At a glance
- This is a volunteer opportunity with Projects Abroad. Devxchange will assist you in choosing the right fit, raising funds with your own campaign page, issuing tax receipts to donors if project meets CRA criteria as a charitable activity. Devxchange will also assist you in onboarding with Projects Abroad.
- Help us to promote early childhood development and give children the skills they need to succeed at school.
- You’ll teach basic English and make sure that children practice good hygiene every day.
- Support teachers in overcrowded classrooms and help to give more individual attention to children in small groups.
Details
- Encourage learning through play
- Improve English language skills
- Encourage best hygiene practices
- Support for special needs children
Includes/Excludes
Food and accommodation
- Food (three meals a day)
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Full induction and orientation by an experienced staff member on arrival
- Transport to and from your work placement
- In-country support and 24-hour back-up from our team of full-time local staff
- Emergency assistance from our international emergency response team
- Project equipment and materials, including access to our database with thousands of resources
- Training and workshops from our experienced local staff
- Regular social events and community activities with other volunteers and interns
- Access to our local office with internet connection
- Certification of project completion
- Access to our alumni services and discounts
- Visa support and advice
- Fundraising support, including your own personalized fundraising website with DevXchange
- Tax Receipts for your donors if activity meets CRA criteria for charitable activity.
- Pre-departure preparation by your own specialist Volunteer Advisor
- Personalized MyProjectsAbroad website, with all the information you need about your project, accommodation and destination
- A free cultural awareness course
- Membership to our volunteer social media groups, to share information and to get in touch
- Support to help you complete registration or internship documents, if applicable
Not Included
- Flights
- Visa Costs (where applicable)
- 10% Admin fee for donations involving tax receipts.
Itinerary
If you’re energetic, fun-loving, and have loads of patience with little ones, you’re the perfect fit to volunteer with children in Ecuador. You’ll gain hands-on childcare experience, and develop your personal skills, like communication and planning. This can help your future career. Best of all? You’ll become part of our ongoing efforts to help children in the Galapagos.
No experience in childcare? No problem! You will be supporting the local teachers and caregivers and have Projects Abroad staff members close at hand to help guide you along. We also provide training, workshops, and lesson planning resources.
Our Childcare Project in Ecuador runs year round, and you can join at any time from a minimum of two weeks. We recommend staying longer so you can have a bigger impact on the children.
You will start your day with breakfast, prepared by and enjoyed with your host family. After this, you’ll walk to your placement. On your first day, Projects Abroad staff will accompany you to show you the way.
Your work day will usually run from around 8:30am to 3:00pm.
During the morning session, you’ll help teachers in class by assisting with lessons. You’ll also work closely with small groups of children who may be struggling with specific tasks.
You can head back home for lunch. Alternatively, you can arrange with your host family to take packed lunches along to work.
After lunch, the children will take a nap. You’ll use this time to discuss lesson plans and activities with your teacher and fellow volunteers. We welcome input and fresh ideas from all those who volunteer with children in Ecuador. Spend the last bit of the afternoon playing games or doing sports outside with the children. This will help them get rid of some of their extra energy before heading home!
Evenings and weekends are your free time to relax and explore with fellow volunteers or new local friends. You can also use this time to do an add-on Spanish Language Course to improve your own language skills.
You’ll live and work on the island of San Cristobal. It forms part of the Galapagos archipelago, located about 1,000km from mainland Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean.
Our volunteer placements are all at kindergartens in the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Conditions are most basic than what you’re used to.
Even though it is the capital of Ecuador’s Galapagos province, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is still more of a port town than a city. It’s home to several pristine white beaches, but only two are for people. The others are all devoted to the protection of the local sea lion population.
With many cobbled streets and an attractive wharf area, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is a charming village, with much to explore during your evenings off.
Food and accommodation
You’ll share accommodation with other Projects Abroad volunteers and interns during your stay in San Cristóbal. This is a great way to get to know your fellow volunteers and interns, share experiences, and explore your surroundings in your free time together. You can also request to stay with a host family in San Cristóbal.
The accommodation is safe, clean, and comfortable. Your program fees include three meals a day.
Find out more about our accommodation.
Free Time and Leisure Activities
Our projects in Ecuador are based in the Galapagos Islands. This region is famed for the research Charles Darwin did here with its many unique animal species. It’s the ideal location to explore the natural beauty of Ecuador.
While you’re volunteering here, it’s worth checking out the beautiful beaches where seabirds circle above and sea lions laze about on the sand. You can also go snorkeling or scuba diving along the coast.
Hiking around the base of one of the many volcanoes that make up the Galapagos is spectacular and thrilling! You can also follow the Darwin trail or trek through the Punta Pitt.
There are plenty of museums and art galleries for you to learn more about the culture and history. You can also chat to locals and buy souvenirs at bustling markets.
What’s great about joining our projects is the chance to connect with other volunteers. So you can choose to explore the Galapagos independently or you can travel with the new friends you make along the way.
