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Gap year Mexico
Evidence of Mexico's ancient cultural heritage can be found all over the country; ancient peoples such as the Maya and Aztecs have left many traces of their once-glorious reign. Today, Mexico's landscape is dotted with monuments from these civilizations, that have never lost their stunning appearance over the course of many centuries.
Can I participate if I’m not from the UK?
Do I need to take a test to prove my Spanish skill level?
Do I need special references or experience to participate?
Can I participate with a friend?
Can I combine my volunteer work in Mexico with a volunteer programme in another country?
Can I choose the city/region where I would like to volunteer?
What projects can I volunteer for?
When will I find out which project I will be working on?
What is the health/safety situation in Mexico? Do I need vaccinations?
Do I need to apply for a visa?
Should I buy travel insurance?
How much money should I expect to spend on extra costs such as extra travel and food?
What will my accommodation be like?
Will I live and work with other volunteers?
Is there a way for me to contact the other volunteers before I Ieave for Mexico?
Is it possible for me to contact my host family before I start my trip?
How much time will I actually spend learning Spanish and volunteering? Will I have free time?
Do I need to bring any materials for my volunteering project?
May I extend the language course or the volunteer work?
How are the language school and classes organised?
When can I start the programme?
Can I participate if I’m not from the UK?
Yes. Residents of the United Kingdom and the United States are welcome to participate in the gap year in Mexico programme, as well as citizens from other countries. If you are from another country, we will have to check your country’s visa requirements to see if you can participate.
Do I need to take a test to prove my Spanish skill level?
When you arrive in Mexico you will take a test, which will place you in the Spanish class corresponding to your Spanish skill level. You do not need to have any knowledge of Spanish in order to participate. Complete beginners can simply enrol in the beginners’ course.
If you are a complete beginner, it is required that you take the full four weeks of Spanish classes. However, if you already have good knowledge of Spanish, you may shorten the length of time that you take the Spanish course. You may also extend your Spanish course beyond the first four weeks.
Do I need special references or experience to participate?
No. You do not need to have any specific teaching, educational, or work experience in order to participate in the gap year in Mexico. However, any special skills which you could use as you volunteer would be both helpful and welcomed. Motivation, flexibility, and personal initiative are the most important qualities you can bring to your gap year in Mexico.
Is there an age limit?
No, there is no upper age limit, although you must be at least 18 years old in order to participate in the gap year in Mexico. Most participants are between 18 and 30 years of age. If you are older than this, you are still welcome to participate in the programme, but you should know that it is rather unlikely that you will meet people your own age on location.
Can I participate with a friend?
Yes. When you apply, you can list a travel partner, and we are generally able to place travel partners together at the same project. However, we cannot guarantee 100% that you will be placed in the same project.
Can I combine my volunteer work in Mexico with a volunteer programme in another country?
Yes. It is often possible to combine programmes. Feel free to contact TravelWorks for more information.
Can I choose the city/region where I would like to volunteer?
Before you leave for Mexico, you will receive a list of the places where you could possibly volunteer. You will be able to pick out your top three preferences, and we will try to place you with one of your top choices.
What projects can I volunteer for?
In most cases, volunteers work in projects in Oaxaca and the surrounding area during their gap year in Mexico. You should be aware that it will not always be so simple to adapt to your working conditions. Volunteers often work with children, people with disabilities, and elderly people from very poor families. Which volunteer programme you are placed in (giving health advice, tutoring students, etc.) will depend on your personal initiative, experience, and Spanish language skills.
Before you depart for your gap year in Mexico, you will receive a list of volunteer projects, and you will have the chance to list your top three preferences. Our partner organisation in Mexico is usually able to place volunteers with one of their top project choices. However, if there are many volunteers participating at the same time as yourself, you should be flexible enough to work on other similar projects, which may not have been among your top choices.
Please be aware that your volunteer project will not be meticulously planned out for you. You will have a general volunteering assignment, and will have to use your own creativity and initiative in order to successfully complete your project. You will need to be very flexible, independent, and adaptable during your gap year in Mexico.
When will I find out which project I will be working on?
We can let you know three weeks before your departure which project you will be volunteering for.
What is the health/safety situation in Mexico? Do I need vaccinations?
Mexico is a safe and politically stable country, and women can travel there alone quite safely. However, there are certain safety precautions which you should follow during your gap year in Mexico. For example, travel only during the day, keep your luggage in your lap on the bus, and do not wear expensive jewellery. Our partner organisation in Mexico can give you helpful information about which travel routes you should take and which areas of the country you should avoid for safety reasons. Current information about travelling safely in Mexico and other countries is available at www.fco.gov.uk and travel.state.gov.
