Irazu Spanish School actively participates in volunteer activities which serve the needs of children, young people, adults and seniors in our community. With this in mind we offer our students the opportunity to work as a volunteer. This service allows them to use their Spanish skills in a real world situation getting to know and speak with people of all ages. Because of their patience older people and children are excellent people with whom you can practice your Spanish skills.
Students can serve as professors or assistants or play games or sing with children in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, or primary schools. They can participate in sports like soccer, volleyball or basketball, or teach ecology, history, or other subjects in primary or high schools. The students are always tremendously excited to be in class or play a sport with someone from another country.
Orphanages: Homes for abandoned and abused children can be found in Santo Domingo and other nearby neighborhoods. Volunteers will collaborate with the staff particpating in recreational activities, table games, helping them eat their meals, and playing outdoor games such as soccer, or organizing small parties to animate and cheer up the kids.
Special education: Teen volunteers can meet and work with children with hearing problems, language aquisition problems, visual or motor skills problems, hyperactivity or attention deficit disorders among other issues. All of these children require a great deal of personal attention as they struggle to overcome these obstacles which prevent them from easily adapting to society. Games, manual activities, outdoor walks and exercise are very important for these kids. Teen volunteers will work with them with the aid of professionals who will direct them.
Elderly care: Although it sometime seems that everyone in Costa Rica is under 30 there is a large senior population. Many people live to be over 100 in Central America. Teens can volunteer at both day care and permanent care sites for seniors. These people are wonderful to talk to. They have all the time in the world to listen and help you with your Spanish plus they will tell you fascinating stories of Costa Rica as it was 50 or maybe 80 years ago. You can play chess, cards or help in manual activities like sewing, weaving or knitting.
National Parks: Volunteers in these sites located throughout Costa Rica will have the opportunity to see many exotic plants, birds and animals which Costa Ricans are so proud to protect. They will help in taking inventories, aid in administrative tasks, and help man telephones providing information about their site.
Turtle protection: Year after year in Guanacaste at Playa Grande the enormous Baula turtles which measure more than a meter in size return to lay their eggs. This turtle is currently in danger of extinction. Volunteers will escort the baby turtles as they crawl to the sea. This activity is repeated for other turtles on the beaches of Tortuguero and Nancite.
Recycling: Teens can visit schools to work on recycling projects which are very important to Costa Rica- a small country which depends on maintaining a pristine environment to support the tourist industry. The students together with the school children of the community will divide the distintive materials to be recycled: glass, paper, cardboard, metal, etc, providing uses for the the discarded items encouraging and teaching the youth of Costa Rica to recyle.
