Puente Cultural Service and Teaching Abroad Grant

Puente Cultural Service and Teaching Abroad Grant 

Not available for 2021

This is a Teaching/Volunteering Opportunity in Cuenca, Ecuador for recent graduates with an intermediate to advanced level of Spanish.
This year-long commitment involves teaching English at CEDEI’s English School and volunteering at Fundación El Arenal, an alternative education center for children and adolescents of Cuenca, or at Escuela San José de Calasanz, a school that offers craft workshops and basic education to people with and without disabilities.

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The “Puente Cultural” Grant has two primary objectives:

• To facilitate a cross cultural experience for a recent graduate with high Spanish proficiency who demonstrates financial need. 
• To support the programs led by El Arenal Foundation and Escuela San José de Calasanz.

The ideal student will possess the following qualities:

• 2020 Graduate with high Spanish proficiency
• Willingness to commit to living in Ecuador from July 2020 to June 2021
• Financial need—an indication that the student would not be able to live abroad without financial help
• Interest in helping and teaching children of all ages
• Willingness to volunteer 20 hours per week at EL Arenal Foundation as an ESL teacher for Ecuadorian children ages 10-18 (unpaid volunteer work)
• Desire to become a TEFL certified ESL instructor
• Willingness to work 20 hours per week as an ESL instructor at CEDEI language school (paid work)
• Willingness to maintain a report/ blog/ Facebook page about this experience

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The grant will provide:

• Safe and secure housing with an Ecuadorian family during first 5 weeks in Ecuador.
• Round trip flights costs
• Cost of volunteer visa
• Cost of four-week TEFL certification training program at CEDEI
• Medical insurance while in Ecuador through CEDEI
• Monthly stipend for 10 months after completing TEFL certification

What grant recipient will need to cover:

• Daily living expenses during mid-August through beginning of September, when paid work begins at CEDEI, through June, 2021
• Daily living expenses, which can be paid for by money earned as CEDEI language teacher, 20 hrs. per week beginning in September

HOW TO APPLY

Please, send the following documents to oip@cedei.org by February 15, 2020:

1. Application Form: Fill out the form here
2. Two Letters of Recommendation (One needs to be a faculty member): You are responsible for contacting the individuals listed on your application form. You may wish to confirm with the individuals that they have written on your behalf to oip@cedei.org. No special form is required.
3. Resume
4. Personal Statement: Include a one-page, single-spaced explanation of your interests and plans and how this grant relates to your career goals.