Before your gap year in Mexico, you may need to get vaccinations. Exactly which vaccinations you will need will depend on your specific travel destinations in the country. Therefore, you should definitely go to a doctor for advice about necessary vaccinations and health precautions. You should do this as early as you can, to make sure you get the proper vaccinations in time. You can find useful information regarding vaccinations at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk
Do I need to apply for a visa?
Citizens of the United Kingdom and the United States do not need a visa for stays in Mexico of fewer than 90 days. However, you will need to make sure your passport will be valid for at least six months after your arrival in Mexico. Border security in Mexico may ask to see proof that you have sufficient funds to stay in Mexico. They may also ask for proof that you have already booked your flight out of Mexico.
If you are from another country, we will have to check your country’s visa requirements to see if you will be able to participate.
Should I buy travel insurance?
Yes, we strongly recommend that you get travel insurance to protect yourself abroad. WorldNomads offers flexible travel insurance for short-term and gap-year travellers like yourself. Note that this is only a recommendation. Feel free to search for the travel insurance which is right for you.
How much money should I expect to spend on extra costs such as extra travel and food?
You should expect to pay about £ 360 (US$ 600 / 400 €) per month in extra costs during your gap year in Mexico, for excursions, souvenirs, nights out, etc. Of course, this will depend on your personal lifestyle, so you may pay more or less than this. You should factor the following expenses into your trip’s budget:
- Flight ticket
- Travel insurance
- Vaccinations
- Miscellaneous personal expenses
What will my accommodation be like?
During your language course, you will be living with a middle-class host family, where you will receive half board (breakfast and supper) as part of the programme cost. During your volunteer work, you will be living in a student residence, where you will have a kitchen to prepare your own meals.
Will I live and work with other volunteers?
You will probably share a room with other volunteers during your gap year in Mexico, but this is not guaranteed. You will also most likely be working with other volunteers. Whatever the case may be, you will definitely meet fellow volunteers at your Spanish language school.
Your volunteer “base” will be your Spanish school. Here, you will have access to the internet, information about Mexico, and staff members from our partner organisation, who are there to help if you have any questions or problems.
Is there a way for me to contact the other volunteers before I Ieave for Mexico?
Three weeks before your departure we can send you a list of the other volunteers who will be travelling with you, including their e-mail addresses.
Is it possible for me to contact my host family before I start my trip?
In principle, this is possible, but only after our partner organisation has found a host family for you – which could be just before your departure for Mexico.
Please be aware that letters can take a long time to reach your host family, and the family will not be expecting to be in contact with you before your arrival.
How much time will I actually spend learning Spanish and volunteering? Will I have free time?
You will spend about 25 hours per week in your Spanish class, and will have free time at the weekend. The length of time you spend working each day will depend on the project you are volunteering for. In most projects, you will be working 4 to 8 hours a day and will have free time at the weekend.
Do I need to bring any materials for my volunteering project?
You are not required to bring anything along for your gap year project in Mexico, but you may if you would like. For example, if you are volunteering at a day-care centre, you could bring along art supplies for the children to use.
May I extend the language course or the volunteer work?
It is possible for citizens of the United Kingdom and the United States to extend their stay in Mexico for up to 90 days. You will be charged an additional cost for any extra weeks that you spend taking your language course or volunteering. It is also possible to extend your stay after you have arrived in Mexico, but you may have to switch to a different project or host family. We especially recommend that you extend your language course if you do not speak any Spanish.
How are the language school and classes organised?
Instruction takes place in small groups of up to 5 students. At the beginning of the language course, you will take a Spanish test to place you at the correct course level. Your class will begin in the morning or afternoon, and you will have 25 hours of Spanish instruction each week.
After the language course you will be able to communicate well enough in Spanish to work on your volunteer project. Since all projects in Mexico are social projects, you will most likely be working with young children during your gap year in Mexico. Therefore, good Spanish skills are an advantage for volunteers.
Employees at the language school will be there for the duration of your gap year in Mexico to help you if you have any problems or questions.
When can I start the programme?
Classes at the language school begin year-round every Monday, not including holidays. It is smart to book your flight so you will arrive in Mexico on a Sunday. Your first overnight stay in Mexico, from Sunday night to Monday morning, is included in the programme price.
Please note that your project choices are somewhat limited from the end of November through January and during the summer months, because many establishments are closed at these times.
What are my next steps?
If you decide to participate in the gap year in Mexico programme, just fill out the PDF or online Booking Form. Please note that if you are booking online you will need a credit card (we accept Visa or MasterCard). If you choose the PDF booking form, please print, fill out, and sign the form before faxing it to TravelWorks. As soon as we have received your application, we will process your booking. At this point your application will be legally binding. We will contact you if we need any additional information.
You will receive various application materials by e-mail after you have applied for the gap year in Mexico programme. These documents need to be completed and returned to TravelWorks.
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