to enjoy the Costa Rican way of life - remember, Costa Rica was recently found to be the happiest country in the world and you'll soon see why.
You’ll be placed in a shared room in a local home stay. The rooms are usually on a two person shared basis (where possible) and we’ll do our best to place couples together but this cannot always be guaranteed. You’ll be sharing a living space and bathroom with the family you are living with and they’ll take you under their expert wing to make sure you feel settled and welcome in to the family.
All of our home stays are within a short distance of the others so you can meet up in the evenings and socialise together. They all have good facilities with running water (probably not hot water but you won’t need it!), bedding, electricity and lots of delicious food for you! you won’t need a mosquito net in La Fortuna unless you particularly want to bring one with you to protect your bed from the creepies!
The home stay accommodation is based around a 5-10 minutes walk from your school. Ah it’s not a bad life there, walking around in the sun, making friends, eating rice and beans three times a day…we defy you to want to leave anytime before you absolutely have to!
La Fortuna (which could be a bus ride away from where you are staying) is a strange and wonderful place, plenty of tourist attractions around to keep you occupied and all in love with Costa Rica, but still nice and rural enough and far enough away from reality to really get away from it all.
The total time from your project to your accommodation is around a 5-10 minute walk away! There’s a lovely walk in scenic surroundings to wake you up at the start of your day!
Costa Rica, dubbed the rich coast by Columbus, was a melting pot of cultural diversity long before the Europeans came, with Mesoamerican and South American groups settling on the land. The area was not defined by one tribe or group but a mix of indigenous people. Faced with Indian resistance and tropical diseases, it took the Spanish around 60 years to colonise the country and Cartago. The central highlands was founded as a colony in 1563. The colony soon diminished in importance, however, as there was not a large Indian workforce to sustain it, it was far removed from major trading routes. Costa Rica became somewhat of a poor relation to other Spanish-seized nations despite the gradual establishment of cities in the fertile central highlands during the 1700s. Costa Rica’s status saw a turnaround in the 19th century as it gained full independence (1838) and achieved economic growth through coffee exports. Today it has a healthy economy driven by its growing industries that include tourism and electronics, and is the most affluent country in Central America.
A peace-loving and forward thinking nation, Costa Rica held its first democratic elections in 1889 and abolished its army in 1948 to invest in the country’s social and cultural needs. Despite a brief dictatorship and a six week civil war in the first half of the twentieth century, Costa Rica has achieved political stability and has managed to escape military dictatorships and violence that has befallen its neighbours.
Costa Rica is like Dr. Who’s tardis: it’s a small country but there is a vast array of species and natural beauty residing within its borders. It contains round 5 per cent of the world’s biodiversity and a quarter of the country is designated a national park or reserve. With 26 national parks, Costa Rica is renowned for its progressive approach to conservation and ecotourism. Parque Nacional Corcovado boasts the largest primary rainforest on the American Pacific coastline and is home to around 140 mammal species including the endangered Baird’s Tapir, jaguars and howler monkeys, as well as crocodiles and sharks on the coastal track of the park. The country’s turtle haven, Parque Nacional Tortuguero, lies on the Caribbean coast and its where Hawksbill, Loggerhead, Green and Leatherback turtles lay their eggs. Getting to the park is an adventure in itself since it can only be reached by sea or air.
To get closer to the clouds, Costa Rica’s volcanoes provide the perfect vehicle. The country houses around 100 volcanoes with only a handful active. Volcán Irazú, the country’s highest volcano at over 3400m, is active and its last major eruption was in 1963. It makes for a worthwhile trek to the summit where it’s possible to see the Pacific and Caribbean on rare clear days. For night owls, the active Volcán Arenal is best viewed from afar when the sun goes down for a chance of seeing it spouting spectacular explosions of hot orange lava. The Arenal Hanging Bridges, which consist of 15 suspension bridges in front of the volcano, provide great views of the volcano and the surrounding rainforest. Close to the volcano is Laguna de Arenal, the largest lake in Costa Rica, often hailed as one of the best windsurfing spots in the world. White water rafting, horse back riding and fishing are also popular activities in the area.
With an abundance of wildlife, rainforests and natural wonders to choose from in Costa Rica, it is also worth exploring the acclaimed Monteverde cloud forest. Lauded for its enormous range of plant and wildlife species, it’s a full on jungle experience with muddy trails and thick clouds hovering overhead. Adding to the area’s uniqueness is the Quaker community which settled close by in a town also known as Monteverde in the 1950s.
