You will be volunteering at a shelter for girls in the eastern part of Santiago,  Chile.
Our partner organization in Santiago provides protection for nearly 300 girls who have been removed from their homes for legal reasons. Since the
girls have often been abused or neglected, staff and volunteers strive to make the shelter as loving and educational as possible.
As a volunteer with our Young Women's Mentoring Program, you will mainly be tutoring and interacting with girls from 10 to 18 years old. You will
help with English and other homework subjects, such as math, science, and computers.
But the most important part of your work will be the mentorship of the girls in the shelter. Volunteers will work closely with the girls, providing
them with the positive reinforcement, productive role models, and adult understanding that has been missing in their lives.
Program note: From December 15th to March 1st, the girls are not in school and do not require teaching and tutoring.
They do, however, still need your attention! Our partner organization has asked us to help keep their swimming pool safe and orderly by having our
volunteers act as pool monitors during this time. Ask for more details about this and other volunteer duties while the girls are not in school.
Orientation:
After arrival in Santiago, 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 learn about living and working in Santiago, using public transportation,
and volunteering on your project site. After the orientation, you will
meet with a project coordinator to determine your skills and what kind
of work you will be doing as a volunteer.
Transportation:
Volunteer Adventures will provide airport pick-up in Santiago 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
Spanish language classes at Bridge-Linguatec, our affiliate language school
in Santiago. For more efficient placement upon your arrival, we ask that
you take our to determine your language proficiency prior
to going abroad. If this is not possible, we will test you upon arrival
at the school. You will be placed according to your language level in
a group of four or fewer students, learning conversational Spanish for
four hours a day. After your class hours, you will go directly to your
organization for your volunteer experience.
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 Chilean
host family. Our host families are carefully screened and must meet Volunteer
Adventures' requirements before being accepted as a host family. All of
our families are middle-class and live in comfortable homes in safe neighborhoods.
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 will be serving the community for most of your time in Chile,
there may be time for some sightseeing. Below are a few of the trips that
the school organizes for volunteers and students. Participants are expected
to pay their own transportation costs and entrance fees.
| |
 Museo
Casa de Pablo Neruda La Chascona – This excursion takes you to Pablo Neruda´s house, Chile´s most famous poet
and winner of the 1971 Nobel Prize for Literature.
Museo de Arte Precolombino –
The Museo de Arte Precolombino houses ceramics, textiles, paintings, and sculptures from a wide range of Pre-Colombian cultures.
Parque Forestal and Museo de Bellas
Artes – This tour takes you to one of the most popular parks in Santiago and the most famous art museum in the city.
 Viña Concha y Toro – Visit the winery Concha y Toro,
where you receive a guided tour and taste some renowned Chilean wines.
Centro Cultural Palacio La Moneda
– Visit this newly inaugurated cultural center, study archive, and museum. The center is located underneath the also newly
remodeled Plaza Constitución, next to La Moneda, the presdential palace. |
In-country support:
We work directly with our school in Santiago to ensure your safety and
support during your time in Chile. You can expect help from the teachers,
staff, and other employees at Bridge-Linguatec. We also always have on-site
support at the community center, where both coordinators and professional
volunteers can help you with anything you need. |
