Costa Rica Volunteering
Those with an appetite for adventure and volunteering will find much of interest if they look over the border to Costa Rica for their fix of either or both. Volunteering in Costa Rica will not only give those who undertake it the traditional satisfaction of a job well done, but also the benefit of experiencing a unique and vibrant culture in its full bloom, with volunteering programs that should be able to find something for everyone.
In almost every region of Costa Rica, thousands of volunteers have spent many years improving the lives of those in the local community, supporting and helping them with the construction of health posts and community centers, the painting and renovating of schools and making a real difference to the place and the people who live there, while simultaneously gaining the benefit of the endless cultural attractions of the cloud forests and mountains of the region.
There are numerous environmental programs that are always in need of fresh volunteers to boost their numbers. These programs include Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation, which aims to care for abandoned and injured animals (including alligators, anteaters, kinkajous, monkeys, porcupines, raccoons, sloths, turtles and many varieties of exotic birds) reintroduce endangered species back into their natural habitats, and reforestation projects to help cultivate native plants and trees. There are volunteer positions for people to feed animals or simply get them used to socializing with humans, veterinary medical assistant positions, while those who would rather work with their hands have the option of helping to build and repair animal cages and enclosures.
Organic Farms that are designed to help demonstrate and tutor Costa Rican natives and foreign visitors in the art of conservation practices to create sustainable development in areas such as agriculture, education and reforestation are also in need of volunteers to participate in activities such as botanical gardening, composting, construction, working with medicinal plants and preparing food for and feeding animals.
Other environmental programs include the Sea Turtle Conservation project, where beaches in Costa Rica are used as nesting grounds for species of currently endangered turtles. Surf lessons can also be added to volunteers' activities if they decide to choose this program, where their duties could include developing the hatchery, helping to teach the local community about the importance of animal conservationism, patrolling the beaches and rescuing and incubating any found turtle eggs, and tracking turtle movements.
It's not just environmentalism that volunteers to Costa Rica can get their teeth into, however. There are dozens of more traditional volunteering activities for those who are perhaps a little gun shy about getting their hands too dirty! Volunteers can experience a range of activities from helping children via the route of art therapy, to assisting in the care of animals at the San Jose Zoo, to teaching English (grammar, pronunciation, listening, speaking, vocabulary, writing) to either children (primary, middle or high school) or adult students. Opportunities exist to help volunteers get TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and/or TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certifications, recognized worldwide teaching qualifications that could end up becoming quite a successful and lucrative career in the future.
If volunteering to work with children is your thing, there are no shortage of opportunities to do so in Costa Rica, with places for help needed in orphanages, schools, a children's hospital and nutrition centers. Many schools in Costa Rica lack the resources to offer their young students any kind of organized sporting activities projects, so volunteer coaches or athletic motivators are very much in demand (particularly soccer coaches, a sport which has grown to be very popular in Costa Rica in recent times), with both sexes encouraged to come forward and apply. Other community improvement programs include landscaping public spaces and renovating buildings.
Some other volunteering in Costa Rica programs include artisan production, working with the blind or deaf community, in Costa Rica National Parks, or nursing homes.
Young people are not excluded from volunteering in Costa Rica, with numerous activities and opportunities aimed at the younger age group, including educational summer projects where teenage students can attend camps. For older students considering taking a year off, or simply looking for an enjoyable and educational way to spend their summer break, there are international volunteer opportunities available in areas as diverse as teaching, sports, care or even journalism! Students and/or professionals in the field of health care have no shortage of opportunities if they are looking for volunteering activities in Costa Rica as well. They can work as a paramedical assistant in either San Jose or Heredia, gaining first hand experience by working with Costa Rican paramedical experts, respond to emergency calls and receive paramedical and CPR training. There are medical internships available in local clinics and hospitals, or even for those with no medical experience or indeed interest, there are opportunities to provide comfort and support to patients at local children's hospitals.
Many of these volunteering projects include free accommodation (often with a Costa Rican family), meals and even Spanish lessons thrown in for the volunteers' benefit.
And don't forget, volunteers won't be working every day of the week, giving them ample opportunities to explore the wonders that Costa Rica has to offer, from its volcanoes and tropical rain forests, it's stunning sandy beaches and fantastic waterfall, to its rugged mountainous terrain and opportunities for water based activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming and surfing, as well as experiencing the laid back lifestyle and world renowned friendliness of the Costa Rican people themselves.
In short, anyone interested in volunteering overseas should certainly give Costa Rica a serious look, while conversely, anyone simply interested in visiting Costa Rica should consider giving volunteering a go as a fascinating and beneficial (to all) way of seeing this beautiful and extraordinary country and eco-system.
(CBS) About 100-thousand people each year take vacations focused on volunteer work, and that number is growing.
What's behind the trend -- and might such vacations be for you? Travel guru Peter Greenberg observed on "The Early Show" Monday that volunteer vacations are one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry. Despite a tough economy, or maybe because of it, more and more Americans are taking a "volunteer vacation." Some do it to give back to others, and some do as a result of a sort of indirect guilt trip, feeling it's not right to spend big bucks on big vacations, so they get their reward through giving back.
YOU SAY THERE IS A VOLUNTEER VACATION OUT THERE TO MEET EVERYONE'S NEEDS. HOW DO WE DEFINE A VOLUNTEER VACATION?
Read Full Article here
Please check back with us, this page updates regularly.
