You will be working with our partner organization in the Pavã-Pavãozinho favelas of Rio de Janeiro. This area is located on a steep hill overlooking the famous beachfront neighborhoods of Copacabana and Ipanema in southern Rio de Janeiro. Although the residents of the beach neighborhoods are wealthy, poverty overwhelms the shantytowns right around the corner.

Our partner organization in Rio is committed to providing health and education to the underprivileged families of the favelas in this neighborhood. They have converted donated houses into schools, daycares, and health centers for the favela community. They currently provide help for over 400 children, and their medical staff provides support for over 1500 families.

As a volunteer, you will be assisting the community center in providing daycare, teaching English, and organizing recreational activities with the children. Your work with the youth of the favelas will encourage them to seek higher education and help them feel like valued members of society.

Orientation:
After arrival in Rio, you will be picked up by a shuttle service provided by Volunteer Adventures. You will be transported to your hostel or host family for the first night. You will be given instructions on how to arrive at the school the following morning, where you will begin your volunteer adventure with an extensive orientation. During the orientation, you will become familiar with living and working in Rio, using public transportation, and working in the favelas. After the orientation, you will be taken to the community center where you will meet with a volunteer coordinator. Who will discuss with you where your skills will be best utilized as a volunteer.

Transportation:
Volunteer Adventures will provide airport pick-up in Rio and transportation to the host family. Volunteers pay for transportation to and from the project and other activities.

Language Classes:
Volunteers enrolled in the Gold package will be taking Portuguese language classes at Bridge-Linguatec, our affiliate language school in Rio. Your first day in the school, you will take a test to place you in the appropriate language level. For the rest of your time in Rio de Janeiro, you will be in a group of four or fewer students, learning conversational Portuguese for four hours a day.
After your class hours, you will go directly to the community center for your volunteer experience. During your work at the community center, you will be able to practice your Portuguese language skills as well as become more closely involved with the favela children and their culture.

Accommodations:
Bronze: You will be staying at a hostel with breakfast included. Commute time to the project can be 30-60 minutes. Silver and Gold: You will be staying with a Brazilian host family. Our host families are carefully screened and must meet Volunteer Adventures' requirements before being accepted as a host family. All our families are middle-class and live in safe homes. The distance from the school varies from about 20-40 minutes by bus. You will be given a key to your host family's home to come and go as you please. The family will provide two meals a day, a private room, and upon request (and extra charge), a private bathroom.

Meals:
Bronze: Hostel serves breakfast only.
Silver and Gold: Host family provides 2 meals a day, 3 upon request and with an extra charge.

Excursions:
Although you wil be serving the community for most of your time in Brazil, there may be time for some sightseeing. Below are a few of the trips that the school organizes for students and volunteers, schedule permitting. Students are expected to pay their own transportation costs and entrance fees.

	Christ the Redeemer Statue – Located atop the Corcovado Mountain, this is one of the world's best-known and most-visited monuments. Botanical Gardens – Visit Rio's impressive Botanical Gardens, home to outstanding examples of plant life from Brazil and the rest of the world. Sugar Loaf Mountain – The views are spectacular from Rio's most famous landmark, which stands at the entrance of Guanabara Bay.
	Modern Art Museum – Situated on the water close to downtown, this museum houses some 1,700 paintings, sculptures and engravings.
	Paquetá – Take a ferry trip to the beautiful little island of Paquetá, which lies in the middle of Guanabara Bay.