Chile

Looking at a map of Chile one feels a touch of amazement that so much can happen in this long, narrow strip of land, tucked between the towering Andes Mountains and the endless Pacific Ocean!

We offer teaching projects in La Serena region about 450kms north of Santiago. The Elqui Valley is known for its artistic communities, grapes and spirit of tranquillity. The region is the major producer of Pisco, Chile's national grape drink.

Our main teaching projects are in Pisco Elqui, Monte Grande and Paihuano. The region enjoys one of the nicest climates in the country as it hardly rains, but it can get cold in winter, particularly at night. 

1. What projects are available in Chile?

We work mainly in three primary schools, welcoming pupils aged from 4 to 14 in the villages of Monte Grande, Paihuano and Pisco Elqui.

In addition there is currently a thrust to provide a voluntary English support service to all the schools in the Comuna, including the recently opened Liceo (secondary school) in Paihuano and 6 small, ‘rural’ schools, scattered along the valley. 

Volunteers help raise the level of English in the Comuna, as well as developing sports offered to kids. Support in information technology is appreciated and volunteers can also set up adult English classes.

Other exciting projects have been organised according to volunteers' individual talents and interests. These have included a concert in Monte Grande, a marathon and a photographic exhibition of work done by children in Cochiguaz

We are also looking for volunteers to be involved in vocational training to adults, including communication skills and basic computing classes.

2. Are there any special requirements for volunteers in Chile?

Like all of our projects there is a minimum age requirement of 18.

There is also a minimum time requirement of 10 weeks for these programmes.  Basic knowledge of Spanish is essential, as very little English is spoken. But we can also organise classes in Chile, so this is a great chance to learn Spanish!

Interested? To find out about the next step to becoming a volunteer, read our application process.