Volunteer with Children in Jamaica

7 Days

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.
  • Volunteer with children in Jamaica and help support early childhood development and literacy. You will work with local teachers and caregivers at disadvantaged daycare centres, kindergartens, or a special needs centre. This is a great way to add practical childcare experience to your CV.
  • Care centres I Jamaica are understaffed and you will be helping by doing educational activities with the children such as help children with practice reading and writing.
  • You will live in Mandeville and stay with a local host family. Take your times to explore the beautiful white beaches and lush green landscapes of the Caribbean.

Details

  • Support local teachers by focusing on early childhood development and literacy
  • Provide assistance to local staff working with children with special needs
  • Work at a home for the elderly to provide care and support to its members

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

Volunteer with Children :
What to Expect

Are you interested in learning more about early childhood development? Do you want to gain practical childcare experience? Do you want to help those in need at the same time? Childcare in Jamaica lets you do just that.

You’ll get to gain valuable experience in childcare, and can also work on personal skills like leadership, teamwork, and planning. If you love children and have all the energy in the world for them, this project is for you.

You don’t need previous experience. You’ll work alongside local teachers and caregivers, and you can reach out to Projects Abroad staff at any time. We also run regular workshops for all Childcare and Teaching volunteers. Here, you’ll can learn more about childcare, exchange ideas, and discuss challenges.

This project runs throughout the year, and you can join at any time from a minimum of one week. We encourage you to stay longer, so you can have a bigger impact on the children you work with.

The specific work you do will depend on your placement. These are some of the main tasks you’ll do:

  • Support the work of local teachers by focusing on early childhood development and literacy
  • Help increase the quality of life for those living with learning disabilities
  • Work at a home for the elderly to provide care and friendship

Location :
Typical Day

Your day’s activities will depend on where you are placed. You’ll typically work for about five to six hours a day, starting in the morning around 8am. You will work until about 2pm.

Each day will be different, and you can do different activities every day. We encourage you to rotate between fun games and learning activities. You can also incorporate song, dance, and sports into the children’s day.

You’ll spend every evening back at your host family, where you can enjoy home cooked meals and chat about your day’s activities.

During your free time, you can explore the town. You can go on hikes and explore amazing waterfalls, or relax on beautiful white beaches. We also run regular socials for all of our volunteers and interns that you’re welcome to join.

Mandeville

Most of our placements on this project are in the university town of Mandeville.

In Mandeville, you’ll work at a day care centre, pre-school, special needs school, or a home for the elderly. The education-based centres where we work are publicly run facilities. Some are understaffed, with few resources, so they need additional support.

The home for the elderly is a government institution that provides for those who are not able to earn an income due to mental or physical challenges. There are usually around 100 members there at any given time.

Jamaica is famous for its beautiful white beaches, and its lush green interior is equally special. The people of Jamaica are warm, friendly, and extremely welcoming. You’ll get to experience the laid-back culture, and let reggae rhythms guide you through your trip.

During your free time, you can discover majestic waterfalls on hikes or relax on idyllic beaches. Some memorable places to visit include Portland, Ocho Rios, Negril, YS Falls, and Treasure Beach.

Food and accommodation

You’ll stay with a host family in Mandeville. They will welcome you into their home, eager to share their customs and have you teach them about your own culture. We believe that this is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of Jamaica and have a truly unique experience.

We will always try to let you live alongside at least one other Projects Abroad volunteer or intern at the same host family. Your room will be modest, but comfortable, clean, and safe.

Your programme fee includes three meals a day.

Free Time and Leisure Activities

When you think of the tropical Caribbean, Jamaica is one of the first countries that comes to mind. With its white-sand beaches and vibrant culture, this island nation has a lot to offer. It’s an amazing location to volunteer in, and explore during your free time.

The local cuisine is definitely worth trying, with tasty dishes like Jamaican patties and jerk chicken. You can enjoy these at seaside restaurants and then head down to the sea for a cooling swim in the ocean.

With a rich culture and friendly locals, exploring markets and museums is a must-do. Visiting the famous Bob Marley Museum in Kingston makes for an enlightening weekend trip. While you’re there, you can also tour Fort Charles and the National Heroes Park.

There will be other volunteers working on different projects in Jamaica while you’re there. This means you can choose to explore independently or connect with other volunteers and travel as a group.

Map

You can send your enquiry via the form below.

Volunteer with Children in Jamaica
From $3,020
/ Adult