Spanish Immersion Volunteer Program (SIVP)

Spanish Immersion Volunteer Program (SIVP)

Ecuador indigenous learning

Students and adults with at least an intermediate level of Spanish have the opportunity to study, work and live in the Spanish-speaking community. SIVP may be arranged any time of the year for four or more weeks. Participants spend the first week in an intensive Spanish tutorial, and the following weeks studying Spanish and volunteering in the community.

Participating in the CEDEI Spanish Immersion Volunteer Program is an alternative to a typical vacation. It provides you with an adventure where you will learn, teach, work, and relax. The combination of studying Spanish and working in the community alongside local people enables you to engage in the local culture, enhance your understanding of it, and broaden your world view. At the same time, you give back to the community, which ultimately benefits everyone involved.

Volunteer experiences can include, but are not limited to:

  •  Mentoring local street children by assisting them with their school work, helping them to refine their work skills, aiding them in fostering friendships with their peers and creating opportunities for success and pride
  • Teaching English to young pre-school children from poor, rural areas, both in a classroom and through fun, interactive recreation
  • Collaborating with a local grassroots organization that works specifically with women in an effort to build networks, share experiences and create new opportunities within the local artisan community
  • Assisting a community outreach organization that puts women and children in contact with economic and educational resources available in cases of domestic abuse, divorce or separation
  • Caring for disabled children and orphans, providing them recreational activities and physical therapy, and preparing them for adoption
  • Utilizing personal expertise in medicine, ecology, business or eco-tourism

Some sites require volunteers to have an intermediate proficiency in Spanish, while others (especially placements in healthcare) require an advanced level.

Program includes (per week):

  • 50 unaccredited hours of one-to-one instruction: 20 hours during the first week, 10 hours during the second and following weeks.
  • 04 weeks of accommodation with a host family (includes 3 daily meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner, laundry service and WIFI)
  • Volunteer placement fee
  • 80 hours of volunteer work
  • 4 Latin dance class (1 class per week)
  • Materials for Spanish classes
  • Welcome Kit (notebook, pen, SIM card, bus card)

Cost

Please contact our office at oip@cedei.org

Application

You can start this program at anytime. However, you need to apply at least two months before the start date. This will give you enough time to prepare to travel to Ecuador and get to CEDEI on the expected date.*

*Please, make sure to check any visa requirements to enter Ecuador, if needed.

Main Office Location

Office of International Programs
Gran Colombia 11-02 y General Torres
Phones: (+5937) 2848012 – (+5937) 2839003 – (+5937) 2823452
See location

Email: Director of International Programs