English Teaching Peru

WHY we need you in Peru

HOW can you help?

WHAT you can do?

Why Involvement Volunteers International?

childcare placements peru

  PROJECT NAME: ENGLISH TEACHING

LOCATION: CUZCO, PERU

  START DATES: WEEKLY (SAT/SUN ARRIVALS)

  ACCOMMODATION: HOME STAY

  MIN DURATION: ONE WEEK

  MIN AGE: 16+

  SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Criminal background check required

Overview

Sadly with poverty and homelessness in Cuzco, not all children or adults have access to quality education. This program aims to provide a caring and nurturing space for volunteers to assist children, teens and adults with their studies so they can gain confidence in their abilities and go on to improve their quality of life. 

English Teaching in Peru is an incredible way to give back to the local community.  Cuzco is a major South American tourist hub and as such the students are very much aware of the importance of English speaking and writing skills for their career opportunity.   For this reason, most are very eager to learn which makes for a full filling experience for international volunteers. 

 

You will be creating daily lesson plans, teaching classes, one-on-one tutoring, and creating educational games and activities for your students. You may also work in other activities such as cleaning and fixing up the teaching areas.

You may also be provided with a crash course in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), which provides you with basic theories and strategies to effectively teach ESL. You will also have access to materials for your lessons.  If you would like a more in-depth course before you leave,  check out this TEFL accredited course, which can give you the confidence for the classroom. 

International volunteers do not require any teaching background, however qualified teachers and/or TEFL accredited teachers are highly regarded. 

Location

Cusco, Peru –  easily one of the top 5 ancient civilization centers in the world, is also home to immense scenic beauty, bio-diversity and incredible culture.  On this project, you’ll be situated in Cuzco city. 

Project Tasks

  • Prepare english lessons, games and fun activities
  • Assisting children, teens or adults with homework and/or helping the slower learners
  • Supporting local project staff, providing individual attention and care for the kids, organizing games and sports, tutoring, hygiene education, and cleaning.
  • Bring your special skills in art, music, dance, and theatre
  • Hygiene education & setting up small workshops and learning experiences. 

Food & Accommodation

Your accommodation will be in home Stay’s with middle class Peruvian families in Cuzco. You’ll likely be placed centrally or approx 10-15 min walk to the central volunteer & training centre. You can request to either share with other volunteers or have a private room in the home stay.  For shared rooms, you’ll normally share with 1-3 other volunteers of the same gender and age group.

All host families are very experienced in hosting international volunteers and go through a rigorous process to ensure very high quality standards are met. These homes have electricity, western style toilets, running water, bed linen & basic amenities such as clean drinking water. Hot showers are less common however!

You’ll be provided a key to the house and are free to come and go as you please while being respectful of the house rules of the family. WiFi is available at some home stay’s however most volunteers will purchase a data plan for cheap to be used with their own device as required. Most families are happy to help with laundry, but you should expect to pay around US $2 per load if going to a local laundry service.

Breakfast & dinner are included each day. Peruvian food is very nice! Rice, beans, and corn are popular ingredients, and fresh root vegetables like cassava, taro, and sweet potato are in most dishes. You can also expect some fruits and vegetables, such as avocados (palta) accompanied by spicy aji salsa.

All prices in USD
  • 1 Week - $695
  • 2 Weeks - $950
  • 3 Weeks - $1180
  • 1 Month - $1380
  • 2 Months - $2050
  • 3 Months - $2700
Home Stays
What's Included
  • Accommodation
  • Meals
  • Airport Pickup
  • Local Transportation
  • 1 Day Orientation
  • 24/7 In-Country Support
  • Project Materials & Equipment
  • Pre-departure Expert Advice
  • Preperation Tools & Checklists
  • Certificate of Completion

Testimonials...

FAQ

If you have a desire to teach, then yes! From kids to adults, this program is varied and gives you a tatse of ESL teaching. For anyone who is an aspiring teaching, or is already in the industry, this is a fantastic opportuniy to give back to a developing community. 

  • Accommodation
  • Breakfast & Dinner daily 
  • Arrival airport transfer (Sat/Sun arrivals)
  • Filtered drinking water, coffee & tea
  • 1 day orientation
  • In country 24/7 support & emergency assistance
  • Fundraising support
  • University course credits (where applicable)
  • Certificate of Completion
  • Airfares
  • Travel Insurance
  • Some daily transportation to/from the project (if applicable – approx US$1-3 p/day)
  • Tours, Souvenirs & spending money
An in-depth orientation is included for all volunteers. This orientation is designed as a 1 day overview to help ensure you are equipped with the necessary info to effectively work with the local people and community.   This may include but is not limited to;
  • Peru culture / history overview
  • Spanish language lesson
  • Customs / law’s / do’s & don’ts
  • Volunteer expectations
  • Home stay guidelines
  • Travel opportunities during free time
  • Overview of your placement
  • Notes from previous placements to help maximize impact
Volunteers should aim to arrive into Cuzco on either Saturday or Sunday to ensure they can participate in the Orientation which starts every Monday.

