Volunteer Work in Chile

Volunteer work in Chile

After the language course, you will begin your volunteer work in Chile. As a volunteer in Chile, you will have the opportunity to work in the field of education, environmental protection, and tourism. The volunteer projects are located in sevarl different locations in Chile:

• in and around Santiago,
• in Pichilemu and Molina (both about 2-3 hours from Santiago by bus),
• in Pucón (about 12 hours from Santiago by bus),
• in San Pedro de Atacama (about 22 hours from Santiago by bus).

Aside from doing volunteer work in Chile, you will also have free time for excursions in the nearby surroundings. Aside from this, we recommend that you plan in extra time after the programme to travel in Chile.

Project Examples

Depending on your stated preferences, your prior experience and skills, and the needs of the projects on location, you will be placed in a volunteer project in Chile. Pick out the projects that you would like to engage in as you do volunteer work in Chile:

Project Group 1 (P1) - Santiago de Chile

School for the Blind
The teachers in this school would like to give seeing-impaired and blind children the best education possible. An underlying goal of the school is to integrate these children into society and to prepare them for the world of work. Volunteers assist teachers with class instruction and organise exciting after-school games and activities for the children. During the week, the children also sleep in the school.

English Instruction
This school is dedicated to teaching underprivileged and sometimes neglected children from the poorest districts of Santiago. Your volunteer work in Chile will include supporting the teachers, instructing English, and tutoring the young students. Playful learning and contact to other cultures are especially important for these children. Aside from regular instruction you can also work on community projects with the children, for example planting a vegetable garden or improving playground equipment.

Project 2 (P2)

Surfing and English Instruction
As a volunteer in Pichilemu, you will dedicate your mornings to volunteer work, receiving surfing instruction in the afternoons, Monday through Friday. As a volunteer, you will teach children things such as basic English vocabulary (numbers, colours, animals, etc.), and you will help adults improve their English pronunciation and conversation skills.

You do not need any surfing skills. Advanced surfers can train on the Punta de Lobos beach.

Project 3 (P3)- Molina

English Instruction
There are currently seven primary schools in Molina, which desperately need English teachers. You will support English teachers here as they instruct classes, but you will also teach basic vocabulary on your own. You will also teach the children about your own culture as you encourage them to learn in a playful atmosphere.

Project 4 (P4) - Pucón

Nature Reserve
Pucón is a beloved tourist destination in Chile, located directly on the coast and surrounded by volcanoes. Here, in a private nature reserve, you will take part in environmental and nature protection. Your work will vary depending on the season. Volunteer duties could include collecting seeds, planting plants, maintaining paths, repairing fences, putting up signs, working in a kiosk, or doing translation work.

Project 5 (P5) - San Pedro de Atacama

English Instruction
In the small city of San Pedro de Atacama, a departure point for tours in the Atacama Desert as well as to geysers and hidden volcanos, you will provide English instruction to school children as well as local workers and village residents. You may also teach English in Quechua villages, near the Bolivian border. Good language skills allow residents to secure their means of making a living by building up tourism in the area.

Tourism Development
As a tourism volunteer, you will teach English to local business owners, guides, and park rangers, offer local workers computer instruction (Word, Excel, internet usage), and help to edit brochures.