Sandwiched between the Pacific and Caribbean, Costa Rica has no shortage of fine beaches, whether white or black sand, tranquil or high spirited. On the pacific coast, Domincal is a cosy beach community and popular surfing destination with various national reserves and parks within easy travelling distance. One of the highlights on the Caribbean coast is Punta Uva which is picture postcard personified. The Nicoya Peninsula, meanwhile, is among other things, a hub for idyllic beaches from the secluded charms of Mal Pais to surfers’ paradise Santa Teresa.
If you come across random large stone spheres, these are just another of country’s unexpected and unique features. The existence of the spheres, which range from a few centimetres to 2 metres in diameter, were discovered in the 1930s and it’s not known why, what or who, but they are believed to have been made around 200BC to 1600 CE. Around 300 have been found so far in various part of the country.
It’s simple: dry, hot weather is like honey to a bee for tourists, but during the rainy season, you’ll find less crowds and usually cheaper hotel rates. To avoid the crowds and also a chance of dry weather, late April and May along with mid October to mid December are the best bet since the dry season tends to run from late December to mid April. The rain may hamper sunbathing but it doesn’t take away from the natural diversity of the country. Easter week is one of the busiest times especially in and around beach resorts. It’s hot year round with the coast boasting the hottest temperatures, averaging 89ºF (32ºC), while the highlands are relieved by cooler temperatures at night.
Like most Latin American countries, if you want to get around, bus is the way to go. Since the population is largely concentrated to the centre of the country, this is where roads and buses are most abundant. San Jose is the main departure point and depending on where you want to travel to and from, it is sometimes easier to return to San Jose to take the next leg of your journey. Buses vary from crowded old school buses to air conditioned luxury. But you get what you pay for and for long distance journeys on direct buses will get you to your destination an hour or two earlier than the cheaper corriente or normal variety that stop on demand. Buses are at their most crowded during major holidays, especially Easter, and at weekends and on Mondays and Fridays. In San José the majority of buses leave from what is commonly known as Le Coca Cola, the former site of the bottling factory and most services stop at 10pm.
Car rental is a popular option but it can be expensive and you need to be prepared to deal with unruly drivers and the occasional potholed roads. For long journeys, flying is good way to get to your destination quicker and domestic airlines like Nature Air and Sansa offer good rates and fly to cities as well as remote destinations.
Taxis are a good way to get to remote areas and around towns and cities. Agree on a fare before you set off, and for shorter journeys make sure the metre is switched on. It’s worth noting that taxi drivers tend to identify areas by landmarks rather than by address so it helps if you know what your destination is near.
The cosmopolitan bustle of capital city San José is far removed from the natural wonders of Costa Rica, but with most journeys beginning and ending in the city it’s a good place to while away a few days. Although there are few reminders of its colonial past what with skyscrapers, department stores and fast food chains dominating the city skyline, its museums, plazas and surrounding areas provide an alternative look at Costa Rican life. Museo de Jade, one of the country’s most renowned museums, offers a look at the world’s largest collection of American jade, together with various archaeological exhibits. Built in 1897, Teatro Nacional, the national theatre, is one of the city’s most striking buildings with marble staircases and gilded ceilings. For immersion in city life, the main market, Mercado Central, is good way to meet locals and find a bargain, while for people watching, head to the parks such as Parque Nacional and Parque Central.
San José is also the country’s transport hub and is the best base to explore from. Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo is a the closest national park to the city, less than an hours drive away, and amongst its lush vegetation it’s possible to capture the sight of quetzals, eagles, jaguars. You can also view the park from the comfort of cable cars and see flora and fauna that would otherwise go unseen by taking the hiking route. La Paz Waterfall Gardens is a nature park one hour from the city that features five waterfalls and a butterfly observatory. Also within striking distance of the city is one of the oldest national parks in the country, Parque Nacional Volcán Poás, with this being Costa Rica, an active volcano is the main attraction.
www.lonelyplanet.com
Lonely Planet are leaders in the travel guide sector and their website is a great source of travel information.
www.fco.gov.uk
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s website provides up-to-date political news, travel advice and information on visas.
www.natureair.com
Airline Nature Air offers domestic flights, as well as services to Nicaragua and Panama.
www.flysansa.com
Domestic airline Sansa has flights to major and remote locations and the site also has links to domestic airlines for Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.
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We work in partnership with hundreds of established projects that are run by local communities. The information on our website comes directly from the projects and we work with them to ensure this information is as accurate as possible. However, due to the very nature of the projects themselves the exact details of what happens on a daily basis can change with little or no notice. If you have travelled with us and have any updates to this information, please let us know.
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