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Volunteer Information |
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Good English Language skills is the primary prerequisite. All volunteer teachers need to be able to teach in English. Spanish is not a necessary skill to be considered
The challange is for the students to understand you in English. The primary reason that parents send their children to our school is that they will learn to use English as a real means of communication. This will allow them to easily obtain permanent employment at twice the salary of their Spanish only peers as soon as they choose to leave school.
Yes, we have a dream of getting one of our students from a dirt floor home into Princeton one day. For this reason we really appreciate the time spent here by trained and experienced professional teachers.
The reality many of these children live in is if they learn to communicate in basic English and memorize their National Anthem, they can obtain a really good paying job right out of 6th Grade.
The second thing we are looking for is people who can manage groups of children in an interactive and yet somewhat controlled environment. Camp counselors, dance instructors and youth workers have all been wonderful educators for the children of Cofradia and had an incredibly rewarding and educational experience themselves while serving as teachers in Cofradia.
Some international travel experience makes the culture shock a little easier to deal with and camping experience can also be helpful. Some knowledge of Spanish and/or a real desire to learn it definately makes your stay in the community more enjoyable.
We encourage anyone who thinks they would like to do it, to apply regardless of their academic level or speciality.
We have two neighboring houses designated for our volunteers in a secure and gated area. They are outfitted with all the amenities necessary for cooking and living. And have 3 bedrooms each, and other rooms can be converted to bedrooms depending on the number of volunteers. Outside the house is a large porch area where the volunteers read books, and socialize.
At Cofradia's Bilingual School, we depend on our international
volunteer teaching team to bring our vision of quality multicultural
education to life. We carefully select teachers who have a wide array
of skills and experience, and the resulting cultural mix is always as
equally rewarding for the teachers as it is for the students. The
varied and International make-up of our team is one of our highest
priorities since it is this team who have the responsibility of
shaping young minds and showing all the people of Cofradia how
wonderful it is to really be part of a Global Family. Being part of
the CBS team means being an ambassador for your country and culture
during your stay with us. It is much more than just another teaching
job.
We provide our volunteer teachers with a rich cultural, educational and team experience. We provide accommodation in 2 spacious group homes situated in the centre of town, approximately 10 minutes walking distance from the school. Both homes have outdoor terrace areas for relaxing and are walled for security. All utilities, food and living expenses, local phone calls and Internet use are part of the package. Volunteers are expected to cover their own costs for traveling to Honduras, any required health insurance and for weekend trips. We do provide free luxury bus tickets to many destinations in Honduras and Guatemala, generously donated by a local bus company. Some of our volunteers choose to supplement their incomes by teaching adult English classes in the evenings, and find that through this they can make enough for all their weekend traveling. Some have even managed to make enough to recoup their International travel but this does take some serious after school dedication.
While some of our teachers have had professional experience teaching, it is by no means mandatory. The main requirement is the willingness and passion to help children. We also look for team members who have an interest in helping the community at large and reaching out to the town of Cofradia through the programs at our school. Many of our teachers have a background or an interest in community development, and have experience volunteering elsewhere, often internationally. We are most interested in individuals who are enthusiastic, dynamic, resourceful, flexible, work well in group situations and above all have a love of teaching children. Because we use a language immersion approach to our English classes, we ask that teachers speak as little Spanish as possible with the students. Consequently, there is no need for our teachers to know Spanish, although everyone invariably acquires a good grasp of the language by virtue of living here! Some teachers also arrange private lessons with members of the community where they teach English and the Honduran teaches them Spanish. This is often one of the most positive experiences for our teachers, as they develop real bonds with community members while learning the language and the culture.
Our volunteers have ranged in age from recent high school graduates to retirees and everything in between so we encourage everyone to apply!
In order to start the application process, please send the following information to Mirna Udy, the school administrator. (multiple points may be included in the same document if you like):
You may send resume but we are more interested in a letter of intent, experience with children, what you can offer the students, and what you hope to bring home from the experience. Please highlight any skills that would be an asset to our kids.
NOTE: The accommodation and benefits package is not always available to short term volunteers and we always welcome anyone who can cover their accomadation expenses at any time during the year. Looking forward to seeing you in Cofradia. The adventure and experience is something you will never forget.
Regards
Mirna Udy
I traveled with seven other students and two teachers from my school to Honduras to spend about a week and a half in Cofradia, helping with the construction of a new kitchen building and teaching English. It's been about two months now since I've returned from my trip and even though my tan has already faded away, I can still remember riding through the dust-filled air on the back of a pickup truck and playing soccer in the street at night. Before embarking on the trip, I really had no idea what to expect. I had traveled to several countries before and had even been to South America once. However, on all these trips, I was in the position of a tourist, there to see the tallest building or to eat the most exotic food, and the most I gained from these experiences were simply several dozen photographs. This trip, however, was something completely different. Those two weeks were an exhilarating ride through the culture and community of rural Honduras.
But what was different about this journey from my previous ones was that it was much more than just seeing another country, experiencing a new culture, speaking a new language, and meeting new people. I learned to see from the perspective of the people living there. It was like giving up being a Canadian and being a Honduran instead. Of course, I dare not say that I arrived at a complete understanding, or even close, but I was able to realize the reality that existed for others. At first, I was a little nervous regarding the language barrier, because I did not speak any Spanish at all prior to the trip, but this was overcome very quickly (in fact, right after we landed at the airport) with the help of the friends I made and the family I was staying with. Soon, my conversations with the children at the school and their families went beyond favorite movies and the weather to about things like politics and Darwinism and actually being able to exchange ideas. And seeing the school building through my own eyes and being there in person to interact with the students and participate in their daily activities gave me a first hand view of what it is like to live there. Between teaching English and helping with the construction of the kitchen building, we were able to play soccer and other games with the children. The friendliness with which they welcomed us was really heart-warming. It took me a while, but I was finally able to change my attitude. It was like learning to look at everything with a different light: from "I will be here for two weeks" to "this is where they live." To realize that these conditions, which to me were only temporary, was to them more or less permanent. It was the way things were. It was a simple realization, but a very profound one for me. Another thing I've had the privilege to take back with me, other than a few simple phrases of Spanish, is the knowledge that the decisions I make everyday and the way I choose to live my life here in North America can have a very big influence on people living on the other side of the globe, with completely different conditions. What I choose to buy, what I choose to wear, and what I choose to support can all make a difference in other people's lives. I will never forget my experience in Cofradia and the friends that I had made. And the best part of all is that the lessons I had learned were ones which no amount of classroom time or textbook-reading could have taught me. - Willy