Complimentary Arrival Transfer

You’ll arrive at Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ).   When clearing immigration it’s best to simply state ‘tourism’.    When you arrive you will be greeted by a member of our local team and taken to the homestay or the volunteer center for orientation.

In-Country Transportation

Most volunteers will use in-expensive bus transport to get around and to travel to the project placements.  Our coordinators will assist you with all the details while in country. A one-way trip rarely costs more than US $0.50 in Cuzco or nearby neighborhoods and maybe US $2 for longer distances. Taxis are also readily available in and around Cusco. Taxis cost approximately US $3 – $10 depending on duration.  We recommend using formal taxis that use a meter to calculate the fare based on time and distance.

Sunday – Arrival / Meet & Greet and Home Stay Introduction
Monday – Orientation in Cuzco Central (Volunteer Center)
Tuesday to Friday

This is a varied project and dependent on the time of year and various factors.   Here is a very rough guide on what to expect;

  • Breakfast at the accommodation
  • 4-6 hours of volunteer work either in the morning or afternoon
  • Your own lunch at the accommodation or project site
  • Free time
  • Dinner at the accommodation

Weekends are always free for volunteers to relax and do as you please exploring the incredible sights in/around Cuzco.  Most volunteers will organize to meet up at the volunteer center and head out from there.   It’s worth noting that in this region, most families are religious with Sunday the day of rest this also means many stores and restaurants are closed on Sundays. 

Modest or smart clothing – It is required that your knees and shoulder be covered while volunteering and also while interacting within the community.  No sheer or see-through clothing, no low cut/ midriff revealing tops, no miniskirts or skimpy clothing is allowed, out of respect for the local culture.

 

  • A Criminal background check is required for all childcare related placements
  • Volunteers should be hard working with a positive mindset!
  • Able to be creative with limited resources

Bordered by the Pacific Ocean, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia this South American country of 33 million is an incredible destination.Peru has a fascinating 5000 year old history and unique cultural heritage that exists to this day!  

With world renowned historical sites like Machu Pichu, incredible natural wonders like the Amazon rain forest, the Andes mountain range and loads of adventures such as rafting, zip-lining, paragliding and mountain biking, Peru is seriously an amazing place to visit!Don’t forget the Peruvian coastline which accounts for 10% of the whole surface of the country…Although the Incas are the most famous, there are other pre-Columbian cultures and unexplored archaeological sites which can be located in the North of Peru.   

A country of contrasts, crazy traffic, 6700 meter high cities, amazing beaches and sunsets, tropical rain forests and lamas!While the Amazon represents 60% of the Peruvian surface, it is the least densely populated region of the country. Therefore, it holds a lot of  uninhabited parts, untouched by humans and beautiful unseen areas.  With all the madness of the cities, the countryside is never far and in our opinion, here is the place where you can experience something very unique and special.   Here is where you will make a difference.

The climate varies depending on altitude and region, but for the most part the dry season is from May to November, and the ‘green’ season from December to April.

As Cusco is 3000 meters above sea level, the average temperatures in Cusco rarely reach above 25 degrees celcius.   During the dry season expect sunny, warm days and cool nights.   It’s generally warmer during the ‘green’ season with intermittent rain and sun during the day and mild rainy nights.

Peru has over 10,000 years of history!   It’s no surprise that Peru has an incredible wealth of culture and tradition that is one of the most varied countries in the world. 

As the 3rd largest country in South America Peru is divided into 25 regions and 11 eco-regions.  With an enormous range of landscapes, biodiversity and natural resources, you can boil this down to 3 main regions being 1) Coast, 2) Mountains 3) Jungle. 

Spanish is the official language and spoken by 85% of the population with 47 other native languages present among the various regions.  Music and dance play a vital role in Peruvian society.   Hispanic influences combine with Spanish and ancient styles to create a flair that is unique to Peru.  

Peruvian’s are proud people and very aware of the natural world and the value of the Andes, Amazon and historic civilizations in this region.  The country has overcome difficult political and economic issues.  

The people are welcoming and attentive to visitors with food and music being the central point for celebrations and of course colorful dress which is unmistakable.    Peruvian’s love football (soccer) which is the national sport and you can often see families playing together.   Most of Peru is quite religious with Catholicism very prominent.  

In Peru, personal hygiene and style are very important and people tend to dress neatly and professionally.  Be prepared to cover your shoulders and knees, and wear clothing that is not revealing or extravagant

30 Years Non Profit Experience

IVI is an Australian charity & non profit organisation founded in 1989 and is one of the pioneers of overseas volunteering successfully placing over 20,000 volunteers globally.

Affordable Volunteer Travel

We’re not motivated by shareholder profits.   Our fees are fully transparent to ensure maximum benefit where it is most needed. 

Safe & Responsible Projects

All projects include a dedicated 24/7 in-country management team, operational & risk assessment & overseas support contact.   All projects are personally inspected to ensure very high quality.
 

Work Experience & University Credits

We place thousands of Uni students and can assist you with course credits and in-field experience points.   Many of our project coordinators are qualified practitioners in their respective fields allowing unique in-field supervision and Uni accreditation options

Weekends & Extra Tours

Ready to Volunteer in Peru?