On this bespoke programme, you will have the opportunity to volunteer on two different projects each morning, working with children and animals, before sheltering from the Guatemalan sun in the afternoons, joining group Spanish language classes.
| Host Organisation | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 14 July 2024 – 10 August 2024 (additional dates each side for travel) |
| Eligibility | Undergraduate or Postgraduate students (part-time or full-time). Not suitable for final year students. |
| Project cost | Project cost includes: Spanish language classes, breakfast and dinner, homestay accommodation, in-country travel, airport pick-up and drop-off, 24/7 in-country support. Cost: £831 for most students OR £418 if your household income is less than £25,000* Flight contribution up to £800 towards cost of return flights to Guatemala. **Please note that there is a 5% currency conversion fee when making payment to IVHQ. |
| Funding available | Turing funding is available. Mobility scholarships funded by the Irish Government will contribute up to £800 towards the cost of return flights to Guatemala. |
| Other costs | Flights, visa, travel insurance, vaccinations, DBS check, spending money. |
| Deadline to apply | Monday 19 February |
Volunteering projects
Over the 4-week programme, you will split your time between two different local volunteering projects. Two weeks will be spent on IVHQ’s ‘Animal Care’ project and two weeks on the ‘Teaching English’ project. Volunteering activities will take place each morning during the week.
Animal Care project
In Latin America, animals are often not held in the same high regard or considered part of the family as they tend to be in western societies. This leads to animals being neglected or abandoned, and greatly increases their chances of becoming injured or ill. By volunteering with animals in Antigua, you can contribute to the high demand for support to aid in their recovery and development.
Placements include a cat and dog shelter, a veterinary clinic, an exotic animal rehabilitation centre which caters to crocodiles, snakes, lizards and turtles, and a horse rescue and rehabilitation centre. The animals have often been neglected and abandoned or suffered injury or illness. Volunteers will assist with a range of tasks that will help the animals to recover and regain their health, as well as teaching the domestic animals to socialize with humans through obedience training and companionship.
Examples of tasks you may undertake on this project are: Cleaning cages, bathing and grooming animals, helping with obedience training, assisting with veterinary care, feeding, and cleaning the horse stables.
Teaching English project
The Teaching English project enables volunteers to gain teaching experience in schools, community centres and libraries. The ability to speak English gives Guatemalans a genuine opportunity to find work in a range of different careers, and volunteers teaching free classes help to make this a reality for people who would otherwise not be able to access lessons or afford to learn English.
As a Teaching English volunteer you will assist in local classrooms and teach classes independently or with another volunteer. Before you start teaching you will complete a TEFL crash course which will give you the tools and resources to plan lessons and help students with their learning.
Examples of tasks you may undertake on this project are: teaching small groups of children, tutoring local students, setting up workshops, assisting local teachers, setting up educational games and activities, lesson planning.
Spanish language classes
In the afternoons as a part of the programme, all Ulster volunteers will join Spanish language classes. This will help volunteers improve their Spanish language skills which will help them communicate on the volunteering projects and with the local people. The language lessons are tailored to each volunteer’s current level of Spanish and classes run from Monday through to Friday.
Accommodation & Meals
In Antigua volunteers are accommodated in homestays with local families - it’s an immersive experience that connects you with an authentic insight into the Guatemalan way of life.
You will find living conditions are comfortable and you can expect your accommodation to have electricity, drinkable running water and western bathrooms. You can expect to share a room with up to six other volunteers of the same gender in most homestays.
Volunteers are provided breakfast and dinner at their accommodation. Lunches are not provided but there are plenty of local restaurants and cafes where volunteers can buy lunch between their activities. IVHQ recommend budgeting between $3-$5 to buy lunch.
Find out more
Further detail on the projects can be found on IVHQ’s web pages, with information on the Animal Care and Teaching English projects.
Widening Access and Participation
You will be eligible for a higher rate of Turing Scheme funding if you meet one of the criteria below:
- You are in receipt of an Ulster University Access Bursary
- You are from an area of low higher education participation, low household income or low socioeconomic status (including those with an annual household income of £25,000 or less)
- You receive Income Support or Universal Credit and are financially supporting yourself or financially supporting yourself and someone who is dependent on you and living with them, such as a child or partner
- You are from a background of care
- You have caring responsibilities
- You have no living parents
- Your parents cannot be found or it is not reasonably practicable to get in touch with either of them (estranged students)
- You are a refugee or asylum seeker
Proof of the above criteria will be required as part of your application.