Program Photos
Volunteer Placements in Costa Rican National Parks
Location: Costa Rica: Rural Areas, San Jose
Program Duration: 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks
Dates: Year-round
Call Us
Phone: 1-212-924-0446
Fax: 1-212-924-0575
Description
Includes Spanish language school, volunteer placement, housing, and meals!
Placements are available in 20 different national parks in Costa Rica, including Barra Honda Caverns, Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve, and the Arenal Volcano park.
Volunteer duties vary from park to park. Some projects include: trail restoration, park maintenance, wildlife monitoring, customer service to park visitors.
Highlights
The program runs year-round and you can start on any Monday. You'll spend the first 4 weeks of your stay taking 30 hours of Spanish language instruction per week at one of San Jose's leading language schools. After the educational program, you'll be placed in a 2-week to 8-week volunteer project of your choice.
Spanish Language School:
You will be interviewed, tested, and placed in a group class with other students of similar Spanish language ability. With small class sizes, 2 to 3 students, and an interactive teaching method that focuses on grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, and conversational skills, you will develop confidence in both the written and spoken language. The program also promotes cross-cultural understanding by focusing on topics related to socio-cultural, historical, economic, and political aspects of Costa Rica and Latin America. Cultural activities and tours are also an integral part of the program.
Your International Volunteer Project:
After successfully completing the 4-week language course, you will begin your volunteer placement at a Costa Rican national park. The placement process begins during the 4-week Spanish language course, with interviews arranged by the language institute. Most positions are full-time, although some participants combine a part-time placement with additional language courses at the institute.
Qualifications
* Be at least 18 (no upper age limit)
* Complete the language course before beginning volunteer placements
* Have at least an intermediate understanding of Spanish upon completion of the language course
Languages
- Spanish
Cost in US$:
Credit Available
no
Volunteer Types
- Animal Welfare
- Biological Research
- Building Maintenance
- Conservation
- Eco-tourism
- Environment
- Fixing Fences
- Ground Patrol
- Natural Resources
- Parks
- Recreation
- Research
- Marine Conservation
- Tourism
- Trail Building
- Translation
- Wildlife Surveying
Age Range
18+This Program is open to
American, Australian, Canadian Participant.
Participants Travel to Costa Rica
Independently
Application Process Involves
- Written Application
InterExchange's Mission Statement
InterExchange is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting cultural awareness through a wide range of work & travel, language, teaching English, volunteer, professional training, internship and au pair programs within the United States & around the world. Our goal is to create affordable and exciting cultural exchange programs, each with an unparalleled level of support. We take great pride in the professionalism and service of our staff and work hard to ensure our programs provide a rewarding experience for all participants.
