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Study Spanish at Otavalo Spanish Institute. Spanish school in Otavalo Ecuador Contact us: otavalospanish@hotmail.com

Otavalo Spanish Institute
Av. 31 de Octubre 476 y Juan de Salinas. 3rd floor. South America
or
Otavalo Spanish Institute
Otavalo - Ecuador
Phone:
(593) 6-292 1404
Cell Phone:
(593) 9 1515876

Volunteer Work In Otavalo



Overview:

Otavalo Spanish Institute is the only School that is interested in projects with poor schools located in rural mountain areas in Otavalo. “Since I started teaching English in these areas while doing my thesis research, my time and effort was not enough because the children needed more assessment.” Since being there, I have wanted to develop volunteer projects with non profit.

Volunteers who are interested in this program will have the opportunity to work in the Andean Indigenous culture, close to the beautiful market town of Otavalo, surrounded by beautiful mountains, which allows the volunteers to immerse and improve their Spanish skills. Otavalo is surrounded by approximately 160 Indian communities. Some of them are very close to Otavalo are well supported by the government, but the villages which are far from the city don’t have this opportunity. For this reason, our program is focused in these villages which really need help. The volunteers will be immersed in educational programs to assist children. Schools in these communities have only one teacher for every grade ranging from first to sixth, and they need to be assisted. Each class size can range from 5 to 10 children. Volunteers will help students with everything from basic reading, to math and English. Further areas may include Spanish grammar, geography, science, sports and games, homework and some other activities.

"I had an amazing time with Washington and crew. Your generosity was inspiring and for that I am very greatful. I loved the fresh juices and delicious meals every day. The bathsin the river and waterfall were an added bonus..." Read more testimonials

Project Work Location

This volunteering project work is focused in schools located in the communities of Moraspungo and Tangali. The first school in Moraspungo is located 30 minutes by car from Otavalo, and Tangali is only 20 minutes further. No formal teacher-training is required; the kids only need your assistance and help. You don’t have to be a trained teacher to make a difference in these communities, you just need to be a positive person who is eager to help and do your best. Volunteers also live with local families in Otavalo with comfortable accommodation, which allows for an enriching cultural experience and the valuable opportunity to practice Spanish! You will have your own private room, hot water and three delicious Ecuadorian meals a day. The food is very typical of the area. Vegetarians are also well catered for. The duration of the volunteering project is a minimum of 4 weeks if proficient in Spanish. (1 week in Otavalo before beginning project- 5 weeks if learning Spanish).

Other Program Locations for Volunteering

Cloud Forest Program

Cloud Forest Program

Volunteers will fly into Quito on the first or third Saturday of each month, where the project manager will be waiting to take you to the hotel in Quito for one night. After breakfast the next day you will depart to the “Intiñan Museum” located north of Quito in the equatorial line at 00º, 00’, 00’’ (calculated with g.p.s.) Here you will be lead on an interesting tour where you will learn about archaeology and astronomy of the equatorial solar culture. You will also have the unique opportunity to watch the Coriolis´ centrifugal forces on a sink where the water falls opposite North of the Ecuator! After the tour, we will stop on the way to eat a typical lunch, and then arrive in Otavalo. In Otavalo you will be introduced your host family. Volunteers who chose any of these programs will have two weeks of Spanish lessons, five hours per day. The first two week in Otavalo will be spent taking lessons and acclimatizing to the altitude. The volunteers who need to learn Spanish will take one-on-one lessons for five hours a day for two weeks.

The volunteers who work with the project in the Cloud Forest will have the unique opportunity of work directly in contact with the nature. After you finish your 2 weeks Spanish lessons you will spend the weekend in Otavalo and Monday morning you will be driven in a private car to the village of El Goaltal. After you are settled in your cabin, we will walk to the school and you will be introduced to the teacher and kids. You will help the teacher with formal classes, starting with English, and then plan the classes for the next day with your teacher.
Each class size can range from 5-10 children. Lessons range from basic literacy and numbers, educational reinforcement, to help with homework, learning English, games, sports and other activities.
Each month you will be able to enjoy different special events. You will celebrate each child’s birthday which falls in that month. Birthdays are an exciting day of the month for all the kids in the school. Celebrations normally consist of buying a present to the birthday boy or girl, and some candy or food is bought to complete the table. You will choose the presents in your school and plan out activities for the birthday celebrations.
In the afternoon you can spend time planning the following day’s lessons, walking around the place, enjoying the paths in the mist forest, visiting the waterfalls, or just relaxing.
Friday is the last day of school for the week, and if the volunteer wishes to visit Otavalo (this is optional), there is a bus available at 11a.m. at the village of Gualchan. A 1 hour hike is necessary to reach the village. Normally, there are no buses or cars available in the village, but sometimes, with a little luck, you can flag one down for a quick ride. If volunteers prefer leaving on Saturday, there is available a bus very early in the morning at 5 am. The bus travels from the cabin and goes directly to the bus station in Ibarra. From Ibarra you will travel by bus for 40 minutes to Otavalo. To return there is only one bus to el Goaltal. This bus leaves from Ibarra at 1 pm every day.

