General Impression
Overall Rating: / 10
The start of my volunteering program was a bit challenging because everything was new and I did not meet anybody from the program right away. On my first day of school however, I received an introduction and was accompanied to the school. From there on, I basically had to figure out everything by myself, which was totally fine for me. From there on, everything went down smoothly and Nicole checked up on me from time to time.Country
I really enjoyed my time in Costa Rica. The nature and wild life is amazing and so different from what I am used to. However, the town, Jacó, where my volunteering program took place, could be quite dangerous, especially during night time. After 9 pm you should definitely not walk around alone, especially as a girl. That is nothing to be scared of but should be kept in mind. There are quite a few homeless people and when walking down the street people will approach you and talk to you and not always with good intentions. Nevertheless, Jacó is located quite close to San José and Manuel Antonio, which makes it easy to travel on the weekends. The beach in Jacó is good for beginners but also for more advanced surfers.
Project & Staff
The principal and my supervising teacher were extremely friendly and helpful. I taught 6th to 8th graders and basically shadowed my supervising teacher. It was easy to fit in the program and I started teaching quite soon because the students were mostly taught grammar or phonics out of the provided textbooks. I mostly did the grammar, phonics and reading classes. The work with the 7th and 8th graders was more interesting due to the fact, that they had literature lessons. However, the 7th graders only had online lessons, which was sometimes quite boring because they would do their projects on their computers and I would be able to help with anything.
Tips
The walk from the hotel, where I stayed at was quite long, taking into account that it is was really hot during the time of my program. I would look for a bike quite soon, when you get there. There are good offers on Facebook market place or you can rent one at Biciclo, which will be more expensive. The hotel is also very quiet and during my stay there where no other volunteers or peers of my age in the hotel. This was sometimes a little bit annoying because you felt quite alone, but if you meet people in town from hostels and connect with them, you can hang out with them during the day.