Overview of the Project
This is an after school program to assist children from very poor background. Global Crossroad collaborates with grassroots programs to provide much needed assistance to the children that come from disadvantaged families and attend schools that lack resources to give them good education. This setup generally ensures the children from well-off families will always end up in better paid jobs while children from poor families will never succeed. Most of these children also struggle in their school and if they are not provided proper help and guidance, they can drop out of school and have no future. Our volunteers can do much to improve and inspire these kids.
Role of Volunteer
Volunteers are needed to assist the children with various activities so you can motivate them and give them hope for a better future. Depending on personal skills and interests, volunteers can teach English, music, mathematics, computer skills, assist in cooking and serving meals to the children, educating the children in issues of personal hygiene/sanitation, ensuring they complete their homework – simply spending quality time with these often-abandoned children makes a significantly positive impact. Another strongly rewarding contribution is helping to reintegrate these children into society – laying the groundwork for them to be happy, well-adjusted and productive members of society.
- Program: Volunteer in Costa Rica
- Project: Children at-risk
- Start dates: 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month
- Locations: Atenas
- Departure and End Point: San Jose International Airport (Juan Santamaria)
- Language Need: Basic/intermediate Spanish fluency
- Accommodation and meals: Host Family and Costa Rican meals three times daily
- Activities: Provide love and care to orphans & support orphanage operations
- Working hours: 25-35 hours per week
Skills/Qualification Needed
There are no specific qualifications needed to join our children at-risk program in Costa Rica project beyond a preferred basic/intermediate fluency in Spanish. If you cannot speak Spanish, we recommend enrolling in our Spanish Language Studies program. Volunteers need to have passion and love for children and be flexible and patient.
Volunteer in Costa Rica: Project Locations and Free Time Options
Atenas is located about 41 kilometers (25.5 miles) from San Jose in the central Valley and sits at an elevation of 698 meters above sea level. It is a small town of about 5 thousand people and is popular with a lot of American expats, who stay there permanently. The temperature in Atenas averages in the mid-70s year-round, but there will be few warmer nights and few evenings when it might dip below the 60s. In the rainy season, late afternoons are wet but mornings are mostly clear.
From Atenas, the views of the surrounding coffee and sugarcane plantations as well as forested valleys are very beautiful. There is a central park located at the heart of the town. The park is a perfect place to relax and enjoy ice cream or coffee. Cafes and restaurants located within the park serve some of Costa Rica's delicious cuisine including the toronjas rellenas (stuffed grapefruits), which are a popular local dessert. Nearby shops and markets are very good places to purchase souvenirs such as handcrafted jewelry or traditional Costa Rican clothing. Located just east of Atenas, volunteers can also visit La Garita. It is to home to Zoo Ave, a wildlife rescue and breeding center, and also has a plant nursery nearby that sells exotic plants. On weekends, volunteers can travel to Pacific Coast or further away to visit National Parks and Caribbean Coast. A trip to San Jose, the largest city, is also recommended.