Medical Healthcare

Medical Healthcare This program is recommended for medical professionals or students of medicine who want to help the people who earn low economical income. The project is focused in public hospitals and clinics. Typically, volunteers assist doctors - usually working as an assistant. Responsibilities include: measuring blood pressure, body temperature, recording patients' height, weight, etc. Volunteers also provide much-needed assistance in various health "camps," distributing medication, provide tips to patients regarding proper health, nutrition, personal hygiene, and sanitation as well as providing general counsel to in-need Ecuadorians. Medical/healthcare is available in the public Hospital of San Luis de Otavalo and the clinic of CEMOPLAF.

Cloud Forest Health-Care Project is available in the public Hospital of San Juan de Lachas .Medical professional volunteers have the opportunity to work in whichever areas they specialize, or have a particular interest. The needs of the hospital are varied, but there is much help needed in Pediatrics, work with Obsentricians, and work with Surgeons. Volunteers will be working with a professional medic from the hospital. For those students who are not finished with their medical schooling, they will be working under the supervision and control of a medical professional. The duration of the volunteering project is a minimum of 4 weeks if proficient in Spanish. (2 weeks in Otavalo before beginning project- 6 weeks if learning Spanish)

For many medical professionals and students, learning Spanish, specifically including medical terminology, is absolutely essential because all of the patients speak only in Spanish. Otavalo Spanish Institute has developed a program with medical terminology for those students who need to learn, and runs for 2 weeks before the volunteer program starts. If a student is already proficient in Spanish, they can begin the program immediately without classes.

Otavalo Program

Project Volunteer’s Life in Otavalo (Huachinguero) Volunteers will fly into Quito on the first or third Saturday of each month. You will spend in Quito for one night. After breakfast the next day you will depart to the “Intiñan Museum” located north of Quito in the equatorial line at 00º, 00’, 00’’ (calculated with g.p.s.) Here you will be lead on an interesting tour where you will learn about archaeology and astronomy of the equatorial solar culture. You will also have the unique opportunity to watch the Coriolis´ centrifugal forces on a sink where the water falls opposite North of the Ecuator! After the tour, we will stop on the way to eat a typical lunch, and then arrive in Otavalo. In Otavalo you will be introduced your host family. Volunteers who chose any of these programs will have two weeks of Spanish lessons, five hours per day.
The first two week in Otavalo will be spent taking lessons and acclimatizing to the altitude. The volunteers who need to learn Spanish will take one-on-one lessons for five hours a day for two weeks.

The Project work is from Monday to Friday. The first day you will be picked up by a minivan or truck that will take you directly to the community you are designated to work in. Classes start at 8a.m and finish around 1 pm.
The kids break for a mid-day snack at 11am which we provide the food for. The mothers of the students take turns to prepare the food. At the end of the school day, the minivan will pick you up, and bring you back to Otavalo. In the afternoon, volunteers can spend time planning the following day’s lessons, spending time learning more Spanish, or just relaxing.

The days are spent teaching a specific grade of children, or helping the local teacher with formal classes- which can include English, math, reading, writing, grammar, science, geography, art, physical education and more. The days consist of morning classes, broken up by the lunch break. The volunteers work with the local teachers to plan the class for the next day.

Each month you will be able to enjoy different special events. You will celebrate each child’s birthday which falls in that month. Birthdays are an exciting day of the month for all the kids in the school. Celebrations normally consist of buying a present to the birthday boy or girl, and some candy or food is bought to complete the table. You will choose the presents in your school and plan out activities for the birthday celebrations.
After classes the minivan will pick you up to return to Otavalo.


Ecuador Explorer
Otavalo Spanish School 2008